Games World of Puzzles February 2022

Welcome to the February issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES. While most of us think of February as a dreary slog, there’s actually quite a bit going on: It’s Black History Month, and we also celebrate Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day along the way. And don’t forget Groundhog Day, which tells us whether or not we can expect an early spring.
Let’s start with Valentine’s Day. What better gift for your love than candy? Well, would you settle for a quiz about candy? “How Sweet It Is” (page 42) challenges you to match popular kinds of candy with their ingredients. Find out if you know what’s in your favorite sweets! And in a nod to both V-Day and Presidents’ Day, try Donald Kerr’s “Presidential Partners” (page 48), a test of your knowledge of U.S. past and present U.S. presidents and their spouses.
On a more serious note, Reuben Klamer, best known as the creator of The Game of Life, passed away in September. Longtime contributor Jonathan Schmalzbach fondly reminisces about his childhood memories of playing The Game of Life in his regular column, “This Old Game” (page 38). Schmalzbach examines the early version of the game that he grew up with and compares it to newer versions more familiar to today’s kids. The differences are telling; check out his piece for an interesting read. Be sure to follow that up by reading staff member Raymond Simon’s tribute to Klamer (page 37). This inventor’s fertile imagination kept kids amused for decades with all sorts of games and toys.
Speaking of games, Joe Celko’s “5×5 Games” (page 34) introduces some that may be new to you: O-Pat-Ko-No, Yonmoque, and Mixtour. What all of these games have in common is that they are played on 5×5 grids. They are fairly easy to learn, and the game boards and pieces are easy to make yourself. We encourage you to give them a try!
As always, our Pencilwise section is bursting at the seams with puzzles to keep you sharp. For those who enjoy math and logic, we recommend Michael Rios’s “End View” (page 49) and Erich Friedman’s “Dirty Dozen Balancing Act” (page 64). Movie buffs will want to try Stu Agler’s “NotFlix” (page 29). Finally, for word aficionados, there’s Raymond Young’s word search “Heart of Heart” (page 15) and Patrick Berry’s “Some Assembly Required” (page 54).
So, put on your thinking cap and dive right in!