Blog
Notes on the games: how to play them, where they come from, and what we're building.
- Killer Sudoku vs Sudoku: which should you play?
Both fill a nine by nine grid, but one gives you numbers to start with and the other gives you sums. Here is how they differ and which to pick.
- Reversi vs Othello: are they the same game?
Almost, but not quite. One is a Victorian parlour game, the other a trademarked tidy up of it, and the difference is in how the game starts.
- Boggle, Wordle and Upwords: which word game suits you?
Three word games that feel nothing alike. One is a hunt, one is a deduction, one is an argument over a board. Here is how to pick.
- Mahjong Solitaire vs Mahjong Connect: what is the difference?
Same tiles, two completely different puzzles. One asks whether a tile is free, the other asks whether a path exists.
- 12 free puzzle games you can play in your browser with no download
Puzzles that open in a tab and start immediately. No app, no account, no trial that runs out halfway through.
- Daily puzzle games to add to your morning routine
A new puzzle every day, the same one for everybody, finished before your coffee goes cold. Here are the ones worth a daily slot.
- Board games you can play against the computer, free
Backgammon, chess, checkers and the rest, with an opponent that is always available and never knocks the board over.
- Free brain games for seniors, with no signup and big clear boards
Games that open in one click, scale to a tablet, and do not rush you. No timers, no accounts, no small print.
- The 2048 corner strategy, explained move by move
Pick a corner, never leave it, and use three directions. Here is why that works and where most games fall apart.
- How to find the long words in Boggle
Short words are easy and worth little. Here is how to see the seven letter words that are sitting in front of you.
- Killer Sudoku cage combinations worth memorising
The sums with only one possible answer are where every Killer Sudoku opens up. Here they are, with how to use them.
- When to double in backgammon, and when to drop
The cube is the sharpest tool in the game and the one most players never touch. Here is a practical way to use it.
- The two Minesweeper patterns that solve most boards
Stop counting every square. Two shapes cover most of the mid game, and once you see them you read the board instead of calculating it.
- Every Sudoku variant explained: Killer, Mini, and the rest
One grid, a dozen rule sets. Here is what each variant adds, which are genuinely harder, and where to start.
- Boggle 3x3, 4x4 or 5x5: which board should you play?
Nine letters, sixteen or twenty five. The board size changes the game more than you would expect.
- Is every game of Solitaire winnable?
No, and the numbers are more interesting than you would think. Here is what share of deals can be won, and how much of the rest is your fault.