The little puzzle the article opens with is fun, but solving it is not what I'd associate with an "aha" moment.

To me it felt more like a brute force search, or like solving a Wordle puzzle.

I consider "aha" more creative, like recognizing that key insight that crystalizes a solution to a problem you're working on. (Or maybe a pattern or analogy that cleanly collapses a swath of the complexity).

Agreed. Although if you enjoy this very specific type of puzzle, I’d recommend a game called “Connections,” which, as the name suggests, is all about making these mental connections between words.