Puzzle

A puzzle is a problem or enigma presented as entertainment; that is written down, acted out, etc.

Many puzzles stem from serious mathematical or logistical problems (see packing problems and tour puzzles). Others, like chess problems, are derived from board games. Others again have been devised for the sole purpose of being brain teasers.

The history of puzzles goes back many thousand years, Tangram being one of the earliest and still one of the most popular puzzles. In certain temples of Japan monks used to write mathematical puzzles on temple walls.

Table of contents

1 Categories of puzzles 2 Examples of puzzles that do not fit into any of the categories above 3 Literature

Categories of puzzles

• boardgame puzzles - puzzles derived from board games
  • chess-type problems
    • chess problems
    • Eight queens puzzle
• computer puzzle games
• cube puzzles
• logic puzzles
  • Paint by numbers
• mechanical puzzles
  • Rubik's-Cube
• packing problems
• pair-up puzzles
• polycube puzzles
  • Soma cube
• riddle
• shuffling puzzles
  • Tower of Hanoi
• solitaire-type puzzles
  • Peg solitaire
• stick puzzles
  • matchstick puzzles
• tiling puzzles
  • jigsaw puzzles
  • polysquare puzzles
  • Tangram
• tour puzzles
• transport puzzles
  • sliding puzzles
    • Fifteen puzzle
  • Sokoban
• whodunits
• word puzzles
  • anagrams
  • crossword puzzles

For more examples click one of the categories.

Examples of puzzles that do not fit into any of the categories above

• Geocaching
• Logiquiz
• Situation puzzles

• please add more puzzles to this list

See also:

• Letter game
• Mathematical game
• Mind sport

Literature

• Creative Puzzles of the World, 1980, Plenary Publications International
• Denkspiele Der Welt, München 1977,1981, Heinrich Hugendubel Verlag