Online Word Games

Hangman is a simple spelling game in which participants try to build a scaffold and execute an evil villain. Not exactly politically correct these days, but the game remains as popular as ever.

Forget reality TV: this must have been gripping to witness.

Dating back to Victorian times, it makes sense that a game such as this would have developed out of a society where executions were a public spectacle. No more violent than The Itchy & Scratchy Show, yet somehow equally compelling in its appeal to our voyeuristic tendencies.

The game is a relic of the 19th century, when criminals received the ultimate penalty for committing the ultimate crime. It’s used nowadays to make learning words fun and to help people get to grips with a new language.

Hangman can be played in a variety of different ways. The purpose of the game is to guess a word by inserting letters into a series of blanks. With each incorrect guess, a new piece of the ‘hangman’ picture is drawn. The game is over when either the word has been guessed or the drawing is complete.

In some versions of the game the gallows is built first, while in others the drawing doesn’t start until the first guess has been made. This latter variety is particularly useful with longer or more difficult words. Once the platform is erected, the next phase includes drawing the hanging man, including the head, torso, and each of the arms and legs.

The precise origins of the game are unclear, although it is mentioned in the 1894 book by Alice Bertha Gomme entitled Birds, Beasts and Fishes.

Being a hangman was not a job for the faint-hearted. Nor was it a particularly popular way to make a living. Often hangmen or their assistants were refused entry into public buildings on grounds of taste and decency. Yet the same people who denied them access would be the first in the queue to watch them carry out their despicable but indispensable deeds.

But before you jump on your high horse and revel in the fact that things are so much more civilised these days, remember this. The last executions in Britain took place on August 13, 1964 at exactly 8 am local time. So have we really come very far?

The writer Charles Dickens was among many Victorians who petitioned to have hanging abolished. It took time for the practice to disappear, thanks in no small part to the entertainment value it provided. In an era when there were no televisions or iPods it must have been a relief to have something to do, and something free, at that.

And you can imagine the more infamous murderers drawing enormous crowds. One such occasion helped to bring the phrase ‘money for old rope’ into the English language.

It was the execution of the notorious British surgeon William Palmer, accused of murdering his younger betting companion, John Parsons Cook. His rope was made an extra 30 yards longer than normal, and for many years after the executioner George Smith was still selling off pieces of the ‘rope that hanged Palmer’.

Mel McIntyre is a freelance writer and author whose work includes articles, e-books, courses and children’s books both on and offline. To find out more visit his site at http://topcopyguy.blogspot.com/

Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle with an aim to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each cell of a 9X9 grid. Although the first sudoku puzzle was published in the U.S., it did not attain international popularity until 2005. Solving sudoku puzzles generally involves a combination of three processes. These include scanning, marking up and analyzing. Following is a brief guide to solving soduku.

1. Scanning: Scanning generally takes place not only at the outset but also throughout the solution and consists of two basic techniques. (a) cross-hatching involves scanning rows or columns to identify which line in a particular region may contain a certain numeral by a process of elimination. (b) counting 1-9 in regions, rows and columns to identify missing numerals. Counting based upon the last numeral discovered may speed up the search.

2. Marking Up: Once no further numerals can be discovered, sudoku players often find it necessary to mark potential numerals in blank cells. This can be done by actually writing in numerals or dots to represent potential numerals.

3. Analysis: Two main approaches to analysis include “candidate elimination” and “what if.” Candidate elimination; includes successively eliminating candidate numerals from one or more cells to leave just one choice. After each answer has been achieved, another scan may be performed, usually checking to see the effect of the contingencies. What if ; using the what if approach, a cell with only two candidate numerals is selected and a guess is made. The steps above are repeated unless a duplication is found or a cell is left with no possible candidate, in which case the alternative candidate is the solution.

Ideally, one needs to find a combination of techniques which avoids some of the drawbacks of the above elements. The counting of regions, rows and columns can feel boring. However, sudoku is a fun and engaging game that can sharpen the mind and keep one entertained for hours.

About The Author

Roxanne Manning has a blog dedicated to sudoku strategies and information. Sudoku strategies

Sudoku is a logical puzzle that is made into varying levels from beginners to black belts. The aim is to enter the numbers 1-9 into the grid of the puzzle. The grid consist of a 9×9 square and inside of the square are 9 3×3 squares.

The idea is to make the numbers match up in both the sub square as well as in the lines of the larger square. Clues are given so that there can be only one correct way for the player to fill in the puzzle.

If this sounds a little tricky, you are right. There is no easy way to explain Sudoku, as it is a very logical and puzzling game. Once the player has learned the game and the strategies used to solve the puzzle, it gets easier and easier.

History Of Sudoku

Modern day Sudoku puzzles were first created in 1979 in Indianapolis by a man named Howard Garns and gained popularity in Japan in the late 80s. Since then, the puzzles have become popular worldwide.

Solving Sudoku Puzzles

Sudoku Puzzles require strategy and solutions can be found by using three methods. These are called scanning, marking up and analyzing. Scanning is used at the beginning of the puzzle and through the whole process. It requires the player to use the process of elimination to find which numerals belong in each row and square.

Once no more numbers can be found through the process of elimination, the player then needs to use logic. The best way to use the logic process to your advantage is to write the logical answers beside the box, then, once all of the logical answers are written down, use the process of elimination to find out which numbers belong in which box.

By writing down possible answers, the process of elimination is far easier. Often, sudoku puzzles are very small. If this is the case, it is often a good idea to copy them onto a larger sheet to mark them up.

Analysis is the final approach to solving a Sudoku puzzle. This is the process of eliminating the numerals that were written in the mark up box, leaving only one solution to the square. While doing this, the player will need to keep scanning to make sure that the number in each box is correct. It is suggested that a sudoku puzzle be done with a pencil and eraser.

Sudoku has taken the world by storm quite simply because they are the ultimate brainteaser, providing a player hours of enjoyment while solving them. After the puzzle is completed correctly, there is nothing better then the sense of pride and achievement that is felt.

If you love the game of suduko, you will love our free online daily sudoku game at free online sudoku puzzle – Come On lets have fun!