Conversation:

My wife is hooked on the "Paint by Number" puzzles (called "Griddlers" in the UK I think). These are similar to the entry's puzzles (and also from Japan) except the grid has only darkened squares. Numbers at the top and side show how many darkened squares are in the row/column, so its a simlar game of making things add up both ways. Ideally, there is only one answer, and a nifty picture emerges.

Here is a collection with more info:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0812923847/qid=1116510540/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl14/002-5250044-4620838?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Lots more here:

http://pbn.homelinux.com/pbn/

They're just as addictive but easier to make mistakes with, so you have to start again and take even longer over them...

Links like that second one deserve a warning sign with them. Thank you Steve, but goodbye evening.

That's the same thing that happens to my wife when the monthly copy of "Games" magazine arrives - it usually has several pages of "Paint by Numbers", so life is immediately on hold and I am eating a frozen dinner ...