Games World of Puzzles January 2021

“I’ll take ‘Magazines’ for $1,200, Alex.”
“Okay. The answer is: ‘The December 2020 issue of this publication features a diverse assortment of pencil puzzles, including original types found nowhere else. It also offers 16 pages of full-color articles, game reviews, a contest, and much more.’”
“What is GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES?”
“Correct! You are now in the lead with $32,000.”
Admit it: If you’re an avid puzzler, you’ve daydreamed about what it would be like to be a contestant on Jeopardy! Surely your wealth of knowledge accumulated over years of solving puzzles would make you a shoo-in to earn a spot on the show. Well, as it turns out, it’s a little more complicated than that. Our feature article this month, Andrew Parr’s “Now Entering the Studio…,” details the Jeopardy! experience from start to finish. Parr spoke with Becky Anderson, a GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES reader who was seen by millions of viewers as a contestant on Jeopardy! back in 2009. Turn to page 34 to read all about Anderson’s experience.
Next, flip ahead a few pages to learn more about a classic puzzle game in Joe Celko’s article “Tower of Hanoi” (page 40). This familiar game, invented by a 19th-century mathematician, is still going strong today and is of particular interest to computer programmers. Even if you’ve never written a program, give the puzzle at the end of the article a try. You might surprise yourself!
By now, you should be ready to tackle the puzzle section. Trivia buffs will want to try out Don Kerr’s “21 for ’21” (page 33) and Joel Nanni’s “Trivia True-False” (page 30). If wordplay’s more your thing, be sure to try “WordLink Maze” (page 22), a unique challenge by Neil Bloomfield, and “Gridiron Moneyball” (page 62), a clever variety cryptic by Bob Stigger.
If you enjoy logic and math, a plethora of choices awaits you: Margery Albis’s “Mine Finder” (page 29) and Ryan Langewisch’s “Vectrix” (page 64) are just a couple of the many puzzles you’ll enjoy. If you’re up for a true challenge, try “Places, Everybody” (page 54) by Emily Winslow. This fiendishly complicated wedding-themed logic puzzle will make your head spin!
Now pick up your pencil: Ready, set, go!