Newsletter 95

It doesn’t matter how good a game is if no one knows about it.

“How do people hear of it?”

That’s the exact question Robert Fuhrer got from his associate when he was introduced to what was the KenKen puzzle’s prototype. A puzzle so good that, even in its obscure status, it sold 1.3 million book copies in 10 months. Even with that, Robert offhandedly replied:

“Put it on the newspaper!”

5 brainy game insights you’ll love!

(Games, links, and resources we've bookmarked for you.)

First

The KenKen puzzle went through a lot of challenges and interesting stories, and was one of the puzzles that were poised to go toe-to-toe with sudoku’s meteoric rise.

Will Shortz, the legendary editor and puzzle setter of The New York Times, was so hooked on KenKen that he finished 100+ puzzles in three days.

As Robert Fuhrer said, “Nobody comes up with ideas like the Japanese.” And that also is reflected in the hit puzzles they’ve made, like sudoku, kakuro, hitori, futoshiki and a ton more.

Puzzles aren’t just fun; they’ve long been added to many unconventional educational curricula, and there are reasons why they’re ideal to insert in a learning environment.

For last week’s trivia, the answer is “The original model was an American woman”! Congratulations to those who got it!

Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty, was not inspired by an American woman for it, but by figures guarding Nubian tombs. Nubia was a region in Ancient Egypt, and is now part of modern Sudan and the surrounding areas.

Let’s start with this week’s question:

Yeah, we feel you, Homer


One of these statements about jigsaw puzzles is false. Which is it?

Choose here, and the correct answer will be in our next issue!

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If you’re feeling burnt out by work and want to pursue a passion project instead, let this inspiring short be the sign you need. And if you want more content like that, subscribe to our channel!

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

The Hey, Good Game Team