(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix has finally cracked the code on how to make our daily brain melt feel exciting… they’ve turned it into a Stranger Things countdown. Yes, Netflix has just debuted Puzzled, a new game, and the timing could not be better.

We’re weeks away from Stranger Things 5; emotions are already fragile and rollercoasting at the same time, and Netflix thought, “You know what these people need? Puzzles. Daily puzzles. Upside Down puzzles.” And honestly, it’s right.

The moment you open Puzzled, it feels like Netflix is gently grabbing your hand and walking you straight into a fandom playground. Starting November 26th, all the way to the Stranger Things 5 finale on New Year’s Eve, you get a brand-new puzzle every single day. Each one of these will drop hints, references and little surprises from Hawkins. It’s the closest thing to having the gang send you homework.

And before you roll your eyes thinking this is going to be all Demogorgons and alphabet lights, hold on. The lineup is massive. Stranger Things is just the star attraction. Alongside it, you get puzzles inspired by Squid Game, Glass Onion, Emily in Paris, KPop Demon Hunters and a bunch of classics. It feels like Netflix opened its entire wardrobe and handed us a box full of games stitched out of every mood it has ever created.

But here is where Puzzled really wins: you don’t just solve something and move on. These puzzles actually unlock behind-the-scenes moments like glimpses into monsters and a few things that might make the wait for season five even harder.

Once you settle in, you realise this is not one kind of game. It’s a whole neighbourhood. There are word games that feel like your brain is being dragged back to school, but in a friendly way. Logic puzzles for those people who think Sudoku is a personality trait. And visual games that scratch that satisfying part of your brain that activates when you fit a puzzle piece exactly where it belongs.

The word-based ones are especially addictive. You get jigsaw-style crosswords, vowels among the consonants, flipping-letter grids, and themed word hunts.

The logic section is its own flavour. There’s classic Sudoku, but there’s also Starstruck, which is the puzzle for those who like structure but not numbers. You place little stars around a grid while trying not to break rules or lose your mind. It sounds simple until you try it.

And yes, there are offline and ad-free versions. So whether you are travelling, trapped in a boring lecture, hiding in the pantry at work, or pretending to meditate, your puzzles are coming with you.

But our favourite part? For the first time ever, you can actually play these right on your browser. No downloads, no waiting, no “storage full” drama; just click and start solving. It feels like Netflix handed us a tiny arcade we can open whenever we need a break from real life.

So if you’ve been itching for something to fill the Stranger Things gap before the finale lands, Puzzled is basically your countdown companion.