Passion For Puzzles

Excalibur NY53 The New York Times Executive Touch Screen Sudoku is now available via Amazon. Sudoku one of the hottest games in the world.
- New York Times Executive Touch Screen Sudoku contains more than 800 puzzles, all selected by world-renowned puzzle expert Will Shortz
- Easy to play with the included stylus forget the hassle of paper and pencil
- Solve a square or whole puzzle with the touch of the stylus/ 4 different levels of difficulty.

Tags: Sudoku | NYT

Part 12 of 10 Gnomes has been released and is called The Tank.

10 Gnomes is a point and click hidden object type of puzzle game and also in this episode of 10 Gnomes you'll have to find 10 gnomes hidden in the pictures and you have got only ten minutes to do that. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: 10 Gnomes | Puzzle Game

The UK branch of the Mensa society for smarty pants has released a brain training alarm clock that combines grogginess, loud noises and puzzles (a winning combination).

Here's how it works: when the alarm sounds, you will need to memorize and repeat a random sequence of colored lights on one of three difficulty levels. If you get the sequence wrong, or you are too slow, the alarm gets progressively louder until you get it right (or hurl it against a wall). If you are up to the challenge, the clock can be yours for about $41 shipped to the US. Of course there is also a simpler version of a puzzle alarm clock, but this one will be the same every day. [Via Gizmodo].

More Puzzle Clocks:
- Puzzle Alarm Clock
- Rubik's Cube Clock
- Karlsson Clock inspired by Rubik's Cube
- Rubik's Alarm Clock
- Puzzle Clock
- Another Puzzle Alarm Clock
- Jigsaw Puzzle Clock

Tags: Mensa | Puzzle

Pyro is a nice puzzle skill game by Kongregate.com.

Object is ignite all the torches with a limited number of balls of fire, to pass each level of the 44 levels. Click and drag the fireball to set power and angle, then release to hit as many torches as possible. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Pyro | Puzzle Game

Rotate Bot is a nice online Flash puzzle game by BlessFlasher.

Object of Rotate Bot is to move the robot to reach the exit portal, by touch the blinking panel or using blinking plate you can rotate the world. Use the arrow keys to move around the game grid. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Rotate Bot | Puzzle Game

Christmas Puzzle is a simple season themed online Flash puzzel game.

Quickly align three or more of the same christmas objects horizontally or vertically by clicking on two adjacent game pieces to swap their position. You have three minutes to collect as many points as you can. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Christmas Puzzle | Puzzle Game

Christmas Escape 2 is a new season themed point and click type room escape game from Neutral, also known from RGB, Sphere and Vision games.

In this game, you need to escape from a grey lab like room and finding and using items with solving puzzles. You can also still play the first edition of Christmas Mini Escape. Happy Holidays!

Tags: | Puzzle Game

Xmas Balance is a nice match three puzzle game with a Christmas and balance twist.

Collect as many Christmas presents as possible by dropping them on the Christmas Tree and keep the Tree balanced. Click on a column of the Christmas tree to drop the next present. Line up three or more presents of the same kind to gather those presents. Gather presents with successive clicks to make combos. While doing this keep the Christmas Tree balanced. Happy Christmas Puzzling!

Tags: Xmas Balance | Puzzle Game

Truzzle is a nice tile base online Flash puzzle game by YouGame.com.

Object of Truzzle is to achieve a match of three or more like-colored pieces. The rows forming the board can be slid in six different directions. To move a row, click a piece contained in that row. The piece you click will increase in size and then drag it in the direction you want it moved. More instructions are in the game itself. You can play Truzzle is several game in Time Mode (5 minutes) or Free Play. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Truzzle | Puzzle Game

If normal Sudoku's are boring for you than you must visit this French website with Giant Sudoku's. The site is in French but that shouldn't be a problem as the numbers in French are the same as in English.

You will find Giant Sudoku's in several sizes : 16x16, 25x25, 36x36, 49x49, 64x64, 81x81 and 100x100, so Sudoku's with grids from 256 to 10000 cells. A new set of grids is proposed every week. As far as I could see it was not possible to play online or easy to print the Sudoku's, hopefully that will change soon. Happy Puzzling !

