The best replacement for puzzles is riddles.

The best alternatives to puzzles are rated as following:
★★★★★  riddles
★★★  mazes
★★★  brain teasers
★★  games
★★  word games
★  crosswords
★  word searches
★  mysteries
★  word search
★  matrix reasoning
  miracles
  picture puzzles

Your alternative for puzzles is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about puzzles, one probably shouldn't forget about prizes.

Other search terms related to puzzles and their ratings are:
★★★★★ prizes
You have in mind a companion for puzzles and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of puzzles in all years. Click on graph for more.
puzzles
riddles
mazes