It seems one of the new fads is puzzle competitions. A local bar just held one where teams were given the same puzzle to solve within two hours — after only having one minute to look at the picture on the box. There are now year-round leagues with teams and wait lists. Multiple libraries have also done puzzle competitions as fundraisers, allowing people of all ages to participate.
I think of puzzling as a slow, casual activity to be done without stress as a way to pass long winter days. For me, it’s certainly not a race, and I frequently look at the box to help in completing my task.
I wonder if puzzle competitions are an outgrowth of youth sports, where it was a competition instead of “play for play’s sake.” Or, maybe gamification has taken over leisure as well, where people are not interested if there is no trophy at the conclusion.
One thing is clear: almost everything can be made into a competition. Perhaps your organization should compete to see how you can turn your service into a contest to engage your audience. The dot-liking challenge, maybe?
