What is word search games and why should you play them?

I've enjoyed playing Word Searches for many years. It would take me hours to hunt down the elusive words on the puzzle's list, sitting on the couch, in bed, or sometimes even at the kitchen table. In those days, I did not give much thought to Word Search's how and why. I didn't see its objective or purpose as important. For me, all that mattered was that I'd have hours of quiet enjoyment.

What is word search games and why should you play them?

Recently, I was asked about the purpose and actual object of the puzzle and thought it was worth thinking about. The general meaning, objective, purpose, as well as benefits of Word search games, were explained to me.

• Searching for words: What it's all about!

How does a Word Search work? How does it appeal to you? I find it somewhat ritualistic to perform a Word Search every once in a while. But how is it ritualized?

Finding a comfortable spot is the first step. Puzzle, pencil, and quietness are all in your possession. During the time it takes to complete the task, you make yourself comfortable and fully dedicate yourself to it. That, in my opinion, is the essence of a Word Search puzzle. It is about getting lost in the words and disconnecting from the outside world. Having a massage is about relaxing and unwinding while expanding my mind. My parents used to call this behaviour "being in the Word Search zone" when I was a kid, and they were right!

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• Word searches have an objective. What is it?

Let's take a look at the ultimate goal of the Word Search puzzle. I mentioned earlier that the objective of Word Search is to find a list of words hidden on a grid of letters. Upon first glance, the grid appears to be made up of random letters, but if you look closely, you will notice that certain words nestle in between them. It seems that as you do more Word Searches, it becomes easier to find hidden words.

The goal of the game is to find all the words on the list supplied with the grid by consulting the list of words. A theme is usually assigned to the puzzle, and the words on the list typically correspond to that theme. In order to circle the words on the grid, puzzlers must study the grid and use various strategies.

The strategies aren't complicated; in fact, they're quite straightforward. As a strategy, one can examine each row horizontally and vertically one by one. A second strategy is to locate words on the grid and then locate them on the list (working in reverse order). The circled words must be crossed off from the list once they have been circled on the grid.

As with any Word Search, however, the objective is different when there is a mystery involved. In place of a list of words, the puzzler searches for hidden words in the grid that pertain to the theme of the Word Search. In this type of Word Search, instead of finding words that are listed, the objective is to find words that are hidden.