Puzzle games are design or pattern games in which people should creatively think to join patterns or numbers for them to win. In every Puzzle game, players are forced to strategize on how they are going to win the games and arrange patterns as required. There is a lot of thinking and planning because without doing so, winning is impossible. You cannot accomplish your target on Puzzle games if you don’t know how to plan numbers or patterns. Besides the pleasure and entertainment that people get from puzzle games, below are other effects the games have on people who play it regularly.

1. Improvement in Problem Solving Skills

If you have tried playing a puzzle game before, you will realize that it reaches a level where the game becomes complicated and difficult to play. You are forced to think beyond your normal range for you to come up with a nice way of winning the game. Through such thinking and contemplating of how to pass some levels of puzzle games, you realize that formulating solutions to your problems is not a problem. Your mind can easily merge all the factors that lead to elimination of your problems.

2. Increases Your Creativity

As you play the game, you are forced to contemplate on which steps are nice and which ones are not. You need to see and rationalize everything before you make a move to ensure that you always precise. Through that act of thinking and rationalizing, you will see your creativity enhancing day in and day out. It will reach a point where you will be doing extraordinary things from very simple things.

3. Puzzle Games Make Your Brain Active

A person who plays puzzle games cannot sleep easily. These people are always alert because they are used to be careful to ensure that they don’t mess up. Your attention capability becomes superb and you will be able to concentrate on something for very long. The attentiveness that you put when playing the game is the same one that you will put when doing your routine things.

4. You Can Get Addicted to It

Getting used to a puzzle game is not hard, once you start advancing from simple levels to more complicated levels, it will be easy for you to become addicted to it. You will feel the urge to try more other complicated levels so that you enjoy more and more. Although many other games are addictive, puzzle games are on the lead.

To conclude, Puzzle games are wonderful to play, and they can offer you the best mental sharpening effect. Don’t get comfortable with a puzzle game, the more difficult it is to play, the more creative you become because you will be required to think always. Office workers who have a habit of playing these games are known to be productive and effective because their minds think quickly and solve issues within a short moment. You can play games even on your mobile device; there are puzzle games in form of video games.

For some people, puzzles have become a fun hobby that they can do while they are sipping a hot coffee and relaxing on a Sunday morning. However, study shows that there is something more to these games. While exercising can help you strengthen your muscles, working out your brain will have similar impact on your mind. For instance, it can help delay memory loss for people who are suffering from dementia by at least 2.5 years. It also works better compared to the drugs and medications when preserving cognitive functions and memory.

How Mind Games Boost the Function of Your Mind

If you are constantly losing your keys or forgetting the names of the people close to you, then you might want to try the puzzle games that are being advertised today. Based on the research conducted at University of Pittsburgh, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and other mind games will enhance your cognitive function and boost your memory.

Helping People with Dementia

According to the 2011 study that involved 488 individuals, those who are doing crossword puzzles on a regular basis showed a considerably slower decline on their memory after being diagnosed with the dementia. In addition, around 101 individuals have been diagnosed with dementia during the period of the study. Those who are regularly doing puzzle games have delayed their memory loss for more than 2 years.

Preserve Cognitive Functions and Memory

A review of the accumulated studies that was conducted in 2013 shows that mind games are the most effective method in preserving the person’s cognitive functions and memory. Based on the review, puzzles are actually more effective compared to most medication when it comes to protecting our mental health.

It Enhances Cognitive Ability

With regards to the kids, puzzle enhances their capacity to understand and visualise the entire relationship. There are also particular subjects that can be enhanced with the help of the brain games such as recognising and learning colours, alphabets, numbers, and shapes. They will understand how to properly categorise the object. For the adults, advanced types of puzzle games such as scrabble, Sudoku, and mathematical puzzles can improve their language skill. Word games and crossword puzzles will enhance their research skills, spelling, and vocabulary.

