What do puzzles do to the brain?

Ever get stuck on a puzzle, staring at the grid or the pieces, thinking it'll never click? Then suddenly – bam – that aha! moment hits.

We’ve all felt it. That buzz isn't just satisfying. It's actually doing your brain a world of good. Puzzles give your mind a proper workout, sharpening skills you use in all parts of your life.

But why is it that puzzling is so powerful? BBC Bitesize spoke to Professor Graham Niblo from the University of Southampton, who works with puzzles and codebreaking and Mick Hodgkin, puzzles editor at The Times to find out.

Can puzzles boost your brainpower?

Your brain isn't set in stone. It can adapt when you push it. Professor Graham Niblo says, “the brain is not fixed, it is adaptable and responsive to challenge”.

Puzzles make that happen by forcing you into new situations. You don't know the answer straight away – that's the point. Prof Niblo explains it like this: puzzles make your brain flexible. They get you used to putting together different ideas, exploring connections, and using what you know in fresh ways. “It's about thinking flexibly in unfamiliar spots.”

He adds, “what puzzles do is help your brain learn to connect apparently unrelated things, which gives you a much better model of the world”. This means when something new pops up, you're not scared – you try linking it to stuff you already understand.

Are puzzles secretly giving your brain a workout?

Solving a puzzle keeps your brain busy the whole time. You spot details, remember clues, test ideas, and switch plans. Different puzzles target different skills.

Mick Hodgkin tells us the puzzles in The Times divide into word puzzles, number puzzles and logic puzzles, but often they are more than just one type. “For example, sudoku, a lot of people might regard that as a number puzzle… it's about the logic.” He explains that sudoku trains us to think in clear logical steps, not just in numbers.

Word puzzles are incredibly popular too, as the phenomenon that is Wordle has shown. “Word puzzles are obviously very good for expanding vocabulary,” Mick says. And cryptic crosswords? “They are good for your ability to decode and deconstruct a sentence… don't just read it and take the first surface meaning – what's the underlying meaning?”

Trying a mix of puzzles keeps your brain on its toes. Prof Niblo says every puzzle has its own style, so switching between them gives your mind a fuller workout than doing the same one over and over.

How do puzzles build real problem‑solving skills?

Real problem-solving isn't about getting it right instantly. It's about trying, messing up, learning, and carrying on. Puzzles let you practise that safely.

Prof Niblo says puzzles teach key real-life skills: “First of all, it's this business of learning to connect things that aren't necessarily obviously connected… secondly, it is learning to make do with what you've got… and thirdly, it's about patience and resilience.”

A tough puzzle won't solve itself quickly. “Some of the best puzzles can take a long time to crack… if the moment gets difficult, they give up… they won't break the problem,” Prof Niblo adds. You build resilience by coming back to it. That pays off in school or work projects, tricky jobs and situations, or even sorting arguments.

Mick tells us there has long been a link between puzzling and real-world thinking, pointing to code-breaking as a great example of this. By doing puzzles, Mick explains, you are working the same parts of your brain that help with coding, fixing things, or handling complicated situations.

How do puzzles help with learning?

We all need to be able to think actively – in school, in the workplace and beyond: hunting clues, guessing, and fixing errors. Puzzles train that, helping stuff stick better.

Logic puzzles strengthen reasoning for maths and science. Word ones boost vocab and reading. Visual ones help with diagrams or maps.

Prof Niblo runs codebreaking competitions for young people and told us the competitors get better over the years because they learn new techniques and mindsets through puzzling. Gradually, you learn to tackle harder stuff and build mental tools you can use throughout your life.

Puzzles help you stay focused

Phones ping, distractions everywhere. It's hard to concentrate sometimes.

Puzzles pull you in deep. Prof Niblo says a good puzzle demands attention because it's interesting. “They do it by the incentives. And if the puzzle’s interesting enough, it will draw you in… you learn to give that attention and to keep thinking about it.”

It's like a nice long walk that builds stamina for when you need to sprint. You practise focus in a fun way. That helps with homework or revision too – staying calm and locked in.

Mick adds puzzling can be relaxing: “Settling into a puzzle is very good. It's a kind of soothing, relaxing way to kind of escape from other things.”

Do puzzles make you smarter overall?

Sadly, puzzles won't make you a genius overnight. But they do give your brain a good workout.

Prof Niblo says: “They definitely can sharpen you… it sharpens your brain cells, keeps them active and focused.” For older people, regular puzzling helps retain mental sharpness. Prof Niblo thinks “if that's true of old people, it must be true of young people as well.”

Mick calls it “mental gymnastics”. Doing puzzles develops your brainpower. You might not notice day-to-day, but look back and – wow – you're handling tougher challenges.

Variety matters. Prof Niblo warns if you stick to the same type, you get good at that but less challenged. Switch it up for bigger benefits.

How should we bring puzzles into our everyday routine?

No need for hours. A couple of short attempts a few times a week work fine. Do them because they're fun.

Both experts love the social side. Prof Niblo does connect puzzles with his wife over tea or sudoku with his son. “Puzzles can be a really social activity… bouncing ideas off one another.”

Mick mentions competing with yourself – beat your personal best – or sharing with others. Find what you enjoy: crosswords, sudoku, logic games. On your morning commute, in your downtime – slip them in.

Your brain gets stronger, puzzle by puzzle

Puzzles are more than just time-fillers. They're a fun way to train flexibility, focus, resilience and problem-solving. Challenge yourself regularly and those skills start feeling easier everywhere – at school, with friends, in everyday life.

Next time you grab a puzzle at school or work, remember what Dr Graham Niblo and Mick Hodgkin told us: every new connection you make, every time you persist, your brain gets a bit sharper. Small steps really do add up.

Fancy trying some? Dr Graham recommends the National Cipher Challenge – a free school codebreaking competition every autumn with about 9,000 students. It starts easy and gets seriously tough. Winners are celebrated at Bletchley Park on March 4th this year, backed by GCHQ, Trinity College Cambridge and the University of Southampton.

Mick suggested their free daily online game Quizle – one question a day with up to four hints. See how few hints you need to crack it.

So why not start today? Head to Bitesize for sudoku, word searches and more. Pick one, have a go, and enjoy the little wins. Your brain will thank you.

This article was published in January 2026.