Game Time
First sudoku stretched our minds. Then came kakuro, which really kicked our brains into high gear. Thanks to these highly challenging - and highly addictive - Japanese imports, America is in the midst of a mental revolution. It turns out that we love playing mind games.
From crossword puzzles and cryptograms to classics like Othello and Mastermind, games that rely more on logic than luck are making a big comeback. "In our hyper-stressed lives, mind games offer a welcome reprieve," said Vicki Kunkel, author of the upcoming book "The Velcro Effect: What Makes People, Trends and Events Have Mass Appeal."
"Games like sudoku - unlike other types of games - offer us complete escapism. Very few activities require such in-depth thinking, which makes mind games such great stress reducers," Kunkel said. "Because your mind is totally and completely engaged in solving the puzzle at hand, you can't be thinking about things like your annoying co-worker, the bad review you got from the boss or the lover who dumped you. You are completely immersed."
This season, a flood of sudoku variations awaits shoppers looking for that perfect gift. From handheld electronic versions to books with strategy tips, there is a little something for everyone. Sudoku is even showing up as a board game.
Code Sudoku (Pressman, $16) features a plastic game board and number tiles for repeat puzzle solving. Slip one of the 44 preprinted puzzles in the game board, or create your own challenge.Code Sudoku is unique in that it lets players mark off numbers that don't work in each square as they play along solitaire style or with a partner.
Sudoku for Kids (Pressman, $13) lets young ones in on the action with smaller game boards and colored animal tokens instead of numbers. Tailored to children ages 6 and older, the game features 50 puzzles featuring blue dogs, purple rhinos, yellow elephants and more - all played on a 36-space grid.
Games like sudoku keep our minds sharp because they don't rely on previous knowledge. Anyone can beat these brainteasers.
"Society in general, but the baby boom generation in particular, is forever concerned about remaining young - and that includes keeping our minds sharp," Kunkel said. "Mind games and complex puzzles keep the synapses firing and keep us mentally sharp.
Sudoku is generally a solo pursuit, but plenty of multi-player games offer brain-bending challenges.
Baffle Gab ($30) asks players to create stories using five cards drawn from a pack of 300 different word cards featuring nouns, verbs and adjective. Players collect points based on the cards they play.
The premise is ingeniously simple, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Players must combine creativity, story-telling, vocabulary and math skills to come out on top.
It's a true mental workout - and parenting experts are taking notice. Baffle Gab was named the Best Game of 2006 from Creative Child Magazine.
Zobmondo!! Would You Rather ... ? ($25) asks the really tough questions: Would you rather have a head twice the normal size or half the normal size? Would you rather have no short-term memory or no long-term memory? Would you rather lick the head of a bald Harley biker after a sweaty race or lick the surface of an entire car hood that hasn't been washed in a month?
You can't not choose - everyone has to answer. If you think these wild queries are mere fun, think again. Players must battle wits and test their critical thinking skills to predict how the majority will answer - and justify their own responses.
So, put on your thinking cap. Come Christmas, games that test the wits and make you think are sure to be the hottest gifts of the season.