Tags: Sudoku | Giant Sudoku

Magic 16 Black And White Magnetic Puzzle Ball yet another addition to my puzzle collection. Magic 16 is consist of a metal ball which can be opened to store the puzzle pieces (diameter of the ball is 4" (approx. 10cm). There are in total 16 black and white puzzle pieces each with a magnet to stick to the ball. This Black And White version has the same puzzle pieces as the colored version of Magic 16 only this time (obviously) with black and white puzzle pieces.

Objective is to put all puzzle pieces back together. There are four solutions to this puzzle. Now I have two Magic 16 puzzles, there are in total 10 solution extra when you exchange the puzzle pieces. Very nice puzzle which will keep you busy for a while. Although the puzzle is for age 3 and older, I think small children will love to play with this magnetic 3D puzzle. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Magic 16 | 3D Puzzle

Mind The Blox is a nice online Flash puzzle game by Gelinda.ch.

Object is to pop the Blox and to clear all Blox from the screen and get all keys on the bottom in a row. You can achieve this by letting two or more Blox with the same color touch each other and click your mouse to make them plop. There are several types of Blox. Some will be very helpful and others are better not to click on. Make sure to check the in-game instruction for their full description. Happy Puzzling !

Tags: Mind The Blox | Puzzle Game

Thanks to Ed from GiantGraphics (who is the exclusive importers of the Colorful Cabin in Europe, produced by Lonpos Braintelligence, Taiwan) I've added Colorful Cabin to my puzzle collection.

Colorful Cabin is the successor of the world famous IQ PUZZLER. It consist of a handy travel game box, 12 colorful building pieces, instruction booklet, Challenge cards and a Bonus Game Card. Each building piece has it's own form and color, the Challenge cards shows you the start position of the shape which must be completed with the other building pieces.

There are more than 241 challenges in as well 2D as 3D. More Challenge Cards will be coming soon. Different forms and colors combined with an increasing degree of difficulty helps to stimulate your brain. Happy Puzzling.

Tags: Colorful Cabin | Puzzle Game

GudeBalls is a Flash based puzzle action game by Rogerup. Probably some of you will remember the original version of this logical game from Rainbow Arts game for the Amiga Computer.

Object of GudeBalls is to sort colored marbles on various spinning plates in a limited time. Group four balls of the same color to explode a plate. Before you can move to the next level all plates must explode. Click the plates to turn them around or click a ball on a plate to throw it onto the rails. There are 19 levels to solve. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: GudeBalls |

SEGA launched PlaySEGA, a completely new SEGA experience for all types of gaming and social networking fans. PlaySEGA is based at www.PlaySEGA.com. and is a mini web game portal with a selection of arcade, word, card, puzzle, quiz, Sonic and sports titles, which are available now and completely FREE to all PC and Mac users.

PlaySEGA has an impressive assortment of titles available on the site including Brain Assist, which was originally released for the Nintendo DS, and the successful mobile title, Sonic at the Olympic Games. Brand new SEGA games that have been created exclusively for PlaySEGA are also available such as Ice Shuffle, Hollywood Adventure Quiz and Aquatic Word Burst. In addition, a selection of all-new Guest Games will soon be unveiled, all entirely FREE to each PlaySEGA user.

Every game has a unique integrated system to calculate players' highest scores, giving player's the ability to view leader board achievements, and PlaySEGA Rings earned during each gaming session. PlaySEGA Rings are the site's currency; the more games you play and the longer you play, the more PlaySEGA Rings you win – it's as simple as that!

Users can use Rings to customise their site and create an Escape Area, which is essentially their very own profile page. A wide range of Escape Areas are available to purchase and can be anything from a New York apartment, Swiss chalet or Caribbean villa, to a haunted house! Consumers can also purchase luxury items using their PlaySEGA Rings and decorate their Escape Areas with items including; furniture, TVs, lights, flooring and much more. Customers can invite friends to visit their decorated Escape Areas, as well as view their favourite PlaySEGA games, highest scores, and achievements earned.

