Codex Silenda hides words with wooden puzzle locks

One of the coolest Kickstarter projects that I have seen in a while has turned up for a device called the Codex Silenda: The Book of Puzzles. The book is made from wood and has some very cool puzzles. It looks like something you would find hiding some arcane spell that will make you wealthy. The codex is a five-page book with five intricate puzzles.

To go on to the next page of the book, you have to beat the puzzle and unlock the bolts to turn the page. The story in the book is of an apprentice in Da Vinci's workshop that finds the same Codex in the shop. In the story, the Codex is a trap to foil any spies looking to steal his work. The Codex also has a hidden storage compartment and is so beautifully made that it is a work of art.

The first page of the book is a mechanical iris and you have to figure out how to open it to proceed. The second page has a rotating maze with pegs with the catch being that the maze is hidden from the user's view. Page three is called Geneva Gears with a Geneva wheel machines and six gears. Those gears have to go to the correct place to open the page.

Page four is Paradox Sliders with fourteen sliders that have to be perfectly aligned to unlock the next page. The final page is the Cryptex Lock. The book is laser cut and assembled by hand. All of the pre-built books are sold out on the campaign, but you can buy the pieces and assemble your own Codex if you want. The people behind the project say that after the campaign shipments are fulfilled, they will sell more completed books. The project was seeking $30,000 and has raised over $118,000 as of writing with 26 days to go. Shipping is set for December.

SOURCE: Kickstarter