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A New Kind of Word Search Puzzle

Wicked Brain Benders

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Word search puzzles are traditionally a passive time killer, but with Pretty Wicked Word Search Puzzles, East Greenwich graphic designer Brian Wu proves that they don’t have to be. Imagine overlapping blocks of letters each in a different color or mismatched fonts. A few puzzles don’t even use words, but colors, symbols and geographic shapes.

“I’m a graphic designer; I typically don’t accept defaults,” says Brian, who questioned how to change the look of a word search puzzle while making one for his kid’s kindergarten class. “Why are all of the letters upright and what would be the purpose of not having the letters upright?”

Working with friend and fellow graphic designer Jan Uretsky, Brian has created 22 puzzles that each come with a unique set of rules. One, called Terra Cognita, replaces letters with the outlines of different countries and the clues challenge your knowledge of history and geography. Another requires you to actually cut and fold the page at various angles to find the hidden words. “It’s a different way of forcing you to think,” says Brian.

The puzzles are mind-meltingly satisfying, especially coming off of a summer of a zombie-like addiction to Pokemon Go. The oversized pages make Pretty Wicked Word Search Puzzles ideal for playing with friends, which is perfect because you’re going to need all the help you can get.

word search, pretty wicked puzzles, east greenwich, brian wu, jan uretsky, graphic design, puzzles

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