If you are wondering why you like it Farhan Akhtar, Sonam KapoorHansal Mehta or Jimmy Fallon are obsessed with green, black and yellow blocks on Twitter – you’re living under a rock! The five-letter word puzzle game Wordle, created by American engineer Josh Wardle, caught the attention of the Twitterati for its simplicity as well as its paucity of chance. However, Wordle isn’t the only puzzle keeping people entertained during the pandemic – Spelling Bee, jigsaw puzzles, Crosswords, Jumble, Sudoku are all having their moment. These are not just games but also discussions, debates and hacks to win these games have become a rage. While these games may seem reminiscent of slower and low-tech times, the pandemic seems to have brought them back from the dead. Check out the indoor puzzles and brain teasers that have returned to everyone’s homes and smartphones!Wordle Love StoriesLove makes people do things; One of them could give the world a breath of fresh air like Wordle. American engineer Josh Wardle created a five-letter word puzzle for his partner Palak Shah, a crossword and spelling bee addict. Josh created this simple but awesome game that the couple played while trying to kill time during quarantine. Gradually it became a rage among their circle of friends and family, and in October 2021, the game was launched on the web. Since then, Wordle has become an itchy and versatile daily tool for many on Twitter. It also creates many other word puzzles like Absurdle, Hello Wordl, Sweardle and more. Still, OG stands strong thanks to its easy accessibility, low tech, and simple challenges it presents. Word games, puzzles, number games are making a comeback Since the first global lockdown in 2020, many game manufacturers have seen increased sales of puzzles and games such as Scrabble, Cluedo and Taboo. People even showed excitement when solving the famous New York Times crossword and Sudoku. “We have a 7-year-old boy and a teenager in our group of friends. We can never decide which movie or show to watch together because our choices never match, so quizzes have become our hobby. We even started organizing small tournaments on special occasions like Christmas, Diwali and New Year’s Eve,” shares IT expert Shubabhrita Kar from Finland.
For many people, getting the right answer to Sudoku is the best part of the day. “I recently became a mom, and between juggling motherhood and work, Sudoku has become my favorite thing to do,” shares Seattle illustrator Linh K. Doing it right is not only a small reward for myself, but also helps me relieve my exhausted brain.” For many others, playing multiplayer games like Psych or discussing the crossword of the day has become a conversation they look forward to. What is attraction? A 2018 poll conducted by German toy company Ravensburger found that 59% of respondents said puzzles were relaxing, while 47% said it helped them relieve stress. “Puzzle and problem-solving games have the potential to distract players from the madness and chaos affecting their lives like the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains psychologist Namrata Malhotra. It gives players the ambition to challenge themselves and solve the problem at hand, thereby creating a sense of achievement when they complete it. These small motivations help them keep trying in such difficult times. And with games like crosswords and Sudoku widely played by people across the globe, people can also show off their achievements online and feel successful without physical interaction.” Puzzle explainers become popular People are even engrossed in watching players solve a puzzle Sudoku puzzles Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe have garnered millions of views thanks to their puzzle videos on YouTube . YouTube channel Cracking the Cryptic has 493k followers, which reflects the craze among people. Many explainers have also entered the market with popular games such as Wordle and Spelling Bee. Blogs such as Diary of a Crossword Fiend, founded by Chicago puzzle editor Amy Reynaldo, have also become online spaces for discussion and debate about crosswords. Popular games during the pandemic- Crossword- Jumble- Spelling Bee- Sudoku- Alphadoku- Wordle- Jigsaw puzzles (online and offline) – Cluedo
