12 Best mental exercises
A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity. In a puzzle, one is required to put pieces together, in a logical way, in order to arrive at the correct solution of the puzzle. There are different types of puzzles for different ages.
Puzzles are often devised as a form of entertainment but they can also arise from serious mathematical or logistical problems. In such cases, their solution may be a significant contribution to mathematical research.
Solutions of puzzles often require the recognition of patterns and the creation of a particular kind of order. People with a high level of inductive reasoning aptitude may be better at solving such puzzles than others. But puzzles based upon inquiry and discovery may be solved more easily by those with good deduction skills. Deductive reasoning improves with practice.
Some notable creators of puzzles are Sam Loyd, Henry Dudeney, Boris Kordemsky and, more recently, David J. Bodycombe, Will Shortz, Lloyd King, and Martin Gardner. (Wikipedia: Puzzle)