I’M PUZZLED!

TRIPLETS

FIND ALL THE GROUPS OF THREE IN A CROWDED LIST!

PREPARATION

Make a “Triplets” puzzle by creating fifteen groups of three related words. For example, one group of related words might be bat, diamond, and glove (things related to baseball). Another group might be basketball, football, and rainfall (words that end with -all). Another group might be mitten, hat, and sneaker (things you wear). Yet another group might be cat, rat, and fat (words that rhyme).

These examples might seem easy to match up. However, when mixed together, the groupings aren’t as obvious. (For example, there’s a good chance a player may want to put hat with cat and rat or glove with mitten and hat.)

This puzzle should be hard enough that players have to think about the different combinations and why certain words may go together. Players may create combinations that simply require some thought, but they might also include words in each three-word group that could fit into several combinations.

NOTE: This puzzle may take longer to create than others, depending upon how complex you wish to make it. You can certainly make it easier for yourself and the other players by using fewer than fifteen groups and simpler combinations.

Once the player creating the game board has all fifteen groups, he or she mixes all of the words into a master list of forty-five words.

GAME TIME

Players must find the fifteen triplet groups within the master list.

SAMPLE PUZZLE (ANSWERS IN THE BACK)

LIVED JACKSON CRANIUM CHALET RACKET KAYAK YALE ROW CLEATS SOPRANO WHEAT FRENCH BATTLESHIP SPLASH SCRUPLES

DECAL BOA WOW SKINNY GARTER HELMET TUDOR SAIL MADISON ADAGIO SALINGER SKATEBOARD JAZZ RICE RANCH

SKYSCRAPER COLUMBIA FLOW CREOLE STEINBECK BUTTER RYE SUPERDOME VIPER RATTLESNAKE FITZGERALD WILSON CRESCENDO TABOO STATS