About puzzle games there is very little to say, except that they are puzzles,
heavily addictive brainteasers that I will play in the middle of the night when
sleep eludes me, and whose solutions I ponder on the bus to work. Rather like
text adventures, really. Most puzzle games that have addicted me are really
variants of that computer-gaming classic and evergreen, Tetris, but not all of
them have that sense of urgency; most of them are as satisfying as untangling
knots in wool, and leave one with a sense of satisfaction when one hasn't really
done anything productive at all. However, the sense of satisfaction can be a
necessary little ego boost before tackling a real problem, which may be the
reason why programmers can compulsively play Solitaire during worktime. Although
Freecell and Spider Solitaire are better choices, as they can almost always be
solved, and I do like puzzles to have solutions. But since these card games are
the most brainless of puzzle games, resorted to (and played with maniacal
intention at those moments) when I feel too stupid to do anything else, they
will not be included in this list.
