The title really makes me want to start this off with a Dad joke. I shall refrain (you're welcome.) I'll just say that I have been designing puzzles based on relatives for a while. Most of them wind up on the cutting floor. The ones that
The English language has so many quirks. Of them, I think idioms are the most fascinating. I always get puzzle ideas when thinking about such expressions. Check out the attached puzzles, inspired by "shifting sands". The first, Paradigm Shift, explores the many meanings of the word shift. The
The Time-Sucking Truth About Logic Puzzle Creation (And How Kevin Berry Fixed It) Creating logic puzzles should be fun. That's why most of us started doing it, right? We love the satisfaction of crafting a perfect challenge that makes solvers think without making them want to throw the
Technically, the period has passed. Colloquially, it is still upon us. The hot, sticky heat here in the United States saps energy, fries eggs on sidewalks and makes some people long for winter. I try to stay inside as much as possible. I'll do jigsaw puzzles, play games
What Creators Should Know Before Selling Physical or Digital Products This guide is not legal advice. It summarizes publicly available information about how Canva and Creative Fabrica licenses appear to work for commercial use as of August 2025[1]. 🎨 Creative Fabrica – What You Can (and Can't) Do 🛍️ Selling
With schools set to start soon, your stomach may be craving pizza. Or, you might be nervous. Probably neither, I just wanted to play with the title of this issue. The theme is actually more scholarly. Test your knowledge of philosophy with the Dominoes and Butterflies puzzle. Afterwards, relax with
More summer fun to engage your brain. This issue is about pathfinding. Instead of boring old mazes, I found a couple of interactive gems that you can play online. Net From Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection Reassemble the network by rotating the tiles until all terminals are connected.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Collaborating with AI means acknowledging the source of ideas. The following piece was authored by ChatGPT. It never knew my true intent: brainstorming fresh puzzle ideas. The reasons for this will become clear as you read. Initially, I thought about editing out the Elmish ("LLM-speak" and those infernal
My wife and I frequently visit T. J. Maxx. There is always something interesting to catch my eye, whether it is a new snack, kitchen gadget or home furnishings. Recently, I spotted a clear lockbox that just begged me to buy it for a puzzle! (How many of you remember
Lemongello da Cremona, a notorious art forger, has struck again, desecrating the classics for the sake of a pun. I've captured four of them for you to solve. AI-generated art makes possible some really strange and unique puzzles. I've written before about the Connections-style puzzles (see
Visual Puzzle Formats I’ve been thinking a lot about how to structure a visual puzzle book that goes beyond variety and aims for progression, discovery, and depth. What follows is a field guide of puzzle types I’ve worked with or analyzed closely. Spot-the-Differences Mechanic: Visual Comparison Classic visual
"Cartoon mice must be of a different species from the filthy, disgusting, germ-ridden things I pay people to kill." - Hillard Allen Father's Day is such a cool day for me. I have a fun father and fun kids! (My grown children are always going to