Noggin lab

Prototypes for the shelf. Not on it and nothing here is final — play each and see which one earns it. Finished plays are recorded (which game, how it went) so the verdict has numbers behind it. Blink, Connect, Trace and Fold graduated to More brain teasers. Rings and Chain are geography, built from Natural Earth's own data — so every move gives a signal. Bracket, Weigh and Split graduated too, on 30 September. Cipher is that evening's, and a codeword since the next. Sudoku came the day after and graduated the same day, and Era with it, as Chrono, and Eyeball, Grow and Crumble after them.

Words

Cipher A crossword with no clues. Every square has a number, and a number is always the same letter — find one and it fills in everywhere. A wrong letter costs.

Geography

Rings A hidden country. Every guess draws a ring at its distance from the answer; two rings cross where it is. Chain Five countries, each bordering the next, two missing. A fill has to touch both neighbors.