Puzzles have always been fun for people of all ages and across different countries and cultures. They are a stimulant for the brain, and the nature of puzzles themselves being such that solvers are to find a solution using their wits, people enjoy the satisfaction of having discovered the solutions by themselves.
Puzzle games in all their forms are great as a solitary pastime or as an activity among friends or family members. In today’s world, puzzle games come in an almost endless variety. It may come as a surprise, but puzzles have been in existence since time immemorial. As a matter of fact, there is evidence of puzzles being a part of the lives of people in ancient times. The Holy Bible mentions riddles, puzzle jugs have been discovered that date back to 1700 BCE in Cyprus and magic squares made their way to China around 700 BCE.
In relatively more recent times, jigsaw puzzles were invented by John Spilsbury in the year 1767, the very first crossword puzzle was printed in a newspaper in the year 1913, and the Rubik’s Cube, named after its inventor Erno Rubik, was introduced to the world in the year 1974.
Nowadays, where the evolution of technology has made it possible for us to have access to all the world’s information at our fingertips, whether it be on our mobile phones, tablets or computers, puzzles too are available with the same level of convenience and accessibility.
What is the one thing common to all forms of puzzle games? They are all great for your brain!
Here are some of the other advantages of engaging in puzzle games:
- Puzzle games help to stimulate both the analytical hemisphere as well as the creative hemisphere of the brain. Being a stimulant to both sides of the brain, puzzle games help to provide the brain with some really intense exercise!
- Puzzles help to enhance memory power, and have been shown to help in the reduction in brain damage among people with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Puzzle games significantly improve a person’s ability to solve complex problems. Puzzles, being such that the solver has to think logically and analytically to arrive at a solution, are very helpful in stimulating out-of-the-box thinking.
- Puzzle games help to improve one’s mood as well as relieve stress. This is due to the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that regulates a person’s mood, memory as well as concentration, and helps to make people feel good!
So, what are some of the best brain teaser puzzle games that every person needs to try out? Below is a sampling for you to discover and dive into!
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Block Puzzle
To play, first you need to download Block Puzzle game on your smartphone or tablet. Block Puzzle is a game in which players need to arrange each block or set of blocks in a different pattern on a 9×9 grid board. The objective of this game is to clear as many blocks as possible by forming legitimate groups of same coloured blocks. By doing so, more space to accommodate new blocks will get created. However, if the grid board fills up, you lose the game! If you play this game with another player, make sure your score is higher than your opponent’s at the end of the 2 minutes allotted to play!
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Sudoku
Sudoku is a logic based number game that gets its name from the Japanese phrase which means ‘single number’. The game features a 9×9 grid, with nine 3×3 grids. The objective of the game is to fill up the 9×9 grid while making sure that the numbers from 1 to 9 appear once in every row, column and 3×3 mini grid. Each sudoku puzzle comes with a few of the squares already filled in with their respective numbers. Sudoku is extremely popular both in its offline form (in newspapers, magazines and even puzzle books available in a range of difficulty levels) as well as in its online form on apps available for playing on mobile phones and tablets.
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Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that typically takes the shape of a grid consisting of black and white squares in which the white squares must be filled in with letters to form words or phrases that fit a list of definitions given alongside the grid, known as clues. Crossword clues can be simple, in which the answer is directly asked for, or they can be cryptic, in which the clue is a puzzle in itself consisting of wordplay, anagrams, double definitions or even trick questions. Either way, crosswords are great fun for wordsmiths!
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Move the Block
Move The Block is a classic sliding puzzle game that features a set of blocks in a pattern that appears interlocked. The objective of the game is to slide the various off-white coloured blocks in order to get the red colored block out. However, it’s not as simple as it looks, and therein lies the beauty and thrill of this game! As you keep progressing to the higher levels, the game gets more and more challenging. The game is highly addictive, and if you get stuck, hints are available too!
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Codeword
A codeword is a puzzle that is very similar to a crossword. However, in this puzzle, each letter of the alphabet has been substituted with a number from 1 to 26, and each square in the grid will have a number. Each letter of the alphabet will appear at least once, and certain letters will already be filled in to help solvers get started. Solvers must then decipher the rest of the code, figure out the letters and discover the words that they form.
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Mini Metro
Mini Metro is essentially a metro (or subway) simulator game that is filled with puzzle features. In this game, players need to draw metro lines that will connect the numerous stations that pop up in the game as the city grows in size. Players need to design their metro lines such that passengers can get where they want to go quickly and efficiently, and sometimes this may mean needing to redraw certain lines.
These are just some of the many puzzle games available to play. Not only are these games extremely helpful in giving your brain some beneficial exercise, they are also incredibly fun and often addictive as well!