It’s puzzling

Routines are comforting. I have a very predictable schedule each morning. Dogs make sure I am up to let them out to explore the back yard while I make coffee. Settling down, sipping my cuppa, I read and scan several papers, then I turn to my puzzles. Joining the millions of other Wordle players, I start my day by solving Wordle, a wonderful and addictive daily word puzzle available online. It challenges the gears in my brain to engage. It is the way I check in with my sister every morning. We let each other know how we did and also know each other is OK. The game requires a starting five-letter word. There is no single best starting word. Popular vowel-heavy start words are TRACE and SLATE. Others claim AUDIO or ADIEU are their favorites. Everyone has a favorite. Mine is AISLE. You have five chances to guess the day’s word.

The game was created in 2021 by Josh Wardle, a software engineer, as a gift for his partner. It spread fast and was bought by the New York Times in 2022. Wordle offers the benefit of only one puzzle a day, the same worldwide, which makes it fun to share with family and friends. It’s quick unless you get really stuck and then some (not me) turn to some cheater apps on the internet.

Once Wordle is solved, I turn to my daily crossword. Again, I feel my brain engage and search for the right word for the clue offered. At my age, I know a lot of words, but get frustrated when the puzzle asks for current musicians and other performers that aren’t part of my current life experience. Then you get the clues like “unleavened Indian flatbread.” Not a lot of unleavened flatbread at our house.

So Wordle and a crossword not enough? Nope. Next the final brain tease - Words With Friends. It’s basically a Scrabble derivative. There is luck involved. Which letters you are dealt and what is available on the board when it is your turn to play can determine your success. It is a fun way to interact with friends and accumulate newfound Words With Friends competitors. The game's popularity increased when Actor Alec Baldwin made headlines for refusing to stop playing Words With Friends before a flight takeoff. People grew curious about what was so mesmerizing about the game, and started playing themselves.

Many of us addicted to our daily puzzles rationalize that using our brains will stave off dementia or Alzheimer's. The news is mixed. Just as our muscles need exercise, our brains also need to be challenged. Research has even shown that playing games boosts neuroplasticity: the brain can form new connections, hopefully fast enough to offset cognitive decline, a worry for us all.

So play your games; it may not prevent cognitive decline, but it will probably slow it down, and it’s fun.