BBC MindGames Magazine
Encyclopedia
BBC MindGames was a British
magazine
devoted to puzzles, brainteasers and articles concerning the mind. It was published every four weeks. Its name was taken from the BBC Four
show, Mind Games.
The magazine was launched in 2006 by Cam Winstanley, who edited the first three issues. From issue four (September 2006), Cavan Scott
took over the editorship, bringing in more variety and a broader, less haughty tone. In common with other magazines in the BBC Worldwide
stable, it has a glossy cover, extensive features and interviews, and a witty tone. Issue 9, published on 30 January 2007, was the last issue. A feature called Mind Games, including a similar selection of puzzles, now appears in BBC Focus
magazine.
. These usually lead to a coded message or word for the reader to discover. Issue 1 included a hidden URL
for a web site concealed in an Acrostic style
form.
The spine of the magazine includes an anagram of the current issue in some form or another. For example:
1. Omen Disguises Name = MindGames Issue One
2. Men Do Disseminating Code = MindGames Second Edition
3. I Sleep with Imagery Unto Madness = MindGames Issue four - Play to Win!
Other easter eggs have included using dice printed on each page indicating the number of eyes visible on that page's spread, having differences between images of the front cover and the actual front cover, and hiding related words within articles.
In addition, the regular logic puzzles were based around current BBC programmes. Past puzzles have included Torchwood
, Spooks
and EastEnders
.
Some issues featured a game to seek out a picture of a BBC personality hidden in the pages. These included EastEnders
character, Phil Mitchell
, and TV/radio presenter, Terry Wogan
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
devoted to puzzles, brainteasers and articles concerning the mind. It was published every four weeks. Its name was taken from the BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
show, Mind Games.
The magazine was launched in 2006 by Cam Winstanley, who edited the first three issues. From issue four (September 2006), Cavan Scott
Cavan Scott
Cavan Scott is a freelance author, journalist and editor best known for his work on a variety of spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who...
took over the editorship, bringing in more variety and a broader, less haughty tone. In common with other magazines in the BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
stable, it has a glossy cover, extensive features and interviews, and a witty tone. Issue 9, published on 30 January 2007, was the last issue. A feature called Mind Games, including a similar selection of puzzles, now appears in BBC Focus
BBC Focus
BBC Focus is a British monthly magazine about science and technology published in Bristol, UK by Bristol Magazines Ltd, a BBC Worldwide company. Edited by Jheni Osman, it covers all aspects of science and technology and is written for general readers as well as people with a knowledge of science...
magazine.
Regular content
- Warm-up
- Japanese Puzzles such as Su Doku, Kakuro, FutoshikiFutoshikior Unequal is a logic puzzle game from Japan. Its name means "inequality". It is also spelled hutosiki .The puzzle is played on a square grid, such as 5 x 5. The objective is to place the numbers 1 to 5 such that each row, and column contains each of the digits 1 to 5. Some digits may be given...
, NurikabeNurikabeNurikabe is a binary determination puzzle named for an invisible wall in Japanese folklore that blocks roads and delays foot travel...
. New Japanese puzzle are regularly introduced to the readership. - Traditional Puzzles such as crosswords, wordsearchesWord searchA word search, word find, word seek, word sleuth or mystery word puzzle is a word game that is letters of a word in a grid, that usually has a rectangular or square shape. The objective of this puzzle is to find and mark all the words hidden inside the box. The words may be horizontally,...
, chessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and ScrabbleScrabbleScrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
. - Moral Dilemma - A discussion of a moral hot potato.
- Great Philosophers - A monthly examination of a famous philosophical saying.
- Puzzles by Chris MaslankaChris MaslankaChristopher M. Maslanka is a British writer and broadcaster, specialising in puzzles and problem solving.He was born in Clapham, London, but was brought up by his uncle and aunt in Lowdham, Nottingham. He was educated at The Becket School, Nottingham and went on to study physics at St...
. - Mind Matters - Articles about cognition.
- Classic MindGames - A classic puzzle or fad is studied.
- Global Hide and Seek - A puzzle where you have to track down a celebrity by solving visual clues.
- NavigridNavigridNavigrid is a logic-based number-placement puzzle. The puzzler is provided with a set of movements which must be used to move between the numbers 1 to 9 in order starting with the number 1. A solved grid will contain each of the numbers 1 to 9...
. A new logic puzzle developed by Vexus Puzzle Design.
Hidden features
The magazine contains a number of hidden puzzles, known as Easter EggsEaster egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
. These usually lead to a coded message or word for the reader to discover. Issue 1 included a hidden URL
Uniform Resource Locator
In computing, a uniform resource locator or universal resource locator is a specific character string that constitutes a reference to an Internet resource....
for a web site concealed in an Acrostic style
Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous...
form.
The spine of the magazine includes an anagram of the current issue in some form or another. For example:
1. Omen Disguises Name = MindGames Issue One
2. Men Do Disseminating Code = MindGames Second Edition
3. I Sleep with Imagery Unto Madness = MindGames Issue four - Play to Win!
Other easter eggs have included using dice printed on each page indicating the number of eyes visible on that page's spread, having differences between images of the front cover and the actual front cover, and hiding related words within articles.
Global Hide & Seek
This puzzle is the brain-child of Cam Winstanley. The premise here is that a photograph is shown of a series of props, images and text, all of which will lead the solver to identifying a famous person (living or dead) hiding somewhere in the world, carrying out some activity or other. This puzzle is the cause of much frustration and enjoyment amongst the readers of the magazine, who will either work alone or in groups on the magazine's forum page to try and solve the clues.Regular characters
The magazine includes a number of characters who provide assistance, clues and additional puzzles for the readers. These characters were named by the readers of the Forum pages (see External Links) in weekly competitions.Links to other BBC programmes
The magazine was based on the BBC television programme Mind Games. Within the magazine are a number of articles and puzzles that are based upon or directly linked with existing BBC radio and television programmes. For example:- Moral Maze - two different view points are given to a contentious issue (Based on the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
programme Moral Maze). - News Quiz - a look back at some of the month's more ridiculous news stories (based on the BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
game The News QuizThe News QuizThe News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
). - Round Britain Quiz - A number of clues is given to a series of answers which all have a common link (based on the BBC Radio 4 game Round Britain QuizRound Britain QuizRound Britain Quiz is a panel game that has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 since 1947, making it the oldest quiz still broadcast on British radio...
). - QIQIQI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
- facts and questions on general ignorance, based on the BBC TwoBBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
programme of the same name. - MastermindMastermind (TV series)Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
- readers are invited to write questions about their specialist subjects. - Call My Bluff - based on the vintage BBC quiz.
In addition, the regular logic puzzles were based around current BBC programmes. Past puzzles have included Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
, Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
and EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.
Some issues featured a game to seek out a picture of a BBC personality hidden in the pages. These included EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
character, Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
, and TV/radio presenter, Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
.