It Enhances Concentration

Concentration is necessary when solving brainteasers. This means that puzzle games will be able to enhance the attention span of kids and adults. By adjusting the difficulty of the puzzle, you will be able to control the amount of attention required in solving the puzzle. Once you notice that the individual is being comfortable in a particular level, you can adjust the difficulty that will prompt their brain to concentrate more.

Based on the study conducted by National Health Institute last 2014, the benefits provided by puzzle games can be enjoyed for at least 10 years. By trying activities that stimulates your cognitive functions, you will be able to keep your brain healthy. While puzzle games are originally designed as a source of entertainment, it has also been proven to boost the function of our brains.

Do you like testing your mental capabilities? How about your knowledge? Do you like playing games? Well, if the answer to all these questions is yes, then you definitely need to check out different puzzle games. These are games in which the player is required to use logic and keen analysis to put different pieces together so as to arrive at the correct solution. It usually tests and individuals knowledge and his ability to detect patterns.

Types of Puzzle Games

Puzzle games are usually categorised into distinct groups depending on the nature of the game and the skills required in solving the puzzle. Some of the types of puzzles include crossword puzzles, number puzzles, word-search puzzles, construction puzzles and disentanglement puzzles among many others.

How to Solve Different Puzzle Games

Depending on the type of game, different puzzle games require different sets of skills are required to arrive at the correct solution. In some games, players need to have strong observation and analytical skills to be able to identify recurrent patterns. High inductive reasoning skills also offer an added advantage to the players. For puzzle games that require constant inquiry and discovery, strong deductive skills are essential to arrive at the correct solution.

Different Types of Puzzle Games

Initially, puzzle games were played on paper or using tangible objects. However, upon the dawn of the technological era, puzzle games are mainly played on smartphones and other gaming devices. Mobile game developers have been actively creating new games on both the android and apple platforms to serve the increasing number of gamers globally.

Unlike traditional puzzle games, modern puzzle games incorporate the use of creative visual arts, clear audio signals and touchscreen controls to create the ultimate gaming experience. The games use different incentives to motivate the players to continue. These incentives include: awarding the players prizes after completing a particular level or the use of points to unlock higher levels in the game. Different puzzle games that are popular include:

2048

This is an android game in which the objective of the player is to combine adjacent grid boxes that contain the same number so as to form a new number which represents the sum-total of the two. The grid boxes are usually square in shape and range from four by four boxes all the way to eight by eight boxes.

The Room

This is a puzzle games that provides the players with a series of complex puzzles with the aim of discovering the hidden secrets and treasures. Players must find secret compartments, discover the clockwork mechanism and rearrange the switches to as construct and manipulate the new stage.

The game makes use of creative visuals and touchscreen controls such as taps and swipes so as to give the game a natural feel and to keep the players glued to the screen.

Prune

This is a game developed on both the android and iOS systems. It involves cultivating a growing plant by exposing it to the ideal environmental conditions and pruning it. Players go through several stages, and the ultimate goal is to make the plant grow towards the light.

Puzzle games are good for the human brain. There are beneficial to kids and adults. When playing a puzzle, there is a single goal; you must achieve. You have to think and devise strategies to achieve it. Thus, you drastically improve your reasoning skills, problems solving skills and the ability to find solutions.

These skills are invaluable in life. In addition to the development of skills, puzzle games encourage social interactions. The sense of achieving a goal could do wonders to the self-esteem of an individual. Are you ready to play? The following are some of the most popular games to start playing today:

1. Tetris

Tetris made its debut back in 1984. It was the creation of the Russian game designer, Alexey Pajitnov. Now, it is arguably the most popular puzzle game of all time. You will find the game in most of the devices man has ever created. The game has even become a research tool in mental health. Playing Tetris for 90 minutes each week can make some parts of the cerebral cortex thicker. In some studies, the game has reduced flashbacks for people with PTSD. That proves that “old is gold.”

2. Candy Crush Saga

If you are guilty of indulging too much in Candy Crush Saga, do not be. The game now available on different platforms can be an enjoyable distraction that boosts your mental health. The end goal is quite simple. You combine as many similar pieces of candy as possible before you run out of moves. Remember, it is not just for the girls.

