Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

The Old Chestnuts

There are some puzzles we just don't normally touch on Wandering Puzzler, mainly because most puzzle fans have seen them before. However, like in any field of study there are things that can be learned from the classics. Join us this Christmas as we take a look a puzzles past and see what we can learn.

The Christmas Investigations: The Crystal Maze Explaination

Christmas Investigations
Part Six

In the third and final of our Christmas investigations I left you pondering the problem of prisoners. In particular how to decide when it is better to release your locked in comrades in the game show The Crystal Maze.

How do you decide whether to release one of your locked-in teammates?

The Christmas Investigations - Adventure Game: Part Two

Christmas Investigations
Part Five

In our Christmas Investigation into The Adventure Game we visited Arg and tried to learn a little something about their culture, their ways of thinking and, most importantly, their currency. The task I set was a simple one:

How can you pay for your ticket home with the exact change.

The Christmas Investigations - The Adventure Game

Christmas Investigations
Part Two

In our second Christmas Investigation we travel to Arg, the planet featured in the classic BBC game show - The Adventure Game. We'll tackle some multi stage lateral thinking puzzles before we get down to the serious business of money and tackle a mathematical problem with a difference.

Can you decipher the hidden values of the Argond currency?

Trust No One

Puzzling Parables
Part Three

In the third and final entry in this little series of puzzling parables we'll be looking at the strange relationship between the puzzle setter, and solver. It's an odd little relationship because while it is based entirely on trust, it is one that the setter will try to abuse mercilessly.

Accepting the Impossible

Puzzling Parables
Part Two

In our second puzzling parable we look at two puzzles that require that we throw off the shackles of what is achievable; our second lesson is 'accept the impossible.

By this I of course mean that you should accept that the circumstances in the puzzle are impossible to reach by usual means, and start working on the unusual.

Deciding What's Important

Puzzling Parables
Part One

In this festive series I aim to introduce you to Logic and Lateral Thinking puzzles by getting you to accept the three certainties of puzzling. I have written a little story about each of these truths and I call them the Puzzling Parables.