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
As summer rolls into the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll want plenty of fresh puzzles. I’ve got you covered. This week, flex your word-play muscles with Color Code, tackle Impostor Syndrome, and dust off your pop-culture trivia knowledge with Seeing Stars? Finally, I've created three fresh visual puzzles
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
You sit down to brainstorm ideas for your next puzzle book. You fire up ChatGPT, type "Give me 15 fresh word search themes," and hit enter. The suggestions roll in—music genres, animals, seasonal activities. They look good. They feel familiar. Maybe too familiar. Three books later, you
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What Makes a Puzzle “Replayable”—and Should It Be? Activity books often mix in specialty puzzles alongside standard formats. I often notice only one or two of these oddballs in a given book, but those are what I consider "replayable" in spirit. Not because the same puzzle is
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Here is a quiet note for you. Mothers Day evokes different feelings for each of us. I hope that you find joy and peace on this day. To mark the occasion, here are a few puzzles. Enjoy! Mothers Day PuzzlesThree Themed PuzzlesMothers Day Puzzles.pdf7 MBdownload-circle
Twin Blitz is a fast-paced visual puzzle where you scan 16 tiles, each filled with a mix of quirky symbols. One pair is an exact match—find it and tap both before the clock runs out. It’s a quick, satisfying challenge for sharp eyes and quick fingers.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Summary: When LLMs Meet Letter Insertion: A Case Study I wanted to know if ChatGPT could help me brainstorm a list of word pairs, where the second word differed from the first by the insertion of a single letter between the first and second letters of the first word, such
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My dad taught me how much fun it is to make games from stuff lying around the house. He cut open two album covers and taped them together to make a large, foldable board. Then he cut the corners from an entire deck of cards so that only the suit