A strange little side quest
Minnie Mouse Puzzles may feel immediate, but the ideas around puzzles have been evolving for a very long time. The first crossword puzzle book appeared in 1924 in a cautious initial printing of 3,600 copies, complete with a free pencil. That old idea kept changing rather than disappearing. The Oregon Trail began in 1971 when three student teachers created a computer simulation to help Minnesota schoolchildren learn American history. The screen is modern; the urge to test skill, pattern and timing definitely is not.