Puzzles

Puzzles come in a variety of forms, from traditional crosswords and logic puzzles to word and number play. Solving a puzzle requires you to think, process, and learn. That's why we added some to our brain games list. But before playing, it's recommended to understand what you're playing. A puzzle is a problem or an enigma that challenges ingenuity. On one hand they are a form of entertainment to simply have fun, but on the other hand they can stem from serious mathematical or logistical problems, which give the brain a chance for a tough challenge. Solutions to puzzles may require recognizing patterns and creating a particular order. People with a high inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving some types of puzzles than others. But even those who can't solve such puzzles can train for them and improve their level.

In problem solving games, the greater the choice of creative concepts, the better chance there is to find an answer. If your first idea fails to solve the problem, you can always try another. It is important to avoid the mental walls known as conceptual blocks, which can prevent us from finding even the simplest and most obvious answer. Sometimes we create those conceptual blocks, while other times they stem from incomplete information emphasis on the wrong detail or deliberately misleading directions.

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Inventors of puzzles and magic tricks exploit such conceptual blocks to lead suggestible minds up to blind alleys. But in spite of the universal tendency to suffer from blocks, most people at one time or another can tackle a problem of bewildering complexity, penetrate to its core and extract an insight of startling simplicity and elegance that solves the problem in a heartbeat.

The best puzzles are seldom what they seem. The solutions may demand that a common item be used in an unfamiliar way or that a conventional assumption be abandoned in an unusual arrangement. The direct, head-on approach often leads nowhere. While a lengthy detour can sometimes be the fastest route to a solution. When you are faced with a mental wall, the best approach is not to tunnel through it but to walk around it.

The difference between games and puzzles has little to do with mechanics; we can easily turn many puzzles and athletic challenges into games and vice versa. Puzzles are rule-based systems, like games, but the goal is to find a solution, not to beat an opponent. Unlike games, puzzles have little replay value.

Types of Puzzles: There are different kinds of puzzles, for example a maze is a type of tour puzzle. Other categories include construction puzzles, stick, tiling, transport, sliding, logic puzzles, word, picture, jigsaw, lock, folding, and mechanical puzzles.

The following are some famous puzzles: Rubik's Cube. Anagrams, Crossword, Eight queens, n-puzzle, Impossible, Jigsaw, Knight's Tour, Missing square puzzle, Nonograms, Peg solitaire, Sangaku, Sudoku, Sokoban, Soma cube, Spot the difference, Tangram, Tower of Hanoi … etc.

Best puzzles are those that are not too easy, not too hard. The ones that are too easy are disappointing; and those that are too hard are discouraging, some people prefer word puzzles and won't touch a visual or logical puzzle. Something that is too easy for one person may be too hard for another.

There is a growing number of activities, from crossword puzzles to Sudoku, promoted as ways to keep our minds young. The early data suggest that attention training is indeed a way to reduce older adults' susceptibility to distracting stimuli and improve concentration. And what could be better than a good type of puzzle. Like the maze for example. You will have to concentrate so hard in order not to lose your way inside the maze field, and that in itself is a only one of the many benefits, regardless whether you find your way or not. 

How to play:  You can start the game by clicking on "NEW", and then move the Arrows (up, down, left, and right) and you will notice that the upper left corner has a green line that moves when you move the arrows. You can start by finding your way. Try to solve it as fast as you can while still not taking too many dead ends. You can also adjust the board if you want, to do that you need to hold the vertical bar on the right side. Enjoy!!!

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