What was the first-ever puzzle game?

Did you know that the first ever mass-produced puzzle game was a jigsaw puzzle?

In 1762, a map engraver named John Spilsbury created the first jigsaw puzzle out of wood and distributed it to kids in local schools to help them with their geography education.

Even back then, games were a creative medium for education and self-improvement!

Speaking of which, do you want to test out your current puzzle-solving skills? Check out our seven free brainy games that you can challenge yourself with!

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

Have you felt that some games feel endlessly fun no matter how many years you play them, while some just become boring after a few hours? It’s all about entertaining game design, and when it comes to playing games, it should be made for fun first and foremost!

Speaking of designing games and puzzles, do you ever wonder how someone creates a puzzle game? Not just any game, but a brainy, mentally-challenging puzzle game? The process is completely different from creating other genres of video games, such as hack and slash or adventure.

And if we’re talking about well-designed puzzle games, Little Nightmares is one of the best. Charming, entertaining and made with a distinct art style, this game hits a sweet spot in being a good puzzle game and storytelling.

Playing puzzle video games is more than just entertaining—it’s also good for the brain! Many studies have shown that playing mentally stimulating games has cognitive benefits and is a good way to keep your mind engaged and free from degradation.

Regardless of your age and skill level, there’s always room for a puzzle game. There are even puzzle games for the blind!

These kinds of games are always capable of showing that there is more to things than meets the eye.

Speaking of conditions, there’s a well-known English writer with Savant Syndrome who enjoys playing brainy games.

His name is Daniel Tammet, and he’s known to have said that:

“Puzzles can be solved; they can also be revelatory.”

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter issue!

If you want to learn more about what we’re up to at Hey, Good Game, you can find out more about us here.

That’s all for this week. See you next Friday!

-The Hey, Good Game Team