On the Random Word page you'll find a creativity technique specifically designed to help generate ideas and solve problems directly. But sometimes you want something different. A challenge to give your brain a workout and send it off on different paths. The puzzles on this page are designed to do that.

And just to give your brain a little workout, surprise yourself with the most remarkable optical illusion we've ever seen.

The traditional jigsaw hits the computer screen in a quick challenge to your visual and spatial skills. It appears that a move to the visual side of the brain can enhance creativity and improve out-of-the box thinking. Spending a couple of minutes on this free simple puzzle will help get you out of a rut. It doesn't even matter if you don't solve the puzzle - it's the exercise that counts.

Click on the button to download the puzzle (382K) to your PC. Windows 95 or later.

This verbal puzzle is reproduced with permission from Instant Brainpower by Brian Clegg (© 1999, all rights reserved)

A man stands in the centre of a large field. There four horses in the field, one at each corner - a bay horse, a chestnut horse, a white horse and a black horse. For reasons we needn't go into, the man has to kill his horses. If he must remain at the centre of the field, the horses stay at the four corners and he is a perfect shot, how can he make sure that none of his horses remain alive using only three bullets?

Don't go any further until you've attempted an answer. If you get one quickly, there are at least three solutions - try for another.

Click here for solutions.

A different style of visual puzzle - again a free download. A picture is split into blocks which are randomly distributed. Swap pairs of blocks to recreate the picture. As with the 'All cut up' puzzle the visual and spatial stimulation will help push your thinking down different avenues. It doesn't even matter if you don't solve the puzzle - it's the exercise that counts.

Click on the button to download the puzzle (365K) to your PC. Windows 95 or later.

Sometimes it help can help your creativity to generate your own puzzle. Spend a moment looking round the room you are in. Find the most interesting looking object you can see. Now imagine there was a dark secret behind this object - the sort of thing that would sit at the centre of a bizarre mystery novel. Note down a few of the special things about it that make it secret. Decide how you would keep its secret if an investigative reporter, a spy and a master criminal were out to get to it.

That's all there is to it. By engaging in creative thought, generating your own puzzling circumstances, you will have got yourself into a more creative frame of mind. 

Yet another visual puzzle - again a free download. It's the traditional 'missing piece' mosaic puzzle where you have to shift the empty space around to rearrange the blocks, in this case to make a picture. As with the other puzzles, the visual and spatial stimulation will help push your thinking down different avenues. It doesn't even matter if you don't get to the solution (you only have five minutes to make it) - it's the exercise that counts.

Click on the button to download the puzzle (495K) to your PC. Windows 95 or later.

Write a sum in words, with two numbers each side and all numbers less than twenty, such as:

 one plus three = two plus two

in such a way that the words on each side of the equals sign are anagrams of one another. You can represent the operators (plus, minus, times etc.) as a word or a symbol, provided the anagram still works).

We have one solution to this is in English and two in Spanish... but no doubt you can find more!

All free software is provided as is - we can accept no responsibility for outcome of using the software (including enhanced creativity).

Copyright © Creativity Unleashed Limited 2006
Last update 13 September 2006