A decorative bead toy includes: a body portion formed into a granular shape and made of a water insoluble material; and a recess engagement portion provided in the body portion so as to engage a plurality of fusible bead toys made of water soluble resin. The recess engagement portion is formed into an annular shape.

Polycube-based puzzles are disclosed. Three-dimensional Sudoku-like puzzles using polycubes of various sizes and dimensions, where the cubes making up each polycube have visually identifiable features on all sides such that sets of polycubes can be created to facilitate the Sudoku-like puzzle game. Polycube-based puzzles using sets of polycubes arranged in different configurations where each side of a resulting combination of a set of polycubes has no repeated visual identifier.

A computer-implemented method of controlling a display of a computer device by: rendering on the display a game board having a plurality of selectable game objects, each at a respective tile location in an array. User input is detected to select a game object causing the game object to move in a direction. A game move is implemented in which the selected game object is moved to an adjacent new tile location and swapped with the selected game object. Match data is generated if the move results in at least three game objects of the same characteristic occupying adjacent tile locations, which are removed from the rendered image. New game objects are generated to replace the removed game objects.

A toy for stimulating the intelligence of dogs has a basic body into which food rewards can be introduced. Movable panels define different functional levels. The panels have apertures and are arranged one above the other in the body. Two top sub-panels that close of the upper side of the body can be pushed apart from one another by the dog's paw. An access panel underneath has retaining bracket which allows the dog's paw to lift it out in the upward direction. Retaining pins pass through apertures in the panel. A sliding panel, which is underneath, has an oblong opening through which likewise removable arresting pins and special arresting pins can pass. The sliding panel can only be displaced by the dog and drawn out of the body in order for the food reward to be exposed to the dog after the locking and arresting pins have been removed.

The automation of a computer playable puzzle pix where the input photographs or drawing.

An apparatus for the creation of an electrical circuit on a game board as a puzzle to be solved, is provided. The game board includes an electrical control circuit that induces an electromagnetic field above a planar surface of the game board. A plurality of electrically conductive distinctly curved game pieces are placed in various ways on top of the planar surface, the goal being to place all of the pieces on the planar surface in a loop in order to create the electrical circuit. When the final game piece is placed, an induced current flow is experienced by the electrical circuit and detected by the electrical control circuit. In response to detecting completion of the electrical circuit, the electrical control circuit activates an audible indication and a visual indication simultaneously for a period of time to provide a pleasurable reward to the user in the form of sensory feedback.

A writing utensil puzzle kit for amusement and advertising purposes. The writing utensil puzzle kit includes a shaft, a writing member affixed to the shaft, a front housing piece securable to the writing member, a rear housing piece having a front end and rear end, wherein the rear end is securable to an end cap. A plurality of central housing pieces having a central channel that can receive the shaft, wherein each of the central housing pieces are securable to one another in a particular order via a threaded protrusion disposed on a front end thereof that can removably secure to a recessed channel disposed on a back end of an adjacent central housing piece. A gripping member is mountable to the housing piece. In an additional embodiment, the gripping member includes a plurality of interlocking gripping members with indicia thereon for indicating the particular order of connection thereof.

A method and system for managing a challenge event. At least two participants are selected to participate in the challenge event, in response to receipt of a request for the challenge event from a client computer. Assets of software code are provided to the participants for assisting the participants to deliver respective submissions as outcomes of participation by the participants in the challenge event. A solution to the challenge event in a form of a computer code is received from only one participant, of the at least two participants, previously chosen by from the selected at least two participants as the only participant to submit the solution.

In a method for taking an image or a portion of an image and replicating the image within an array, the images within the array are manipulated, such as by rotating or flipping the images or creating mirror-images of the original image or portion of the image, to create symmetrical images which relate to the original image but have a different appearance. Such modified images can be used in creating jigsaw puzzles, fabric designs, clothing patterns and the like.