Puns, mondegreens, Tom Swifties, limericks, solage and dad jokes. I love them all. Each is a playful form of expression that hits the ha-ha center of my brain in just the right spot. But here's what I've noticed after years of playing with these forms: they&
"Look before you leap." "He who hesitates is lost." Quaint aphorisms aside, my fascination with opposites has provided many inspirational puzzle ideas. Sometimes, the ideas become a bit too esoteric. Here is one that never made it out of the oven: Wet and Wild Antonyms are
Happy New Year! Resolutions are like car keys. We think we can't get anywhere without them, but that's just a limiting belief. It's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth: There are no keys. Then you'll see that it is not
This is what you get when you build a Laz-y-Boy recliner out of Yule logs! Wooden you love to sit in this for a bit of a slumber? Did you know that the word "slumber" is not a portmanteau of "saw" and "lumber"? I
One of the puzzles in this issue revolves around words ending in OTTO. How many of them can you think of before looking at the puzzle? Hint, there are more than a dozen! Scrabble players will have the advantage here. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of free online
Who's on first? What's the name of this funk? Where's the nearest exit? Are these profound questions? Do we want to know the name of the batter who just drew a walk? Are we discussing the order of speakers? Do I stink? Am I&
What lies behind the light pollution? Anyone who has not flown into space must rely on images, telescopes and imagination to see beyond the sun, moon and clearly visible objects whizzing about. Whatever is out there won't be as much fun as this batch of puzzles. Trade your
With Halloween approaching, dive into some spooky fun with my collection of stories and puzzles. I roll out my Hallowmas Collection once a year for your enjoyment (or horror!) Bookmark the tag page and wait for Friday! To keep you busy until then, here are some fun puzzles. Hit reply
Imagine a leisurely stroll through your neighborhood park. The autumn chill is barely noticeable as you take in nature's glorious hues. The serenity is interrupted by humanity, but it is sporadic enough to avoid triggering whatever antisocial feelings you might have. Alone with your thoughts, your mind wanders
This issue celebrates the bonds of doubled O's. I hope you won't be shaken by the challenges. Perhaps they will stir fond memories. Whatever. 😂 Enjoy the puzzles! Cheers, Mitch Double O SevenBond, James BondDouble O Seven.pdf1 MBdownload-circle
The title really makes me want to start this off with a Dad joke. I shall refrain (you're welcome.) I'll just say that I have been designing puzzles based on relatives for a while. Most of them wind up on the cutting floor. The ones that
The English language has so many quirks. Of them, I think idioms are the most fascinating. I always get puzzle ideas when thinking about such expressions. Check out the attached puzzles, inspired by "shifting sands". The first, Paradigm Shift, explores the many meanings of the word shift. The
The Time-Sucking Truth About Logic Puzzle Creation (And How Kevin Berry Fixed It) Creating logic puzzles should be fun. That's why most of us started doing it, right? We love the satisfaction of crafting a perfect challenge that makes solvers think without making them want to throw the
Technically, the period has passed. Colloquially, it is still upon us. The hot, sticky heat here in the United States saps energy, fries eggs on sidewalks and makes some people long for winter. I try to stay inside as much as possible. I'll do jigsaw puzzles, play games
What Creators Should Know Before Selling Physical or Digital Products This guide is not legal advice. It summarizes publicly available information about how Canva and Creative Fabrica licenses appear to work for commercial use as of August 2025[1]. 🎨 Creative Fabrica – What You Can (and Can't) Do 🛍️ Selling
With schools set to start soon, your stomach may be craving pizza. Or, you might be nervous. Probably neither, I just wanted to play with the title of this issue. The theme is actually more scholarly. Test your knowledge of philosophy with the Dominoes and Butterflies puzzle. Afterwards, relax with
More summer fun to engage your brain. This issue is about pathfinding. Instead of boring old mazes, I found a couple of interactive gems that you can play online. Net From Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection Reassemble the network by rotating the tiles until all terminals are connected.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Collaborating with AI means acknowledging the source of ideas. The following piece was authored by ChatGPT. It never knew my true intent: brainstorming fresh puzzle ideas. The reasons for this will become clear as you read. Initially, I thought about editing out the Elmish ("LLM-speak" and those infernal
My wife and I frequently visit T. J. Maxx. There is always something interesting to catch my eye, whether it is a new snack, kitchen gadget or home furnishings. Recently, I spotted a clear lockbox that just begged me to buy it for a puzzle! (How many of you remember
Lemongello da Cremona, a notorious art forger, has struck again, desecrating the classics for the sake of a pun. I've captured four of them for you to solve. AI-generated art makes possible some really strange and unique puzzles. I've written before about the Connections-style puzzles (see
Visual Puzzle Formats I’ve been thinking a lot about how to structure a visual puzzle book that goes beyond variety and aims for progression, discovery, and depth. What follows is a field guide of puzzle types I’ve worked with or analyzed closely. Spot-the-Differences Mechanic: Visual Comparison Classic visual
"Cartoon mice must be of a different species from the filthy, disgusting, germ-ridden things I pay people to kill." - Hillard Allen Father's Day is such a cool day for me. I have a fun father and fun kids! (My grown children are always going to
As summer rolls into the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll want plenty of fresh puzzles. I’ve got you covered. This week, flex your word-play muscles with Color Code, tackle Impostor Syndrome, and dust off your pop-culture trivia knowledge with Seeing Stars? Finally, I've created three fresh visual puzzles
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
You sit down to brainstorm ideas for your next puzzle book. You fire up ChatGPT, type "Give me 15 fresh word search themes," and hit enter. The suggestions roll in—music genres, animals, seasonal activities. They look good. They feel familiar. Maybe too familiar. Three books later, you