Games World of Puzzles February 2021

Welcome to the February issue of GAMES WORLD OF PUZZLES!
It’s been an eventful couple of months leading up to press time. The lingering pandemic, plus a contentious presidential election, dominated the news. Then, just about 24 hours after the AP called the race in Joe Biden’s favor, we learned that Alex Trebek, the beloved longtime host of Jeopardy!, had passed away. The loss of Trebek, who fought pancreatic cancer while continuing to host the show, had a tremendous impact on both loyal viewers and the larger world of games and puzzles. To learn more about Trebek and his illustrious life, turn to page 33 to read our tribute to him, written by editor Raymond Simon.
As many of you know, Trebek hailed from Canada, as does Andrew Parr, our “unofficial historian” and the author of this month’s feature article, “I Have an Idea” (page 34). In this piece, Parr introduces us to Grandpa’s Gramophone, a puzzle box that, once solved, reveals a delightful secret. Grandpa’s Gramophone is Parr’s entry in the Lego Ideas program, which allows users to submit designs that may eventually be commercially produced—if they garner enough support. Parr describes the Lego Ideas program and asks for your help in gathering enough votes for his idea to advance to the next stage of the Lego Ideas program. Voting is easy—we encourage you to help him accomplish his goal!
Moving on, you’ll find “Eyeball Benders” (page 40), a perennial favorite that challenges solvers to identify familiar objects from their close-up views. Fans of crossword variants will want to try their hand at Bob Morris’s “Celtic Knot” contest (page 44). And in “This Old Game “(page 48), Jonathan Schmalzbach writes about Remote Control Driving Test, a charming game set in small-town England in the 1950s.
Finally, a note to puzzlers: One of our old favorites has a new name! If you turn to page 16, you’ll find that “Solitaire Hangman” has been rebranded as “Boxing Match.” The puzzle works the same exact way, minus the drawing of the stick figure on the gallows. Reader input helped nudge us toward making this positive change. In recent months, several readers pointed out that the connotations of the title and accompanying image were simply too dark. And we agree. So, word puzzle lovers, we hope you enjoy “Boxing Match,” as well as Don Henderson’s “Quint-Essential” (page 30) and Patrick Berry’s “Some Assembly Required” (page 64). Those who prefer logic and math will have plenty to do, including “End View” by Michael Rios (page 29) and “Strimko” by the Grabarchuk Family (page 54).
As always, stay safe and healthy. Happy puzzling!