The Best Brain Teasers for Adults
Brainteasers aren't just for entertaining bored kids on car rides and plane flights anymore. Since the Sudoku craze of the past few decades, there have been awesome strides in sophisticated puzzle design for mature audiences. So whether you're bored of doing crosswords on your phone or you want a nifty activity to try for family game night, we've got some great recommendations on the hottest brainteasers for adults available today. Buy one for yourself to get that noggin cookin' or try one of our favorite options below as a gift for a friend who likes a challenge.
365 Brain Puzzlers by Fraser Simpson
Riddles for Your Routine
As we get older, the word “routine” definitely starts to have a negative twang to it. To spice up the routine and add some fun to your day-to-day, we recommend this desk calendar with brain teasers. Officially sanctioned by the high-IQ society MENSA, this compact calendar will challenge you to get your thinking cap on in all categories of puzzles including word and math problems, code-breaking, and much much more.
Face a puzzle first thing in the morning with your cup of joe or wait until you need a break from staring at your computer mid-day. Either way, we guarantee you’ll feel a little smarter after doing so, and don’t worry — if you’re super stumped, the answers are printed on the pack of every page.
Pros:
- Eco-friendly design
- Printed on FSC-certified paper
- Varied rotating puzzle selection
- Great cost value
Cons:
- Puzzles are written for American English speakers and may prove a bit confusing for other speakers
- Bright highlighter yellow pages may be slightly distracting for a work-desk calendar
Shashibo Shape-Shifting Box
Tactile Tessellation
A good brainteaser is challenging enough for you to keep trying it, but also captivating enough to keep your attention on it despite the struggle. And while there are many demanding puzzles out there, few are as visually and tangibly enticing as the Shashibo Shape-Shifting Box.
Invented by geometric sand artist Andreas Hoenigschmid, the Shashibo box is powered by 36 rare earth magnets that allow transformation to up to 70 different shapes. A perfect size for handheld manipulation, this nifty puzzle challenges you to achieve every configuration while also just being really fun to handle. Give one to all the fidgety folks in your life, and while you’re at it, snag a few for yourself.
Pros:
- You can buy multiple puzzles and combine them
- Comes in 8 different brilliant designs
- ‘Fun in Motion Toys’ app with demo videos
- Visually-impaired inclusive
Cons:
- Higher cost
- Can’t make all the shapes advertised without purchasing more boxes
The Ultimate Brain Health Puzzle Book for Adults by Phil Fraas
Solve Your Stress
It’s funny how we encourage children to engage with educational toys and yet, as adults, we end up playing less stimulating games on our phones. While we’re definitely older now, that doesn’t mean we can’t keep improving our cognitive skills.
That’s why we love the variety of verbal puzzles included in The Ultimate Brain Health Puzzle Book for Adults. Strengthen your creative skills, build vocabulary, and work on your logical reasoning every time you flip to a new page. And because the puzzles progress from easy to hard, you’ll also learn a thing or two about your own strong points regarding different styles of thinking.
Pros:
- Includes step-by-step instructions on how to solve the different puzzles
- Range of easy to difficult puzzles
- Tips and trivia questions also included
Cons:
- It’s a large-size book that isn’t the most travel-friendly
Ravensburger The Earth 3D Jigsaw Puzzle
The Ultimate Brainteaser Ball
These days it seems that game designers are putting as much sophisticated effort into the construction of the classic brainteasers as they are into more high-tech games. For example, you won’t just need a good amount of flat table space for this planetary puzzle by Ravensburger, you’ll also need some good aerial height to accommodate its spherical design.
And while it seems impossible that the pieces will stay put on a curved plane, this particular puzzle is constructed with an easy-click technology that will ensure your pieces stay exactly where you place them, no glue required. After you’ve finished your around-the-world trip, you’ll have a gorgeous globe to proudly display as proof of your hard work.
Pros:
- Precision fit pieces with easy-click technology
- Durable, high-quality material won’t fall apart after construction
- Numbers on the back of the pieces make it easy to assemble
- Comes with a display stand
Cons:
- Higher cost
Bits and Pieces Secret Puzzle Box
A Puzzle Worth the Effort
This beautiful money holder puzzle box from Bits and Pieces can turn your boring gift of money into a fun and rewarding challenge. Simply slip a bill, piece of paper, or even coins into the puzzle box and then watch as your loved one has to use their thinking skills to get to the goods inside. But because these particular boxes are quite challenging, we recommend letting a few others try their hand at it before reaching for the included solution.
Pros:
- Great cost value
- Beautiful wood design with finished walnut stain
- Includes solution
Cons:
- Delicately constructed so rough handling may break it
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of skills can I develop from doing brainteasers?
This ultimately depends on the type of puzzle you’re doing. Number puzzles like the classic Sudoku can improve logical thinking and memory recall since you need to keep different combinations in your head while figuring out global patterns. Verbal puzzles like crosswords may improve vocabulary and general trivia knowledge, whereas others like anagrams can even improve spelling over time. Others like standard logic puzzles can improve math skills and creative problem-solving.
Would I ever really need to use my brainteaser skills outside of the puzzle book?
Actually, yes. More and more companies these days are including a few tough brain-stimulating questions as part of the interview process, precisely because of the skills we listed above. In addition to seeing if you got the right answer, many employers are interested in seeing your on-the-spot thinking process which informs them of other helpful things. This includes your approach to uncertainty, your confidence in tackling problems, your communication skills, your ability to identify relevant information for problem-solving, and more.
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