Daily word · 7 min read
Free brain games you can play online (and what each one exercises)
A guide to free brain games online — word, logic, pattern, memory and number puzzles — what each kind asks of you, and where to play one now.
The blog
How to get better at the games, and how to take a better break. Every article ends in something you can play — read for two minutes, then go and try it.
Finding a good game
Echo · 5 min read
5-minute brain break games: quick puzzles you can actually finish
What makes a good brain break, and which quick games fit into five minutes — sorted by how long they take, with tips for stopping when you mean to.
Echo · 6 min read
Games to play when bored: quick picks that beat another scroll
Free browser games to play when bored, sorted by how much time and energy you have — no download, no account, and every one has an ending.
Word search · 6 min read
Relaxing games for a mental break: calm puzzles and how to play them
Which puzzles are calm and which are tense, plus simple ways to play any game more gently — sound off, no clock, small boards and a clean finish.
Echo · 6 min read
Games to play on a work break: quiet, quick and easy to put down
Quick, quiet games to play at work: which puzzle suits a two, five or ten-minute break, how to play discreetly, and how to get back to work after.
Sudoku · 7 min read
Logic games that make you think: what each puzzle asks of you
Sudoku, minesweeper, nonograms and more: the logic games worth playing online, the kind of reasoning each one uses, and which to start with.
Quartets · 5 min read
13 brain teasers with answers (logic, numbers, words and riddles)
Thirteen brain teasers for adults — logic, number, word puzzles and riddles — each with a hidden answer and a clear explanation of the trick.
Daily word · 5 min read
Why daily puzzles work — and how ours are made to be shared
Why one shared puzzle a day is so satisfying, and how BrainBreak’s daily puzzles work: new at local midnight, same for everyone, spoiler-safe to share.
Echo · 6 min read
Memory games online: sequence, pairs and recall games for adults
The main types of memory game — sequence, pairs, n-back and recall — how Echo, our free sequence memory game, works, and tips for getting further.
Daily word · 7 min read
Word games for adults: five kinds worth playing, and what each one teaches
Guessing, grouping, search, crosswords and anagrams — the five kinds of word games for adults, what each asks of you, and how to learn a new word a day.
Strategy guides
Daily word · 7 min read
The best starting words for a five-letter word game (and what to do next)
Strong five-letter openers like RAISE, CRATE and SLATE, why they work, and the second-guess, repeated-letter and hard-mode tips that win more games.
Quartets · 6 min read
How to solve connections puzzles: tips for word-grouping games
Practical tips for connections-style word-grouping puzzles: spotting red herrings, reading words as words, using mistakes well — with Quartets as the example.
Word search · 6 min read
Word search tips: how to find every word faster
Practical word search tips — rare letters, the eight-neighbour check, double letters and backwards words — plus free daily word search puzzles to try them on.
Sudoku · 7 min read
How to solve sudoku: tips and techniques for beginners
How to solve sudoku without guessing: scanning, hidden and naked singles, pencil marks, naked pairs and pointing pairs, explained step by step.
Minesweeper · 7 min read
Minesweeper strategy: the patterns that solve most of the board
How to play minesweeper without guessing: what the numbers mean, flagging, chording, and the 1-1, 1-2, 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 patterns with diagrams.
Nonogram · 6 min read
How to solve nonograms: the overlap technique and other tips
Learn to solve nonograms (Picross, Griddlers) step by step: the overlap technique with a worked example, edges, big clues and crossing out.
2048 · 6 min read
2048 strategy: how to reach the 2048 tile (and keep going)
The corner strategy for 2048, explained step by step — plus the common mistakes that end most games and what to do when the board fills up.