The Riddler’s Lair: Classic Puzzles Based on the Batman Villain

Do you enjoy a brain teaser? Are your favorite colors green and purple? Is your favorite emotional state "insufferably smug"? Then you'll enjoy The Riddler's Lair, a puzzle-based site designed by Emmanuel Papillon.

The designer is very clear about not being "a Batman fan" -- but then what Riddler enthusiast would be? Whether acting as a gimmicky crook, a detective, or a criminal mastermind, The Riddler always has seen Batman as unwelcome and unworthy competition, and a site dedicated to his workings wouldn't much focus on the Bat.The site, for that matter, doesn't much focus on Nygma, although there is a biographical section which details The Riddler's secret origin.

Instead, the site is inspired by the concept of The Riddler. The largest, and most lovingly crafted, part of the site is a Hall of Riddles, which has a number of games for the user to play. This site is very much based on The Riddler in "Batman: The Animated Series," so don't expect any detective games or "Hush"-style elaborate plots. (I can almost hear your disappointment.) Instead, there are a number of classic Riddler games to solve.

One is "The Maze of the Minotaur," based on the computer game that The Riddler invents in his introductory episode in the animated series. Another is just a list of classic Riddle poems, like "The whiter I get, the dirtier I get." There's also a chess based game and a logic maze in which you try to save Robin; "The boy wonders if he'll be saved on time," the introduction teases.

It's a fun site to browse, although it can be as frustrating as The Riddler himself. This is partly because the site is less than clear when it comes to responding to your answers. To be fair, though, the point of the site is to present you with puzzles, not answers. There isn't a cheat sheet. If you're willing to be patient, and amused by riddles, brain-teasers, and logic problems, this is a fun way to spend a couple hours.