SEGA is also proud to announce a PlaySEGA VIP (Very Important Player) area of the site. This new area is coming soon and for a small charge users will be able to access and play dozens more web games, including newly acquired titles specifically created for PlaySEGA, along with fan favorites from the respected SEGA Mega Drive years. These titles include the genuine SEGA classics we all know and love: Columns, Puyo Pop, Chu Chu Rocket, Sonic The Hedgehog and Super Monkey Ball Tip n' Tilt among others.

"What started off as a small project within the SEGA Network Group has now caught the imagination of the entire company," explains Nick Pili, Network Business Director, SEGA of Europe. "I have suggestions for new games filling up my in-box, from the CEO, to staff I've never even met over in our Japanese, European and US offices."

"SEGA fans and new gamers alike can now come together in one place and enjoy some of our most exciting vintage and new titles," continues Pili. "There was a story out there recently that we have a locked vault full of retro SEGA classics in Japan. Well, it's true – and we've been given full access to a lot of the properties in it."

PlaySEGA launches today and is an evolving site that will continue to keep user's interests piqued by the many new games, social network and community elements available in the near future. To sign up and enjoy everything PlaySEGA has to offer, go to www.PlaySEGA.com.

Tags: PlaySega | Sega

Puzzle Pegs is a small but not so simple puzzle game.

Object is to get rid of all the other pegs to win by either pushing two of the same type pegs together or by pushing a peg down a pit. There are in total 15 levels to solve. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Puzzle Pegs | Puzzle Game

Thanks to my brother, who bought 36 Cube in Germany, I've added ThinkFun's 36 Cube to my puzzle collection.

More details about 36 Cube, the online version and the 36 Cube contest until end 2008 can be found in a previous blog entry. UPDATE: 36 Cube Contest Officially Closed.

ThinkFun's 36 Cube is available at Amazon.com

Tags: 36 Cube | ThinkFun

Next to a Rubik's Cube styled USB hub and a Rubik's Cube USB hub on a stick there is now a Rubik's Cube USB flash drive.

U.S. Branding Group, LLC offered unusual and cool Rubik's USB flash drive. In order to get out USB connector you must complete a puzzle! A puzzle is one color in every side of cube or custom inscription. Via DiskOnKey

Tags: Rubik's | USB Flash Drive

Strimko is a brand new logic puzzle based upon Latin Squares and is also available via Puzzles.com

Strimko is a logic grid & numbers puzzle and can be solved with a pure logic. The puzzle concept is very simple and uses only three basic elements: rows, columns, and streams. All elements have equal numbers of cells, and the goal is to make each basic element containing the whole(!) set of specified numbers.

Strimko challenges are quite compact (4 x 4, 5 x 5, 6 x 6, or 7 x 7 grids), so the solver uses a small amount of numbers. Of course, it can be extended over 7 x 7 grids, but there is no special reason for that, since even within 5 x 5 and 6 x 6 grids there is a huge number of hard and extra-hard challenges.

You can play Strimko online but you can also download the logic puzzles. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Strimko | Logic Puzzle

Sometimes, a DVD is just a DVD. Not here. SmartMoves: Body Puzzles for the Mind should be on every required watching list. It is innovative, intelligent and intriguing.

SmartMoves is designed for young and old alike! SmartMoves is made up of individual body puzzles, tongue twisters for your whole body and the countless connections between body and mind. SmartMoves combines music, movement and simple geometric shapes in three dimensions. Practicing the movements requires you to be fully engaged and present, to move your body with awareness and intent. SmartMoves body puzzles are organized by difficulty: Simple, Tricky, and Challenging, in short sequences ranging from two to five minutes in duration. Attention is critical for learning, developing relationships, and decision-making skills. New research shows that attention can be strengthened through practice and training. SmartMoves is an enjoyable way to do just that. Designed to reduce stress, improve focus and enhance memory, SmartMoves can also improve balance and coordination, which can benefit physical performance in athletics, dance, and beyond! SmartMoves is now being practiced in classrooms and homes around the world! The educational version is available via Amazon.

