{"id":34047,"date":"2025-07-30T18:33:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T18:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/34047\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T18:33:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T18:33:13","slug":"the-8-best-puzzle-and-brain-teaser-books-for-adults-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/34047\/","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Best Puzzle and Brain Teaser Books for Adults in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s Legos, puzzles, or board games<\/a>, I love low-key activities that deliver a dopamine hit and require little physical effort. Puzzle books are just that \u2014 they\u2019re a great way to entertain and challenge yourself without relying on an app or a screen, whether you\u2019re at home, commuting or at the beach<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for a brain teaser to keep handy, I\u2019ve rounded up some of our favorites below, including classic games like crosswords and sudokus, along with true crime, mindfulness and lifestyle-themed picks.<\/p>\n

How I picked the best puzzle books<\/a><\/p>\n

My list below includes four different types of puzzle books:<\/p>\n

Visual: Think drawing and illustrations, including mazes, seek-and-finds, hidden pictures, spot-the-differences and more.Word: Word puzzle books include classic linguistic brain teasers, such as crosswords, word scrambles, word searches and more.Logic: Logic puzzles usually have straightforward rules that use deduction rather than guesswork, and include sudoku, decryption games, Nurikabe and more.Variety: These books include a mixture of games and puzzles across the other three categories.<\/p>\n

I also included puzzle books of varying difficulty levels, including easy puzzles (best for beginners), medium puzzles (trickier than easy but still doable after a bit of practice) and hard puzzles (which are puzzles that even enthusiasts may find challenging).<\/p>\n

Want more from NBC Select? Sign up<\/a> for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.<\/p>\n

The best puzzle books in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

This list includes top-rated options and recommendations from NBC Select staff.<\/p>\n

Best overall<\/a>\"Murdle:<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: variety\u00a0| Pages: 384\u00a0| Difficulty Level: varying (easy, medium, and hard)<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Lots of puzzlesAffordableSmall size<\/p>\n

Everyone loves the charm of classic puzzles like sudokus and word searches, however, true crime fans in particular will love the twists and turns of Murdle\u2019s puzzles. The book includes 100 original murder mystery puzzles consisting of maps, drawings, codes and more to assist you in rooting out each game\u2019s guilty murderer. The puzzles steadily increase in difficulty, and the book is part of a series of deduction-based Murdle puzzle books, including the college-themed Murdle: The School of Mystery<\/a> and a Murdle Jr.<\/a> series for kids.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s pick<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: word\u00a0| Pages: 64\u00a0| Difficulty Level: easy<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Easy puzzlesLarge sizeSpiral binding<\/p>\n

Something to note<\/p>\n

Only one difficulty level<\/p>\n

NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez<\/a> isn\u2019t a fan of difficult crossword puzzles, which is why she loves this compilation of easy ones from The New York Times. It includes 50 of the Times\u2019 Monday crosswords, the easiest of the week, making this a great option for beginners and experts alike. If your eyesight isn\u2019t the best, this book has an easy-to-read large print. Plus, its covered spiral binding can easily lay flat, which makes it easier to turn pages and solve puzzles on the move, according to the brand.<\/p>\n

Best visual puzzle book<\/a>\"Houseplants<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: visual\u00a0| Pages: 48\u00a0| Difficulty Level: easy to medium<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Unique visualsGreat for adultsEasy to play<\/p>\n

When I was a kid, I loved puzzle books like I Spy<\/a> and Where\u2019s Waldo<\/a>, which is what drew me to this adult-friendly seek-and-find option. It includes weekend scenes, such as brunching with loved ones and shopping for plants<\/a>, with tricky challenges for spotting objects and people on each page, according to the brand. Each puzzle includes a list of ten items to find, along with detailed, double-page illustrations in which they\u2019re hidden.<\/p>\n

Best crossword<\/a>\"Simon<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: word\u00a0| Pages: 336\u00a0| Difficulty Level: varying (easy, medium, and hard)<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Perforated pagesRanges of difficultiesLots of puzzles<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a more diverse crossword puzzle book option, this compilation may be right up your alley. It features 300 brand-new crossword puzzles of varying difficulty levels from Simon & Schuster, the publishers of the first-ever collection of crossword puzzles, according to the brand. Although the book itself is large, the pages are perforated, so you can tear out puzzles to solve individually or while on the go, according to the brand.<\/p>\n

Best relaxing puzzles<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: variety\u00a0| Pages: 192\u00a0| Difficulty Level: easy to medium<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Relaxing puzzlesMore playful games<\/p>\n

I love using puzzles as a way to unwind in my free time, and this puzzle book is designed to help you relax while still keeping your mind stimulated. Each puzzle in the book is selected especially because of their equal level of challenge and reward, which helps activate the mood-boosting endorphins in your brain to help you combat stress, according to the brand. It has a range of games, including standard puzzles like crosswords and word searches, along with more playful activities like mazes, spot-the-difference games, and even a few coloring pages, according to the brand. This book is also the first in a series of several Mindfulness Puzzle Books, including an e-book version.<\/p>\n

Best variety book<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: variety\u00a0| Variety: 212\u00a0| Difficulty Level: medium to hard<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Unique puzzlesColorful illustrations<\/p>\n

This puzzle book originates from an online \u201csecret society of solvers\u201d headed by M, who would post puzzles called Theorems online every week at midnight. This book is a compilation of M\u2019s classic Theorems, along with new ones consisting of encrypted messages, ciphers, brain-teasers and more, according to the brand. Each puzzle consists of an opening message, which contains clues and subtle directions, and a full-color illustration.<\/p>\n

Best sudoku<\/a>\"Brain<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: logic\u00a0| Pages: 256\u00a0| Difficulty Level: varying (easy, medium, and hard)<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Range of difficultiesEasy to understandLots of puzzles<\/p>\n

Sudoku is one of my favorite kinds of puzzles \u2014 it\u2019s a number puzzle that involves filling in rows, columns and boxes with numbers from 1-9. The rules are also universal and unchanging. This book has over 200 puzzles across five difficulty levels, including easy, medium, hard, difficult and expert, according to the brand. It also has a spiral spine, which you can lay flat when solving on the go.<\/p>\n

Best word search<\/a>\"Big<\/a><\/p>\n

Type: word\u00a0| Pages: 114\u00a0| Difficulty Level: easy to medium<\/p>\n

What we like<\/p>\n

Lots of puzzlesLarge printThemed searches<\/p>\n

Word searches are another classic puzzle type, which differ from crosswords in their lack of clues and straightforward solving. This book has 100 puzzles with themes specific to the year 2025, according to the brand. The puzzles are each individually made by a writer, rather than computer generated, and use over 4,000 more words than previous editions. The word searches are in large print, so they\u2019re easy to read for all ages and abilities, and each word search includes complete answers at the back of the book, according to the brand.<\/p>\n

Why trust NBC Select?<\/a><\/p>\n

Ashley Morris<\/a> is an associate SEO reporter at NBC Select and a perpetual hobbyist who\u2019s written stories on the best puzzles for adults<\/a> and the best beach vacation essentials. For this story, she researched highly-rated puzzle books across categories, and consulted NBC Select staffers for their puzzle book recommendations.<\/p>\n

Catch up on NBC Select\u2019s in-depth coverage of tech and tools<\/a>, wellness<\/a> and more, and follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and TikTok<\/a> to stay up to date.<\/p>\n