Games Magazine Presents Paint by Numbers (The Unique Geometric Logic Puzzles for Ages 14 to Adult) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Tetsuya Nishio (Author), Games Magazine (Author), Puzzler Magazine (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 1994

Paint by Numbers is the most exciting new kind of puzzle to come along in many years. These "picture logic" puzzles already have a following of millions of devoted fans in Japan, where they were invented five years ago. And now Games, the magazine that introduced Paint by Numbers to the United States last year, proudly brings you an English-language version of the Japanese book that started the craze.

The concept is brilliantly simple. You start with an empty grid; numbers above and to the side tell you how many squares in each row and column should be filled in. The trick is that the numbers don't tell you which squares to fill in -- that's for you to determine through logical reasoning and by working back and forth between the rows and columns. When you complete the puzzle correctly, you'll find you've made a picture!

Complete instructions and some time-saving tips are included at the front of this book, along with 123 puzzles ranging from easy to very challenging. This book will give every puzzle fan many satisfying hours of entertainment.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

These artistic logic puzzles took Japan by storm when first introduced by Nishio. And when Games Magazine offered them to international audiences, the response was overwhelming. Now the folks at Games present the U.S. edition of this collection by Japan's top Paint by Numbers pioneers. All 123 ingenious puzzles, from the simple to the complex are included, along with Nishio's solving tips, introductions to the constructors, and your invitation to create your own puzzles for future editions. Warning! These puzzles are madly habit-forming. But they're wonderfully satisfying for those of us who can think far better than we can draw.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games; large type edition edition (September 6, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812923847
• ISBN-13: 978-0812923841
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Beginners or Expert Puzzlers, February 14, 2004

By 

MZ (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Games Magazine Presents Paint by Numbers (The Unique Geometric Logic Puzzles for Ages 14 to Adult) (Paperback)

Even though, I am a word puzzle lover by nature, there are a number of reasons why Paint by Numbers are my favorite puzzles:

1. Great for all ages. And these puzzles are great for improving your logic skills.

2. Language independent. Anybody from anywhere around the world can complete these puzzles.

3. They turn into a picture. This is a big factor. Unlike a crossword, where you feel satisfied for having solved it but done is done, each Paint by Numbers puzzle turns into a picture. It could be an animal, a person, or an entire scene. This book contains a little of everything, in fact.

This book of puzzles is great because there are many puzzles to keep you satisfied. A person who has never done a Paint by Numbers puzzle before can look at the diagrams to see how it's done (or read the instructions and tips provided in the book) and start immediately with an easy puzzle. The best part is, as the puzzles get bigger and more challenging, the pictures get better and better. There are some incredible pictures to be completed, and to me, they are art when they are done.

I recommend this book to anyone of any age. If you buy this book as a gift, a great present to accompany the book would be a mechanical pencil with a good, soft lead and a nice eraser.

Before you buy this book, you can take a look at this type of puzzle. One great website is that of Conceptis Puzzles at www.conceptispuzzles.com. Conceptis creates many of the picture-forming logic puzzles contained in Games Magazine, and at their website, you can download a few free weekly puzzles or play them online. (They are called Pic-a-Pix puzzles at the Conceptis website.)

After you've visited this website, I'm sure you'll be as addicted as I am. I have owned this particular book of Paint by Numbers for about three years now, and have shown it to quite a few people. They in turn are now as addicted as I am! Really, this is a great collection of puzzles, and I suggest you give them a try. Have fun!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but a little too easy, November 29, 2002

By 

Nancy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Games Magazine Presents Paint by Numbers (The Unique Geometric Logic Puzzles for Ages 14 to Adult) (Paperback)

This book is a great introduction to Pixel puzzles. If you like math and logic puzzles, you'll probably like these too. They are fun and most of the puzzles can be completed fairly quickly. If you're ready for more of a challenge, I recommend Mind Sharpening Pixel Puzzles or Perplexing Pixel Puzzles. To give you an idea of the difference, you could probably complete the entire Paint by Numbers book in the time it would take you to complete one of the more challenging puzzles in the Perplexing Pixel Puzzles book. The pictures in the pixel books are much more intricate and interesting too.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book - and I've found more!!!!!, October 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Games Magazine Presents Paint by Numbers (The Unique Geometric Logic Puzzles for Ages 14 to Adult) (Paperback)

I, too, was first introduced to these puzzles through Games Magazine, and think they are great! I've done this book, and didn't mind the kanji and unfamiliar cartoon characters, because it increases the challenge if you can't guess what you are drawing. Although I try and ration the puzzles in my Games World of Puzzles magazines, they eventually are all solved, and I anxiously await new puzzles.

Enter the internet - there is a fabulous web site...with a large archive of puzzles to do online, with more being added every week or two. Sizes range from 15x15 to 40x40. You can choose this site in English or Japanese and it took me almost a year to do all the puzzles there. In reading the bulletin board comments there, I discovered these puzzles were also called nonograms and griddlers in the UK. They are published in the Sunday Telegraph and there are books of these available, 4 calling them nonograms, and 3 so far calling them griddlers (they had to change the name for legal reasons)....