Unique puzzle cuts inspired by nature

Nervous System’s wooden jigsaw puzzles feature unique nature-inspired piece shapes. Learn more about our cut styles below: Dendrite, Amoeba, Maze, Wave, Coral and Matrix. Each style is generated by software we created to mimic the way patterns form in nature. Instead of drawing the puzzle cuts by hand, we grow them using math and science.

Dendrite

Our original puzzle cut based on crystal formation

The puzzle’s pieces grow into each other, interlocking with shapes similar to dendritic crystals or ice formations. We introduced the Dendrite cut in 2012 with our Radial Puzzle series.

Dendrite grows interlocking shapes through a simulation of dendritic solidification, a crystal growth process similar to the formation of snowflakes that occurs in supercooled solutions of certain metallic alloys. Starting from initial cellular piece shapes, the edges are perturbed and then interlocking branching knobs emerge as the crystal simulation proceeds. The software uses a technique called phase-field modelling, where each puzzle piece is treated as a different phase of matter that is “freezing” into it’s neighbors. This physically impossible process is only possible in the world of computation and mathematics.

Small cilia-esque protrusions create a repetitive pattern with higher piece density. Originally introduced in 2012 as part of the McCabism Puzzles, the Amoeba cut is the star of our challenging Patchwork Amoeba Puzzle and the whimsical Herding Cats Puzzle. The Amoeba cut is a variation of our Dendrite cut system, using the same dendritic solidification simulation but with different parameters.

Maze

A dense, maze-like cut pattern

The extreme intertwining and high piece count makes Maze our hardest cut style. Introduced in 2017 with our Geode and Agate puzzles, this is the cut that really put us on the puzzle map! It is our most intricate cut style, with almost twice the number of pieces as our Dendrite cut puzzles. The pieces are so stretched and distorted that it can be hard to distinguish where one ends and another begins. When examined individually, the pieces almost look like strange glyphs from an alien alphabet.

The Maze puzzle cut style is based on a simulation of growing elastic rods. However, it didn’t start out as a puzzle-making system. Originally, it was a 3D system for making expanding lattices using a technique called Position and Orientation Based Cosserat Rods—but that is a project for another time. In a freak accident during testing, we realized that in 2D, it would make intriguing interlocking shapes.

The Maze puzzle generation starts the same as our Dendrite system, with straight edged cellular pieces. From here, Maze diverges, simulating each as edge as a growing elastic rods. Each rod wants to be straight; but in the confined space of the puzzle, they are forced to bend as they grow. The rods grow, lengthening, until they collide, pushing each other into contorted shapes. (Disclaimer: Maze style not actually a maze.)

Wave

A swirling, spiraling puzzle cut

The Wave Cut was introduced in 2022 to complement the fluid theme of the Marbling Infinity Puzzles made in collaboration with Amanda Ghassaei. The Wave style is an evolution of our Maze cut. Vortices pull the pieces into waves, spirals and hammerheads

We took our Maze system of growing elastic rods and introduced vortex forces which draw the growing edges into waves and spirals. Each edge is given a certain number of vortices depending on it’s length, and those vortices travel with the edge as it grows. In addition, the initial piece shapes are determined by an anisotropic centroidal voronoi optimization, elongating them in flow fields which themselves form waves and spirals.

Matrix

A geometric, crystalline cut pattern

The Matrix cut is our take on a grid based puzzle style. However, this grid flows and conforms to a changing direction field which matches the puzzle border. The Matrix cut was introduced in 2023 for our Bismuth Crystal puzzles series. We wanted a cut that would match the rhombohedral symmetry of the bismuth crystal while also accentuating each puzzle’s unique shape. 

The puzzle cut starts by generating a quad dominant grid which conforms to the puzzle shape, whimsies, and any special features we want to add. This fine grid is then grouped into rough piece shapes. These pieces are then optimized to increase interlocking and balance piece size. The optimization does a brute force search of possible swaps of grid cells between neighboring pieces, looking ahead several moves to find the best shape.

Coral

Amorphous, interlocking pieces reminiscent of undersea life

Wandering circular arcs compose the edges of this playful cut. The arcs’ meandering paths make for highly-interlocking pieces reminiscent of undersea life. Undulating arms ripple like seaweed and join together pieces. The Coral cut was introduced in 2023 with our Jellyfish Dreams puzzle and has also appeared in our biology puzzles, Séguy butterfly and Eclipse puzzles. 

The Coral cut is first puzzle cut conceptualized and developed by Jules Khan, Nervous System’s NY puzzle master. As with most of our puzzles, it start with initial cellular shapes. The edges are then replaced by random walks of circular arcs which are scored by their lengths and degree of interlocking. The system then chooses the highest scoring edges it finds while avoiding self-intersections.