Tags: SmartMoves | Puzzle DVD

Abombinaball is yet another Flash based puzzle game by Mikrokosm.

Object of Abombinaball is to defuse the bombs in the right order in this fifty level arcade puzzle game. Don't touch the wrong bomb or take too long, and be careful how you plan your route - the grid you are walking on doesn't stay around for ever. The first fifteen levels start you off gently, and then you'll really need to work the grey matter to proceed. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Abombinaball | Puzzle Game

LCM Sudoku is another Sudoku variant, and this one is based upon the arithmetic and number theory, the least common multiple (LCM).

Rules of LCM Sudoku are like the standard sudoku, this sudoku has three basic rules:
1. Each column, each row and each box (3x3 sub grid) must have the numbers 1 through 9.
2. No column, row or box can have two squares with the same number.
3. The puzzle can be solved by finding the values of the 9 given variables in the squares of the 9x9 grid.

At the bottom and right side of the 9x9 grid are numbers, each of which is the Least Common Multiple (LCM) of the given variables in the corresponding column or row of the 9x9 grid.

Altogether 16 Least Common Multiples of 16 groups of variables are given as clues for solving the puzzle. As an example, the LCM of 8, 9, 6, 4, 2, 5 and 7 is 2520. The LCM of the variables v, c, b and n in the seventh column beginning from the left of the 9x9 grid is 252, while the LCM of the variables b, w, m and c in the fourth row beginning from the top of the 9x9 grid is 504.

After finding the values of all the variables, the puzzle is solved by the usual sudoku technique and strategy.

You can find LCM Sudoku and much more free mathematics enrichment materials, like problems, articles and games at the NRICH Project website, which is part of the University of Cambridge. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: LCM Sudoku

Stars & Stripes Sudoku, is another Sudoku variant by USA Sudoku.

Each 12 x 12 grid has the familiar 1 - 9's, but also has three stars in each row, box and column. Instead of using letters A, B,and C, the puzzle uses three stars in the form of an asterisk (*). The difference is the 3 stars (*) are the "same". Each row, column, and 4x3 box will contain three stars in a finished puzzle.

The 100 puzzles in this book range from easy warm-ups to ruthlessly difficult challenges and are sure to delight any puzzle solver.

There are also eleven bonus Sudoku puzzles included - six Sudoku Island puzzles and five Trividoku trivia Sudoku's. Available via Amazon.

Tags: Sudoku | Puzzle Book

The most popular Christmas tradition wears a new shape this year as Conceptis uncovers a 15-grid multi Christmas tree Sudoku puzzle (large version).

According to Frank Rietveld, Manager IPS & International operations of Tazuku at Keesing Group, 600,000 Christmas tree Sudoku posters (shown left) had been stitched to 30 latest issues of Keesing's Tazuku magazine series including 9 magazines with Conceptis puzzles. "Our goal with the poster" says Rietveld, "is to offer Tazuku fans, including subscribers and random buyers, a nice free extra for the holiday season."

GAMES Magazine has also included a Christmas tree Sudoku in the December issue published in the USA. According to Dave Green, president of Conceptis, magazine and newspaper publishers are welcome to use Christmas tree Sudoku puzzles in their next publications for promotional purposes or just for their reader’s fun.
Magazines with Christmas tree Sudoku poster

The magazines that include the 35x50 cm full color poster will be available in stores in The Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark between end of November to the week before Christmas. Following is a list of Keesing's magazines with Conceptis puzzles which contain the Christmas tree Sudoku poster. Issue numbers are in parentheses.

In The Netherlands:
- Tazuku Sudoku Mix (13)
- Tazuku Brainfun (7)

In Belgium:
- Tazuku Sudoku Varia (7)
- Tazuku Sudoku Mix (13)
- Tazuku Brainfun (7)
- Tazuku Sudoku Samurai (7)

In Denmark:
- Tazuku Brainfun (5)
- Tazuku Sudoku Twins (8)
- Sudoku Varia (21)

Happy Puzzling!

Tags: Sudoku | Christmas Puzzle

Auditorium is a nice little Flash puzzle from a company called Cipher Prime and combines music and light into one.

