Why Our Brains Love Puzzle Games—And How It’s Similar to Gambling

Welcome to all things puzzles! From escape rooms to cartoon characters, we’re home to some of the most wild and wonderful games on the market. And what's one thing that keeps us coming back for more every single time? The fact that a game can transport you to your very own universe.

We’ve all spent hours on a puzzle, promising that we’ll just take one more try. Next thing you know, it’s two hours later, and the sun has gone down, and it’s bedtime. Guilty, but it’s all part of our brains being conditioned to chase the thrill. It’s human nature.

Games, in general, are the perfect mix of challenge, anticipation, and victory, which keeps us coming back for more. When we think we’re going to lose, we strategize to overcome the issues and then take a risk to grab the win. That releases dopamine, and you can get it from any kind of entertainment that you find enjoyable. If you could bottle that feeling up to sell, it would most probably be one of the most expensive potions on the market – but we can’t, so we’ll just keep on playing new games to get there.

Puzzle games and gambling games have very similar attributes to one another. Both of these varieties lure us in with clever mechanics and plenty of thrill – all contributing to that adrenaline that you seek. We’re going to explore what the reasoning is behind the fact that we can never resist another round – and how gaming and gambling are more similar than you might think. Puzzles have been around for centuries in various forms, so let’s jump in.

The dopamine effect – what is it?

First, let’s take a look at why solving a tricky puzzle or landing on red in roulette makes you feel like an utter genius. It’s all about dopamine.

This is the brain’s reward system, and every time you crack a tough escape game riddle or land a winning hand of poker, your brain releases a new rush of excitement. Puzzle games make us feel good!

They particularly do this when they push you out of your comfort zone and make your brain think outside of the box. The satisfaction you can get from conquering something as an individual is unmatched and it can make you feel like you've made a major achievement.

That’s true in many other spheres too - as we’ve already mentioned, gambling games do just this as well. When you’re playing gambling games, whether they’re luck-based, skill-based, or a combination, your brain is working away, trying to figure out how to win (yes, even when you don’t actually have any control over that, like in roulette). When you do achieve a win, it will release that same dopamine hit, rewarding your efforts and making you feel good. Pretty much all gambling games have this component, and it’s what makes so many people love them. There’s also the thrill of the chase, of course, and this keeps you coming back over and over again. Blackjack, roulette, or poker: all of them rely on the fact that you will follow the desire to win in the hopes it will release dopamine.

And when it does, your brain then suddenly starts feeling like you need just one more round – that’s what keeps us so immersed in gaming. Whether it’s clicking to open the next escape room, or starting another round of blackjack, you keep going because you’re having fun and your brain rewards you.

✅ Puzzle Games: Solved an impossible riddle? Instant brain boost.

✅ Gambling Games: Place a bet and win? Jackpot rush! And what will you spend the winnings on if you get a lucky streak?

Risk vs rewards

Ever wondered why we love games that are difficult? It’s because the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward in many cases. As humans, we look to push ourselves out of our comfort zones in order to hit that level of satisfaction when we finally win. Let’s be honest: if an escape room was easy, we wouldn’t want to play. The same goes for gambling – and the reason both attract us is because they strike the perfect balance between risk and reward.

✅ Escape Games: You risk time and effort to solve puzzles before the clock runs out.

✅ Gambling Games: You risk real money, hoping to hit it big.

The common thread between them both? Anticipation!

Skill vs luck – which is important? 

Both puzzle and gambling games often rely on a mix of skill and chance, but the balance between the two is what makes them so different from one another.

Puzzle games always rely on skill – there may be a luck component, but it’s mostly about the player’s abilities. In gambling games, it can be a little more mixed depending on what you pick.

Puzzle games:

✅ Escape rooms and logic puzzles are all about thinking on your feet and using your brain.

✅ The more you play, the better you get – your success depends on strategy, every time.

✅ Minimal random chance over here! If you fail, it’s often because you missed a clue or didn’t think fast enough.

Gambling games:

✅ Lots of casino games involve a strategic edge - the more you understand the game, the better your chances of winning. This particularly rings true for poker, as you need to know what you’re doing to even have a chance at winning.

✅ Other games such as slots or roulette are just pure luck – There is no amount of skill that can change the outcome of the game. You just have to hope for the best.

Last but by no means least is the general concept of needing to win. It’s the human instinct that we all have and what fuels the entertainment industry as a whole.