Everyone seems to have become fixated on puzzle games. By 1925, the Chicago department of health reported that the US was in the grip of “crossworditis” thanks to the puzzles’ irresistible “mental kick”. 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.

Source: Irish Examiner April 06, 2026 23:48 UTC