What, you may very well ask, is a mental ladder? Just as with a physical ladder, you proceed from one step to next until you get to the top. If you get stuck on a particular step, you either stay on that step or move back down. In the case of mental ladders, however, the steps are puzzles to be figured out.

I mentioned a math-based mental ladder last month, called The Brain Tower, in which you figure out the answer, and use that to create a URL that, if correct, takes you to the next puzzle.

If you prefer logic puzzles, then you should definitely try Prove Your Logic. This Flash-based game has 25 levels of logic problems. Some of them are classics, yet many were completely new to me. I like the way this one is woven as a story, and is one of the few that occasionally give you more than one chance to answer.

Mental ladders can get very creative. In the Brain Drain Game (Flash), you're presented with a screen, and minimal hints. From there, you have to figure out not only how to solve that level, but what the object of the level is in the first place!

Another creative approach is Hacking, which is a mental ladder done as a hacker simulation. Instead of just being played in your browser, your browser itself is one of the tools used to solve each level. You'll want to make sure your HTML, javascript, graphics, php and logical thinking skills are up to par to get through this one!

Qwyzzle is a 100-step mental ladder! If your browser has a status bar, make sure it is on (usually found in the "View" menu, depending on your particular browser), as you'll occasionally need the hints presented in it. The answers to the puzzles are of the general knowledge variety, so the more familiar you are with various celebrities, phrases, trivia and so on, the better you'll tend to do.

Enjoy these ladders, and I hope to see you at the top!