You’ve heard it before, “The brain is a muscle, make sure to work it each day.” Endless academic articles and mind-numbing discussion posts don’t have to be your mind’s only workout. Games like Wordle make puzzles fun and even cool, in some cases. (Can you believe how much Wordle trends on Twitter? I can’t.)
Wordle might feel like a one-off rogue success story, but that’s far from the truth. Plenty of mini-games came before.
“I was on a big Wordle craze last year,” Ellie Orton, MU senior, said. “My friends and I started a group chat to share our daily attempts. It’s just a fun activity to do during your day.”
Below are Her Campus Mizzou’s top five sites that you can add to your morning routine to make you feel more productive.
This bite-sized crossword is perfect for those who struggle with extensive word games. There are six hints each day and this puzzle takes less than a minute to solve for most. The words usually relate to newsworthy events or trivia questions. For example, “How might you feel after meditating?” (four letters, C-A-L-M.)
“I’m obsessed with the New York Times Mini Crossword,” Emma Gampper, MU junior, said. “It’s become an integral part of my bus ride to campus every morning. I’m not a morning person and it really helps get my brain working before my 9 a.m. class.”
If words aren’t your thing then sudoku is the numbers game for you. Plenty of sites and workbooks have sudoku puzzles, but The Washington Post creates one sudoku puzzle every day that increases in difficulty as the week goes on. Start the sudoku on a Monday and you’ll be an expert by Sunday.
Word hunts are a classic time-passer and brain teaser. The Denver Post updates their word hunt religiously each morning and gives you fun themes, like astrology or celebrity hunts, to play on. But, fair warning, if you’re not good with syllables you might have some trouble locating the right word. The Denver Post isn’t against adding some close-to-real words just to throw you off.
Do you know what anagrams are? The New York Times wants to challenge you to make as many words as possible using the letters of just one original word. For example, the word ‘catastrophe’ contains the words ‘cat,’ ‘attach,’ and more. Could you figure out every word? Probably not. There are over 500 words you can make using just ‘catastrophe.’ But, don’t worry, The New York Times makes it simpler for you and your morning brain fog.
Alright, maybe words and numbers don’t do it for you – don’t worry, USA Today has you covered. Every day they post six jigsaw puzzle options for users to try. After selecting your picture puzzle, you get to choose the difficulty level, as well. This is a more personalized daily experience and acts as an online alternative to a physical puzzle you might see your grandparents doing on their dining room table.
Girlbossing shouldn’t be underestimated as an easy task, but upping your IQ with these games can make it feel that way. Go get on the grind and share your scores with your group chat.