Let’s be honest here; programming isn’t just similar to solving logic puzzles. It is a practice of solving logic puzzles.
Be it crosswords, hanjie, or Sudoku, one uses their brain to find the most efficient solution to the problem and may even redo a few steps or the entire thing to come to a correct conclusion. Applying one’s logical skills to a visual platform is the appeal that programmers enjoy while playing logic puzzles.
What else? Here are five good reasons why programmers love to play logic puzzles:
#1. These are fun
Solving logical puzzles is undoubtedly a fun activity. Take a hanjie puzzle, for instance, where the grid is your playground. The rows and columns narrow your field. The numerical clues outside the grid form the rules for you to work upon. You start painting each square step by step, through logic and not luck. Once you come to a conclusion, a hidden image reveals. If you’re a programmer, you will find the scenario quite familiar, which is the fun part. Solving something so relatable makes things enjoyable.
#2. Help enhance logical skills
Every puzzle seems like a fun programming challenge for computer experts. This helps them sharpen their skills and gameplay no matter what the game throws at them. One isn’t merely going about the same level time and again. The patterns are different, and so are the solutions. Such variable circumstances are what makes programming and puzzling so entertaining. You develop new and innovative ways of thinking and understanding the world of problems.
#3. Introduce creativity
Most puzzles come with a relatively simple set of rules. The players are supposed to figure out the solutions right from scratch based on the provided directions. This requires mental labor and also presents a level of creativity to optimize the overall experience.
#4. The process matters
Programming and puzzling aren’t just about reaching the final answer. They are essentially about the process. You might start sweating while you’re in the middle of a puzzle. But when one gets into recognizing patterns and paying attention to details, they’re better able to reach conclusions. If you fumble in between, it’s hard to effectively and swiftly solve the problem – so much like programming.
#5. Betters problem-solving
When programmers get stuck at a level, they don’t abandon all their efforts. They try to get better at it one step at a time. They understand their abilities, evaluate what the level is asking for, and don’t assume that the most visible moves are safe. One allows themself to experiment with different strategies to progress towards the goal. Problem-solving is essentially the same, regardless of whether one is solving a puzzle or coding a program. Getting better at it is what puzzling teaches us.
So that’s about it!
Try a logic puzzle yourself and experience why programmers love them!