Origins of Popular Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are widely enjoyed by many for two main reasons. They are engaging, making for ideal pastimes. At the same time, they call for logical thinking and stimulate the mind. Kids and adults alike can appreciate puzzle games – it’s no wonder that several have become classics throughout the years. The following is a look at these popular puzzle games and where they came from.
Jigsaw puzzles. The inventor of the jigsaw puzzle was Englishman John Spilsbury, an engraver and mapmaker. He created the first jigsaw puzzle in 1767, when he attached a map of the world to a piece of wood and cut out each country. Teachers used Spilsbury’s puzzles to teach geography – students would learn by putting the world maps back together. The name “jigsaw puzzle” was not given until 1880, although puzzles were cut by a fretsaw and not a jigsaw.
Rubik’s Cube. This mechanical puzzle was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the first test batches of the product were produced in late 1977 and released to Budapest toy shops. In early 1980, the puzzle made its international debut at toy fairs. The Ideal Toy Company renamed it “Rubik’s Cube” in 1980. The Rubik’s Cube is said to be the world’s best-selling toy.
Crossword puzzles. The first crossword puzzle was a “word-cross” puzzle published in the New York World on December 21, 1913, by Liverpool journalist Arthur Wynne. The name of the puzzle was later changed to “crossword”, and it became a regular weekly feature in the New York World. The first book of crossword puzzles appeared in 1924, which became an instant hit. Crossword puzzles were the craze of 1924.
Sudoku. In the 18th century, Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler developed the concept of Latin squares, where numbers in a grid appear exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. In the late 1970s, Dell Magazines in the US began publishing Sudoku puzzles using Euler’s concept with a 9 by 9 square grid. The puzzle was called Number Place then, and it was developed by Howard Garnes. In the mid-1980s, Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, Inc. published a version of the puzzle, which became very popular in Japan. It was also Nikoli that gave Sudoku its current name. British and US newspapers began publishing their own Sudoku puzzles in 2005.
Riz Davis, 26, is the Internet Marketing Associate of Gadget Epoint LTD. An internet savvy and geek by heart, she enjoys browsing the net for unusual gadgets and novelty items.
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The Quest Trio
- New story lines, characters and special effects for the DS
- Play single player or with your friends
- Jewel Quest Expeditions is a classic matching game with over 180 unique jewel baords to choose from
- Mahjong Quest brings the ancient game of Mahjong to life, with a captivating sotryline and over 64 tile layouts of increasing challenge to unravel
- Play tri-peaks solitaire with Jewel Quest Solitaire, in a new way using jewel-themed card decks. 114 layout and 684 possible card playing scenarios
Three all time favorite Quest titles, now for the Nintendo DS system. Includes Jewel Quest Expeditions, MahJon Quest and Jewel Quest Solitaire.
Rating: 
(out of 59 reviews)
List Price: $ 19.99
Price: $ 12.95
NEW TOY/PUZZLE SALE - I SPY SPOOKY NIGHT MEMORY GAME | US $9.99 End Date: Friday May-18-2012 12:09:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $9.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Review by Graphic Novel / Manga Reader for The Quest Trio
Rating:
I love Ancient of the 7 Worlds DS that I had to get more!! I found Jewel Quest DS but I was told by some gamers that I should get The Quest Trio instead that way I can get 3 games in one cartridge. Good advice!
If you like 7 Worlds DS you will like Jewel Quest. Very similar with matching the tiles and making sure you fill in the background to complete the levels.
I got this game mainly for the Jewel Quest. I tried the solitare & Mah Jong games as well and it was fun. It’s great for down times.
Can’t go wrong with this one!
Review by G. Wiese for The Quest Trio
Rating:
The game is very good and addictive. With all three games you can go from game to game. I’ve had this game for a day still like it. The variety is good. If you like puzzle games, this is for you. The solitaire is similiar to tri-peaks solitaire. This is good for all those addicted to mahjong. I like being able to use the touch screen for games like this. It makes it a little easier than with a mouse like the online games. You can make quicker matches.
Review by Jean Gambill for The Quest Trio
Rating:
Being a senior, not many of the DS games seem age appropriate. Quest Trio is fun for all ages. I am addicted to one game int the trio, Jewel Quest II. In Jewel Quest II you match 3 or more jewels of the same color. In doing so, the background changes color. When the entire background has changed color, that part of the game is complete. On some of the screens, some of the jewels are shaded and you can’t see what color they are until they are matched. The other two games within The Quest trio look like fun also, but I spend so much time playing Jewel Quest II, that I haven’t really had time to play them.
Review by D. Coughler for The Quest Trio
Rating:
This game is almost as fun as the PC version. The biggest drawbacks are the small screen size, and the fact that some of the layouts in the later stages of the solitaire game rely solely on sequential cards happen to be laid on top of one another.
All in all though, it is a great investment for anyone who wants to be able to pick up a game that you can play while waiting in the doctor’s office, or getting your oil changed,and be able to put it down when necessary.
Review by Hunter’s Wife for The Quest Trio
Rating:
A.D.D.I.C.T.I.V.E. PERIOD. Those little sparkling gems entrance you. There are three different games, and I think, intertwining story lines. But the story line really doesn’t matter. (its kind of lame anyway and the main character annoys me because the only thing he does is whine. Who doesn’t get enough of that at work?)
So ignore the whining guy the weak story and the game is fun. The only other downside is the tiny designs on the majong tiles. They are a bit tricky until your eyes get use to it and figure out the different tiles.
I’ve paid more for less, this rating is based on the price I paid and the overall experience.