Puzzles with Multiple Solutions
Schools have a bad habit of teaching that there can be only one "right answer." This is only sometimes true. In the real world, many problems have more than one possible solution; people can hold different stances in a debate and all have valid points; and so forth.
Some puzzles also have multiple solutions. This is often considered a flaw, but in context of stretching one's mind, it is an asset: Can you find all of the solutions? Are they similar or different? Are some of them more effective, efficient, or aesthetic than the others? This teaches us to look beyond the obvious and to consider all possibilities. Here are some resources for exploring puzzles with multiple solutions:
Multiple puzzle solutions in Sudoku
Sudoko generator (single or multiple solutions)
Adding multiple solutions to puzzles (regarding Her Interactive Games)
The Return of Dr. Sloth -- Puzzle Solutions
Blast Miner game
Puzzles (lists several games that offer puzzles with multiple solutions)
Crazy Machines 2
Of course, another way to expand your problem-solving skills is to take up roleplaying. There are roleplaying games with fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, mundane, and many other genre flavors. You and your friends play characters with certain skills and equipment, with some kind of goal(s), and a game master throws challenges, obstacles, and enemies in your way. Solve them any way you like. You will learn to think of all sorts of weird and sometimes desperate solutions to dire circumstances (often bereft of some or all of your gear). Some good roleplaying games include:
World Tree (high fantasy with anthropomorphic characters whose world is, yes, a giant tree; see also Sythyry's Vacation)
d20 Modern (adaptable to mundane, espionage, mystery, or other real-world-esque genres)
Many of the Atomic Sock Monkey games, particularly:
* Dead Inside (fantasy noir, about rebuilding your lost or destroyed soul)
* Truth & Justice (superheroes, with several styles matching various periods in comic-book history)
* Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies (high to low fantasy, any subgenre of swashbuckling such as pirates, court intrigue, etc.)
What are some of your favorite puzzles, games, or other activities that involve multiple solutions?
Some puzzles also have multiple solutions. This is often considered a flaw, but in context of stretching one's mind, it is an asset: Can you find all of the solutions? Are they similar or different? Are some of them more effective, efficient, or aesthetic than the others? This teaches us to look beyond the obvious and to consider all possibilities. Here are some resources for exploring puzzles with multiple solutions:
Multiple puzzle solutions in Sudoku
Sudoko generator (single or multiple solutions)
Adding multiple solutions to puzzles (regarding Her Interactive Games)
The Return of Dr. Sloth -- Puzzle Solutions
Blast Miner game
Puzzles (lists several games that offer puzzles with multiple solutions)
Crazy Machines 2
Of course, another way to expand your problem-solving skills is to take up roleplaying. There are roleplaying games with fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, mundane, and many other genre flavors. You and your friends play characters with certain skills and equipment, with some kind of goal(s), and a game master throws challenges, obstacles, and enemies in your way. Solve them any way you like. You will learn to think of all sorts of weird and sometimes desperate solutions to dire circumstances (often bereft of some or all of your gear). Some good roleplaying games include:
World Tree (high fantasy with anthropomorphic characters whose world is, yes, a giant tree; see also Sythyry's Vacation)
d20 Modern (adaptable to mundane, espionage, mystery, or other real-world-esque genres)
Many of the Atomic Sock Monkey games, particularly:
* Dead Inside (fantasy noir, about rebuilding your lost or destroyed soul)
* Truth & Justice (superheroes, with several styles matching various periods in comic-book history)
* Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies (high to low fantasy, any subgenre of swashbuckling such as pirates, court intrigue, etc.)
What are some of your favorite puzzles, games, or other activities that involve multiple solutions?