Jigsaw Puzzle Strategy: Edges, Sorting, Clusters and the Last Pieces
Solve jigsaw puzzles in order: edges first, sort by colour and shape, grow clusters, then fit the last pieces by shape. Worked example and practice puzzle.
Riddle10 blog
How to solve
Methods that make hard riddles and puzzles easier.
Step-by-step methods for riddles and puzzles that look hard at first. Each guide explains one method, shows it on a worked example and points out where it helps and where another approach works better.
Start here: how to solve riddles, process of elimination, truth-teller and liar puzzles
Sliding Block Puzzles: Clear the Blocker Chain, Free the Target
Work back from the target: trace the blocker chain, count free cells, move small pieces first. A worked tray, a parking-style grid and a practice puzzle.
How to Solve a Maze: Five Methods for Maze Puzzles
Keep a hand on the wall, fill dead ends, mark junctions, work backwards or search every branch. One worked maze puzzle and a practice maze with answer.
Shortest Route Puzzles: How to Find the Fewest Steps by Hand
Spread outward from the start, settle the nearest place first and trace back. Worked road map, rook board example, reachability check and a practice puzzle.
One-Stroke Drawing Puzzles: How to Solve Them by Counting Lines
Count the lines at each dot to see if a figure can be drawn in one stroke and where to start. Method, worked example, arrow version and practice puzzles.
Counting and Combination Puzzles: How to Count Every Way
Learn when to multiply and when to add, how to count orderings, groups and number splits, and how to avoid double counting, with a worked puzzle.
How to Solve House and Neighbour Logic Puzzles
Turn left, right and next-to clues into tiles on a strip of houses, test the few places each can sit, and finish with one row. Worked example and practice.
Process of Elimination in Puzzles: Rule Out Until One Is Left
How to use the process of elimination in puzzles: list options, cross out what fails, and add a guess-and-check step when you stall. Worked grids.
How to Solve Scheduling Puzzles: Orders, Rounds and Clashes
Turn each clue into a before, after or same-round rule, fix the ends first and fill the rest. A worked ordering puzzle and a round schedule to practise.
How to Solve Boat-Placement Puzzles: Find Every Hidden Boat
Use row and column counts and the no-touching rule to find every hidden boat. A clear method, a worked six by six puzzle and a practice grid.
How to Solve Picture Logic Puzzles: Fill-by-Number Grids
Read row and column clues as blocks, use overlap and exact fit, and reveal the hidden picture. A worked five by five puzzle and a practice grid.
How to Solve Brain Teasers: 8 Tools and When to Use Them
Eight solving tools matched to the four types of brain teaser, with five worked examples and the mistakes that trip people up.
How to Solve the Knight's Tour Puzzle, Step by Step
Visit every square once with a knight: the move, open and closed tours, the colour rule, a smart rule of thumb, and fully worked 5x5, 6x6 and 8x8 tours.
How to Solve a Sliding Tile Puzzle, Step by Step
Top row first, then the left column, then repeat. A clear method for the 8-puzzle, the 15-puzzle and larger trays, with the trick for the last two tiles.
Truth-Teller and Liar Riddles: How to Solve Them
Assume, test, and look for the clue that rules out the mirror answer. A clear method for truth-teller and liar logic puzzles with worked examples.
How to Solve Coin Weighing Puzzles, Step by Step
Split the coins into three groups, not two. A clear method for balance scale puzzles, from 9 coins in 2 weighings to the classic 12-coin puzzle.
How to Solve Riddles: A Step-by-Step Method
A seven-step method for solving riddles: read twice, split the clues, name the type, question plain words, and test every answer. Worked examples.