During the summer of 2023, I listened to Cixin Liu’s incredible Three Body Problem trilogy on audiobook. Around the same time, I was dabbling a little with Japanese, learning the basics of the language. As I trundled about on my lunchtime strolls, ideas of aliens and languages and symbolism clattered around my head. And out popped Noku Puzzle!
Initially, I conceived it as a potential replacement for written language, but as I developed the idea, I found it was much more fun as a puzzle.
This is a Noku Puzzle:
![](https://andycoughlan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/cixinliu-1024x1024.png)
Here’s a little video to explain more about it (and yes, the annoying AI voiceover says no-koo, when it should be pronounced no-cue, but it’s still nicer than listening to my not so dulcet tones!)
![](https://andycoughlan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/spacer-1024x109.png)