Puzzle Games

What’s differentiates a pop-quiz from a puzzle game? Fun.

No seriously, what’s the difference between a quiz and a puzzle game? The difference lies in the make-up and function of the human brain and what it rewards us for doing. What is Sudoku? A pattern recognition puzzle wrapped around a math test. Crossword Puzzle? Vocabulary test. Hangman? Let’s be honest, it’s a spelling quiz with extra steps. Boggle, Scrabble, the weekly Word Scramble, puzzle games are ridiculously popular with everyone, from kids to adults. So why is one kind of testing met with a cheer and the other with a groan?

The answer is floating through the synapses bridging your neurons right this very moment. Traditional academic testing is largely absent any of the elements that promote positive neurochemical releases in the human brain. There is no sense of having put something in order that was previously in disorder, from which a learner might receive a serotonin release. There are no success indicators such as flashing lights, chimes, horns, or competitive placement charts that could give them a congratulatory hit of dopamine. No cooperative effort to release oxytocin, no humor to release endorphins, and while there may be a limiting factor such as time or number of entries, these are not incorporated as an element of gameplay and are often external to the test itself, causing epinephrine levels to rise in a negative stress response rather than aiding with engagement. 

These things matter in the learning process, because our brains are wired to learn from games and so they reward us for playing them. So, if needs be an evaluation, why not make one that positively encourages engagement and achievement, and leaves the learner wanting more?