Puzzle games aren’t new, nor are puzzle crazes. Perhaps they are fulfilling a more profound need, and the more the world puzzles us, the more we long to solve puzzles. Puzzles offer an escape from the skittish experience of constantly jumping from one rabbit hole to the next. Indeed, research suggests that puzzle games stimulate neuroplasticity, helping the brain form new connections and enhancing memory, focus and creative thinking. But in the puzzle universe, there is still something like the rule of law and meritocracy operating.

Source: The Guardian April 06, 2026 19:37 UTC