The Puzzle Journal

Stories, strategy, and the science of getting smarter

Notes on puzzles and the brains that love them, from our team and the wider KenKen community. New pieces most weeks.

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Marcus FeldmanMar 17, 20266 min read

7 KenKen Strategies That Cut Your Solving Time in Half

Practical KenKen tips and strategy: single-cell freebies, cage math shortcuts, pencil marks, and elimination habits that help you solve KenKen faster.

Strategy
Priya AnandMar 5, 20266 min read

Logic Puzzles for Beginners: How to Start and Get Good

A friendly, no-jargon guide to logic puzzles for beginners: what they are, the main types worth trying, and a simple three-step method for how to solve logic puzzles without ever guessing.

Guides
Marcus FeldmanFeb 24, 20266 min read

15 Math Riddles With Answers, Easy to Hard

Fifteen math riddles with answers, ordered easy to hard, from a dozen-eggs warm-up to a lily pad that fools almost everyone. Every number riddle comes with a short, honest explanation.

Puzzles
Dr. Nora Bennett (Contributor)Feb 11, 20266 min read

The 8 Best Brain Games to Play Every Day

The best brain games to play daily, ranked by what they actually train. From KenKen and sudoku to chess puzzles, here is what each one does for your mind and where the science stops.

Brain Health
Priya AnandJan 20, 20265 min read

NO-OP KenKen: The Variant That Hides the Math

A plain-English guide to no-op KenKen, the variant that deletes the operation sign so you have to deduce it yourself. Why it is harder, how to solve it, and who it is for.

Strategy
Dana Reyes (Editor)Jan 9, 20267 min read

20 Riddles for Adults That Will Actually Make You Think

A curated set of 20 riddles for adults, from wordplay to hard logic to lateral thinking, each one a genuine head-scratcher and every riddle paired with answers so you can check your work.

Puzzles
Marcus FeldmanDec 18, 20256 min read

6 Mental Math Tricks That Make KenKen Feel Easy

Six practical mental math tricks for KenKen, from factor pairs and complements to parity and sum ranges, the kind of KenKen math help that lets you read a grid instead of doing arithmetic on every cage.

Strategy
Dana ReyesDec 5, 20254 min read

What Does 'KenKen' Actually Mean?

What does KenKen mean? The name comes from the Japanese word for cleverness, and the original title translates to 'the puzzle that makes you smarter.' A quick tour of the KenKen name meaning.

Culture
Elena Vasquez (Contributor)Nov 20, 20257 min read

Brain Teasers for Kids: Fun Challenges by Age

Age-appropriate brain teasers for kids, from simple riddles for little ones to logic puzzles for teens. Real examples with answers, plus tips to keep it fun and build confidence.

Education

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