There is no need to tell how to play Auditorium or to explain the object of this puzzle game. Just visit the website PlayAuditorium Dot com and don't forget to switch on your speakers. Auditorium has has beautiful visuals and a hypnotic soundtrack. Happy Puzzling!

UPDATE : Puzzle Game 'Auditorium' coming Fall/Winter 2009 to iPhone and will have 25 levels played through 5 acts.

Tags: Auditorium | Puzzle Game

Jelly Towers it is a funny and challenging 2D puzzle game by Tanoku.

The objective of Jelly Towers is to feed one or more terrifying monsters constructing towers of jellies. Use your mouse to move the jelly blocks into the right position and make sure the right jelly block is in front of the mouth of the monster. Happy Puzzling !

Tags: Jelly Towers | Puzzle Game

Part 11 of 10 Gnomes has been released and is called The Remains.

10 Gnomes is a point and click hidden object type of puzzle game and also in this episode of 10 Gnomes you'll have to find 10 gnomes hidden in the pictures and you have got only ten minutes to do that. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: 10 Gnomes | Puzzle Game

FrogFly is a fun Flash puzzle game by Gametion.

Object of FrogFly is to get to a fly by hopping on lily pads. Avoid the Venus fly-trap plants that will eat you and know that the lily pads follow newton's third law (every action has an equal and opposite reaction). The Ice tiles are slippery, and your Frog tends to go straight on out of your control, Fly Trap plants are the only possible cause of death for your Frog.

A system of passwords allows you to resume the game at the level where you left it, once you know the name of a level, you can get back to it by writing its name in the Load Level text box. FrogFly has a total of fifty puzzling levels, many of which are very challenging. Happy Puzzling!

Tags: FrogFly | Puzzle Game

Puzzles for Programmers and Pros is for programmers who need to brush up on their puzzle–solving skills as they prepare for the programming job interview. It is also for anyone who love puzzles and challenges.

From the Back Cover: Solving puzzles demands a mindset that starts with a vulnerable openness followed by a rigorous drive to find a solution. Whether you're preparing for a programming job interview or just like a challenge, this book takes you on a tour of problem–solving techniques so you can dramatically improve your skills. You′ll learn how to conquer simple elimination puzzles like Sudoku and how to apply heuristic techniques to far more complex problems.

Dr. Shasha provides you with the tools to solve several classes of puzzles by hand and computer. These include scheduling,strategic, geometric, and probabilistic puzzles. You′ll also find a mystery involving codes, bank accounts, and geography that you can solve for the chance to win a prize. The approaches and techniques in this book will help you solve the kind of application puzzles the real world may throw at you.

What you will learn from this book
- How to expand your puzzle–solving abilities and tackle new challenges
- Proven steps that will help you quickly progress from basic puzzles to a more advanced level
- How to prepare for various types of puzzles presented during a programming interview
- Techniques for determining the best solution to a puzzle
- Methods for solving puzzles using decryption and combinatorics

Tags: Puzzles For Programmers And Pros | Puzzle Book

Quad Clue Sudoku is a brand new Sudoku variant by David Millar from The Griddle.

UPDATE : Quad Clue Sudoku is based upon the original Quadruple Clue Sudoku by Henry Kwok (sorry Henry but it was never the intention to not mention you as the inventor of Quadruple Clue Sudoku, if only we had known before).

The latest quad clue sudoku sheet contains nine Sudoku puzzles to solve. Each Quad Clue Sudoku puzzle contains features a six by six sudoku grid with four numbers at some of the grid intersection points. These four numbers correspond to the four numbers in the four adjoining squares. It’s another way of providing starting clues, without telling you exactly where they are. Happy Puzzling !
[via Puzzlinks.com]

Tags: Quad Clue Sudoku | Sudoku

GravityPop is a physics engine space puzzle game.

Object is to get together the three water boxes in each level to cool down the ship. You can't move the water boxes directly. The only way to move the water boxes is to manipulate the gravity with the arrow keys. Happy Puzzling !

Tags: GravityPop | Puzzle Game