Now, there is an Android or iPhone app for just about every conceivable kind of puzzle or any of the simple games that people used to play with cards, dice or paper. Long before that was the case, and before smartphones or tablets were even conceived of, we used to play these kinds of games either online or as installed games on our computers – if you are old enough to have ever used Windows 95, you’ll probably remember that when you weren’t connected to the internet or running a more intensive game, just about the only amusing thing there was to do was play Solitaire, Minesweeper, or the dreaded Freecell. Well, it was that or change your screensaver yet again.
As a result of the wide availability of puzzles and simple games on our devices, you may wonder why companies even make things like board games, jigsaw puzzles or puzzle books, but in actual fact, these products are doing as well as ever. But why is this?
Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are one of the few types of puzzle that can’t be replicated very well as an app or computer game. This is because the appeal of a jigsaw is to have to find and manipulate all of the pieces and put them in the right place, ultimately making up a picture (which, when you get your puzzle from one of the best jigsaw puzzle maker companies, can actually end up being a piece of art you might want to frame or display!). With an app or computer game, moving around pieces of a puzzle is too easy, and when you have finished all you get is a picture on your screen, which isn’t much use for anything! For this reason, jigsaws will always be much better puzzles when they are physical objects you can work on alone or with friends and family.
Card and Board Games
If you know some card games, you have an option to keep yourself amused when you are alone, or play with friends, without any need for technology – which can be great if you run out of battery. Board games, and group card games, allow you and friends to play something together without needing compatible devices and accounts with games, and means you actually have to be in the same room talking and spending time together while you play – which a lot of people will agree is an experience you miss when you only play friends at games online.
Puzzle Books
Like a pack of cards, a puzzle book won’t let you down and leave you bored if you are on a long trip with no means of recharging a battery, and you don’t need phone or internet reception to use it. Many people also prefer doing things like Sudoku puzzles in books because it can be much easier to make notes as you solve the problem than it is on a phone screen.
Physical games and puzzles are still popular for good reason, and if you haven’t used them for a while, why not dig out an old puzzle or pick up a new board game and give it a try.