Turing Machine

A computer with no electricity in it, which you are going to interrogate until it gives up a three-digit code.

The machine is forty-five perforated cards and a holder. You feed it a guess, it tells you whether that guess satisfies a criterion, and it does this entirely through holes lining up with holes. There is no app, no battery and nothing to update - the deduction is real and the verification is mechanical, which is a far more satisfying thing to sit in front of than a screen pretending to be a puzzle.

Fabien Gridel and Yoann Levet built it so the difficulty is set by which criteria cards you deal, which means the same box covers a first game and a hard one without house rules. Everyone is racing the same machine, so the tension is whether to ask one more question or commit. One to four players, and the solo game is the same game with the clock replaced by your own pride. Age 14+.

Perfect for: People who finish the cryptic crossword and want something with moving parts.

1-4 players | Age 14+ | No electronics