Glossary
- Acrostic
- A poem or puzzle in which certain letters in each line form a word or phrase.
- Alphadoku
- A puzzle similar to Sudoku, but using letters instead of numbers. This puzzle could also use a unique 9-letter word that follows basic Sudoku rules. For example: the letters in the word, mastery, would occur once in each row, column and 3x3 grid.
- Alphabetical Order
- An arrangement of words in order based on the sequence of letters in the alphabet.
- Brain Teaser
- A puzzle or game that requires thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
- Color by Number
- A coloring activity in which each color is assigned a number and the colors are filled in based on the corresponding numbers. This coloring puzzle could also subsitute words or math operations rather than just numbers.
- Connect the Dots
- A puzzle in which a series of numbered dots are connected in order to reveal a picture. Puzzle also supports fine motor skill development.
- Cryptogram
- A puzzle in which letters or symbols are substituted for the original letters or symbols in a message.
- Cryptolist
- A word puzzle in which the letters of a word or phrase are replaced by different letters. The puzzle usually is a unique list with a specific theme. For example: Hallowe'en, country names, or science words.
- Crack the Code
- A puzzle or game in which the player must decipher a secret code or message. These puzzles can take many forms, including substituting pictures or symbols for letters.
- Crossword
- A word puzzle in which words are filled into a grid based on intersecting letters.
- Hangman
- A word-guessing game where one player thinks of a word and the other player tries to guess the word by suggesting letters.
- I SPY
- A game where players take turns giving clues about an object they see, using the phrase "I spy with my little eye something that begins with...".
- I SPY puzzle
- The "I spy" puzzle is a type of visual puzzle that challenges the solver to find and count specific items hidden within a larger picture or scene. The puzzle typically involves a list of items to find, and the solver must use their observational skills to identify each item and keep track of the number found. The items may be hidden in plain sight or camouflaged within the image. Once the solver has located and counted all the items, they can record their answers and check their accuracy against the puzzle's solution.
- Jigsaw
- A puzzle made of small irregularly shaped pieces that fit together to form a larger picture or design.
- Kakuro
- A numerical puzzle where the player fills in a grid with numbers that add up to specific values.
- Labyrinth
- A puzzle where the player must find a way through a maze or labyrinth.
- Logic Puzzle
- A puzzle that requires the use of logic and deduction to solve.
- Matchstick Puzzle
- A puzzle where the player must move or remove matchsticks to form a specific shape or pattern.
- Maze
- A puzzle where the player must find a way through a complex network of paths or passages.
- Mechanical Puzzle
- A puzzle that requires the manipulation of physical objects or mechanisms to solve.
- Nonogram
- A picture puzzle where players fill in a grid based on number clues to reveal a hidden picture.
- Optical Illusion
- A visual puzzle or trick that appears to be something other than what it actually is.
- Rebus
- A puzzle where words or phrases are represented by pictures or symbols.
- Riddle
- A puzzle or question that requires creative thinking to solve.
- Rubik's Cube
- A three-dimensional puzzle made of rotating cubes that must be manipulated to align the colors on each side.
- Samurai Sudoku
- A type of Sudoku puzzle that consists of five overlapping grids. Use Sudoku rules to solve the puzzle.
- Scrabble
- A word game where players use letter tiles to create words on a board.
- Sliding Puzzle
- A puzzle where the player must slide pieces around a board to form a specific picture or pattern.
- Spot the Difference
- A puzzle where players must find the differences between two similar images.
- Sudoku
- A logic-based, number-placement puzzle where the player must fill a grid with digits while following specific rules. Grids can be 4x4, 6x6, or 9x9 for example. Each row, column and grid can only have one digit. There are no duplicates. The 4x4 grid would have the digits 1 to 4; 6x6 grid would have the digits 1 to 6 and the 9x9 grid would have the digits 1 to 9.
- Tangram
- A Chinese puzzle consisting of seven pieces that can be arranged to form various shapes.
- Tower of Hanoi
- A mathematical puzzle where the player must move a stack of disks from one peg to another, following specific rules.
- Trivia
- A game where players answer questions on various subjects, often in a competitive setting.
- Word Angle
- A word search-like puzzle where the player must find words within a grid of letters, following specific rules for the word placement and orientation.
- Word Find
- A puzzle where the player must find words hidden within a grid of letters, often in a specific theme or subject. Another name for this type of puzzle is Word Search.
- Word Fit
- A puzzle where the player must fit words into a grid of letters, following specific rules for the word placement and orientation. This puzzle is a combination of word search and crossword puzzle.
- Word Maze
- A puzzle where the player must find a path through a grid of letters that spells out a specific word or phrase. The starting letter is usually provided and the solver must trace the letter paths of each word from the start to the finish. The letter paths may or not cross.
- Word Search
- A puzzle where the player must find words hidden within a grid of letters, often in a specific theme or subject.
- Wordoku
- A variation of Sudoku where the player must fill a grid with letters while following specific Sudoku rules. Similar to Alphadoku puzzles.