3. Chess

If you are not yet familiar with chess, it is never too late to learn. The end goal is to checkmate your opponent. You can download the game, and play against real players across the world. Similarly, you can challenge someone with the multiplayer mode or compete against the computer. The game has made many people stars, and you could become the next world champion.

4. 2048

It is one of the most popular family puzzle games. You start with tiles with numbers, and some are similar. You combine similar tiles to create new numbers. When you run out of tiles to combine, the game will end.

5. Monument Valley

Monument Valley looks fantastic and artistic. You will guide Princess Ida through physics-challenging levels. To proceed, you have to twist and turn the levels to clear her way. The game is not difficult, and it does not have a time limit. However, you will feel a huge sense of accomplishment.

6. Prune

Prune has 48 levels. In each level, you help a plant grow by pruning it. The game has a minimalist style, and you will enjoy its simplicity. Furthermore, it is family friendly.

7. Roll the Ball

It is among the most downloaded free puzzle games on android. You move pieces with paths across the screen to create a track that the ball follows to its destination. The ball does not roll until you have solved the maze.

8. Toon Blast

Toon Blast is currently the number one free puzzle game on Android. You match the required tiles per level to complete various objectives.

Countless puzzle games could bring tremendous benefits to your brain. Just find one with a good end goal.

Puzzle game is a unique gaming genre that focuses on solving puzzles. It tests the player’s problem-solving skills that include pattern recognition, word completion, sequence solving, and logic. Some games have a time limit, while other games provide players with unlimited time and attempts. The history of the puzzle game goes back to the puzzles and brainteasers throughout the centuries.

Traditional Thinking Games

Many puzzle games owe their origins to traditional thinking games. For instance, Android Nim for the TRS-80 is the digital version of the math game Nim. Other traditional games that got their early video game interpretations include Mastermind and Hangman.

Atari Puzzle Games

The first video game console from Atari is the Atari 2600. It was released in 1977, and game developers were quick to create games for it. The first ever puzzle game for the console was probably Flag Capture, which was the predecessor of what we know today as Minesweeper.

In 1981, Stephen Bradshaw and Alan Griesemer released Blockbuster for the Atari 8-bit. It was a digital version of the Rubik’s cube that was popular during that time. In 1982, Snark Hunt was released for the Atari 8-Bit. It was a copy of the popular board game Black Box from the 1970s.

Innovative Sokoban Game Mechanic

It was also in 1982 when Hiroyuki Imabayashi released Sokoban for the PC-8801. It introduced a brand new mechanic that was not seen in the history of the puzzle game before. To this date, many modern games utilise the core mechanic of Sokoban, and it is not just limited to puzzle games.

Action Games with Puzzles

Konami released Loco-Motion in 1982, which is an action game that incorporated some puzzle game elements. You can see some of the game’s elements in LucasArts’ Pipe Mania released in 1989.

Puzzle Panic is a 1984 action puzzle game for the Atari 8-bit. It is also that year when Boulder Dash was released. Its gameplay featured avoiding rocks and collecting diamonds. It led to many clones known as rocks and diamonds games.

Chain Shot introduced a gameplay in which players need to remove tiles of the same colour. Uncle Henry’s Nuclear Waste Dump was similar to Tetris, but the game developer said that that he didn’t know about the latter. The release of the game was before Tetris reached the US market.

The Great Tetris

The release of Tetris is a golden age in the history of the puzzle game. People call it as the game that revolutionised the puzzle genre. Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian game designer, made the game in 1985. He said that he was inspired by Pentomino, which is a traditional puzzle game where players try to arrange falling blocks without producing any gaps.

In 1987, Tetris became a hit when Spectrum Holobytehas released it for MS-DOS. The next year, Atari Games released it in arcades. The game sold more than 30 million units on the Game Boy.

This is the short history of the puzzle game. At present, puzzle games remain to be popular among gamers. People love playing puzzle games, especially with their smartphones.