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The psychology of creative problem-solving in puzzles
The undeniable magic and skill of puzzles.
There is nothing better than sitting down with a relaxing crossword puzzle. You could be at the beach, poolside, or resting on your couch.
Your puzzle of choice may instead be a word ladder, unscramble, or something else. Whatever it is, there are rules and mechanics you can use to solve the puzzle.
But what if there aren’t any mechanics for you to use? The method used to solve the puzzle is the puzzle itself.
You need to define your own mechanic. You have to think “outside the box.”
Almost sounds like real life, except the stakes are much lower. You can walk away anytime, or flip to the back of the book for the solution.
If only life had that fallback mechanism.
Note that the first article in this series examined the history of crossword puzzles. It ended with a bonus puzzle and the solution is posted here.
