Games World of Puzzles May 2023

Welcome to the May issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES! Surely you’ve noticed Shawn Kennedy’s clever Magic 8 Ball puzzle on the cover; maybe you’ve already started trying to match each question with its punny response.

Now, let’s ask that ball another question: Is it true that this issue contains a Cartoon Rebuses contest—the first one since September 2014 GAMES? Happily, the answer is a resounding “Without a doubt!”

We know that Cartoon Rebuses contests are an old favorite and that our readers have sorely missed them—we’ve received many emails, letters, and social media posts to that effect. And now, they’re back, thanks to Scott Appel, who created the rebuses, and Meredith Moriarty, the talented artist who illustrated them. Turn to page 54 to try your hand at this new batch!

This issue has it all, from perennial favorites to the latest in the world of games and puzzles. Take a trip back in time with Julie Harris’s article “Mouse Trap: A Cheesy Classic” (page 36), which will recall childhood days spent playing this beloved board game.

When you’re finished, return to the present with “Trade of the Tricks” (page 40), a Q&A in which author and prolific puzzlemaker Todd Kreisman interviews David Kwong, a magician and fellow puzzle enthusiast. Learn about Kwong’s ongoing show The Enigmatist, which combines magic and puzzles in entertaining ways. There’s even a puzzle hidden within the interview! Can you solve it?

As always, our Pencilwise section is packed full of familiar favorites and new challenges. Those who favor math and logic will want to try Dallas Fletcher’s “Odd Letter Out” (page 52) and Rodolfo Kurchan’s new sudoku variant, “Sudoku Neighbors” (page 64). Word puzzle lovers should turn to Matt Jones’s “500 Rummy” (page 65) or Bob Stigger’s “Family Reunions” (page 66). For fans of visual puzzles, we present “Brand Names” (page 10), a visual puzzle by Shawn Kennedy that challenges you to identify company logos from extracted letters that also form common names.

Now, turn to your preferred puzzle and dive right in!