Carver, George W.- Hard
Carver, George W.- Hard
George Washington Carver (c. 1864- 1943) American Botanist, Inventor, Environmentalist
Difficulty: Hard
Pieces: 78
Theme: What we grow yields self-reliance
Age: Adults, Ages 13+ Co-operative or Solo Gameplay. All game boxes contain push pins. Use caution when opening the box. This is not a toy, nor is it recommended for children under the age of 8.
Box Dimensions: 2.5” x 2.5” x 2.5”
Box Wood: cherry, beeswax-mineral oil finish
Limited Edition: 25
“Help for the Hard Times” is Carver’s guide to homesteading published in 1910 by Tuskegee Institute (now University) and utterly relevant to modern times, especially regarding the worth of cultivating one’s property. More, it is an encapsulation of the knowledge that black farmers and former slaves would need to put into practice to produce not just food for their family but also how to increase production to sell the excess. The year 1914 began the Great Migration of black Americans from the south to the north, seeking an equitable life denied in states such as Alabama, and Carver’s tireless efforts to educate black landowners and improve the quality of life along with the quality of the soil is at the heart of the quotation to solve. Carver, a former slave, stands as one of America's greatest inventors and environmentalists.
Can you resist solving this?™
Not satisfied with traditional puzzles that languish in the game closet after one go, I began creating challenging puzzles that combine the tactile interaction of puzzle pieces with the strategy needed to solve a word game, housed in a collectible art box.
Solve the puzzle using the game sheet and letter-engraved wood push pins within the box to reveal a quotation. To play, arrange the game sheet and the push pin letters on a corkboard or cork tile (sold separately). Each letter has a space on the game sheet. The last letter of each word is a “freebie.” Fill in the freebies with the matching letter pin. Use the remaining letter pins to complete the phrase. All the letter pins are used to solve the puzzle.
Played on a cork surface means that the push pins stay in place, making it easy to move the entire game without losing a piece or peace of mind.
The box is laser engraved from a single plank of domestic maple or cherry featuring an original portrait of the author, edition number, source of the quotation, and instructions.
I assemble each hardwood, numbered limited edition box, glue the finger joints together, and finish with beeswax-mineral oil. The box’s patina will deepen over time, never losing a single intricate detail.
Display on a bookshelf or table rather than hidden away, a temptation for others to discover and play.
I have been creating limited edition word games since 2010, maintaining an ever-changing, diverse catalog. New releases are announced quarterly.
Product Features:
- Collectible Game Box is made in my Denver, Colorado, USA studio from a single plank of ⅛” domestic cherry or maple, allowing the grain of the wood to wrap around the box.
- I research every quotation, delving into rare book libraries, searching through manuscripts and digital collections to find timeless, poignant, humorous, unique, and overlooked snippets to solve as word game puzzles. So while one may be familiar with the person, I aim to challenge the player with an unexpected phrase. Sources are always cited for reference.
- I draw each portrait in pencil, then ink for higher contrast. Scan, clean up the digital graphic, reduce the size, and laser-engrave the box’s front. Drawing historical figures require finding accurate, contemporary representation of the person, including forensic reconstruction, manuscript illustrations, and paintings. Modern portraits are drawn from images openly available from the Library of Congress or from a composite I’ll make from screen stills found on film and video.
- Need a hint to solve the puzzle? Instructions on the game sheet to email me, and I’ll reply with a PDF game sheet with the first and last letters of each word filled in.
- A free replacement game sheet can be emailed as a digital download.
- Free replacement letter pieces (up to 10 pieces).
- The game area needed is only 12” x 12” cork tile, flat on a table or wall.
Within a category, the difficulty may increase due to colloquialisms, syntax, grammar, etc.
- Easy: 10-20 pieces, everyday phrases. Ages 8 and up
- Medium: 21- 50 pieces. Ages 11 and up.
- Hard: 51-100 pieces. Ages 13 and up.
- Very Hard: 101-120 pieces. Ages 13 and up.
-Lots-O-Letters Word Game Box- 250 pieces used to solve monthly word games. A free lifetime subscription to the monthly newsletter with one medium and one hard word game sheet and access to an online Game Library with over 140 previously released word game sheets. Ages 11 and up.
