Top 10 best puzzle games. Best Puzzle Games
*almost
Have a great day, ladies and gentlemen. I finally decided that it’s no good for me to sit in read-only when I have so many useful and necessary comments brewing in my head, and it’s time to get an invite. Which means you need to write a post. About what? Of course, about what I love and know - about games. Specifically, about puzzles.
A huge drawback of the puzzle compared to some MMORPGs is its very low replay value. I always thought the memory erasing technology in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was misused. Instead of erasing some woman from your memories, isn’t it better to forget your passage of your favorite game, and then go through it again? Unfortunately, this is still fantasy. Therefore, all I can do is, languishing with nostalgia, in writing to remember all these wonderful things, to which, alas, I am not destined to return.
Considering the “disposable” nature of puzzles, it is all the more strange and in some ways even criminal that you learn about the most remarkable representatives of this genre almost by accident. My post aims to correct this injustice, and I am just finishing the lengthy preface and getting to the point.
Little Dew
A game that casually masquerades as an Action RPG, but is a puzzle game of the highest standard. It all starts with sokoban elements, but pretty quickly you discover that you need to cover a piece of the wall with ice so that the charge of the portal rod is reflected from it, which should then hit the bomb, which you previously set on fire with a fire sword and froze with an ice rod, and teleport it like that , so that when it defrosts, it explodes exactly at the moment when... However, enough spoilers.
Besides the puzzles, everything else in this game is great (except maybe the combat). Unique graphic style; seemingly ordinary music, which then doesn’t leave your head for weeks; a story co-written by Lewis Carroll and Gregory Oster while they played Zelda and ate cannabis-infused cupcakes. In my twisted worldview, this is one of the best games ever created by man.
Recently the second part was released under the unexpected name Ittle Dew 2. They made good interesting combat, but, unfortunately, the puzzle part became more boring. I still recommend this game, but I will refrain from making loud claims about its betterness.
The Talos Principle
Okay, in this case, the words about “nobody knows” are an exaggeration. "The Talos Principle" - enough famous game in its genre... but not well known. While only my grandmother doesn’t know about the Portal duology, a creation remains in undeserved oblivion, in few ways inferior to it, and in many ways superior. “To her” is about a duology, not about a grandmother. My grandma is incomparable.
The puzzles in Talos are not physics-based like in Portal, but rather the geometry of space and time. From what point can a deactivator be aimed at the force field, how not to cross (or vice versa, cross) the “laser” beams, what trajectory should you follow so that the suicidal robotic guards do not notice and rush at you shouting “Elohim Akbar!” A separate dimension of depth is added by the ability, present in some puzzles, to “record” your actions and then act simultaneously with a copy of yourself.
All this bacchanalia takes place in beautiful locations, stylized as Hellas, Ancient Egypt and medieval Europe, and is accompanied by such a cool and deep philosophical and science fiction plot that the guys from Croteam hired two separate indie developers specifically for it.
I would especially like to praise, firstly, Road add-on to Gehenna, compared to which the levels from original game- problems like “which object will fit into which hole.” Secondly, the quality of the Russian version: usually I spit venom and put on the English version, but this time the localization was so good that I even found the voice actress on VKontakte and emotionally expressed my personal gratitude to her.
BLACKHOLE
But this is a game that really has some bad luck. Despite the high-quality execution, this puzzle platformer remained in the shadow of its predecessors, not the best, but more famous. Perhaps a significant role in its failure was played by the fact that it is too good, that is, too complex. Platformer lovers were scared off by the non-illusory need to think, puzzle lovers were scared off by the required finger precision.
The game has many interesting elements, but its main feature is the variable direction of gravity. Combined with ingenious level design, this creates a situation where the same elements of the same level perform completely different functions depending on the orientation in which they are approached.
The set also comes with good graphics and a pleasant soundtrack. Valerian and Corvalol, unfortunately, are not included in the kit, so the monitor may accidentally break with the keyboard. Or vice versa. It depends which one you have is stronger.
Snakebird
A game with deceptively childish graphics. I suspect more than one child fell asleep on a pillow wet with tears, because the damn snakebirds did not want to climb into the beautiful rainbow portal. Amazing things happen if you add gravity and all sorts of other bells and whistles to the good old “snake”.
The first levels may seem simple, but when you find yourself building a structure of three snakebirds and a moving block, which, with the help of the devil, moves to the exit, hanging between the spikes and the abyss, you will understand that this impression was deceptive.
Sokobond
A minimalistic game about chemistry, with elements (as you might guess from the name) of Sokoban. By controlling one atom, we link it with others until the desired chemical compound is obtained. Knowledge of chemistry is not required, but slightly acquired.
1. About light bulbs
Task: There are 3 el. in the room. electrical switch light bulbs that are located in the corridor behind a closed door. In what minimum opening of the door can you determine which switch belongs to which light bulb?
2. About pills
Problem: Every day the patient must take pills so as not to die. One tablet from each jar. Any other dosage means death. The jars are identical, and so are the tablets. There were 4 tablets left (two of each type) when the patient accidentally mixed them. How can you complete treatment and stay alive?
3. About a dead man
Problem: A dead man was found in a wheat field, tightly clutching a match in his hands. Why did he die?
4. About hatches
Problem: Why are hatches round?
5. About the blender
Objective: You are shrunk and thrown into a blender that will turn on in 30 seconds. What will you do?
6. About the counterfeit coin
Problem: You have 8 coins: 7 weigh the same, one weighs less. Using scales, find light coin in less than three steps.
7. About the cake
Task: You were given a cake for your birthday. How to divide it into 8 equal parts with three cuts?
8. About the ropes
Problem: You have two ropes. It is known about one that it burns out in exactly 1 hour. It is necessary to use these ropes to determine the time interval of 15 minutes. It must be taken into account that ropes burn non-uniformly.
9. About the chain
Task: A traveler arrived at the inn. He had no money with him, but he had a six-link gold chain. The owner of the inn agreed to accept one ring from this chain as payment for the room for each day, but so that he would receive no more than one sawn ring. How does a guest need to cut the chain so that he can pay every day for five days?
10. About piano tuners
Task: Calculate how many piano tuners there are in our city?
1. About light bulbs
Answer: It is possible to determine with one opening of the door. To do this, you need to leave the room and simultaneously turn on 2 switches, after a while turn off one, and after some time - the second. Then go into the room and touch all 3 light bulbs one by one: the one that was not turned on will remain cold; the one that was turned off first will be warm; the third bulb will be the hottest, that is, it belongs to the last switch.
2. About pills
Answer: Divide each tablet in half: put one half in a pile for the first dose, and the other half for the second. We will get two piles of 4 halves, and each will have 2 different types.
3. About a dead man
Answer: The man was flying on a plane with three fellow passengers. The engine stalled and the plane began to fall. The passengers discovered that there were only three parachutes for four of them and began to fetch matches. One of them pulled a short one and was forced to jump without a parachute.
4. About hatches
Answer:
Option 1. A square-shaped lid can fall into a hatch: for example, it can slip through at an angle, since the diagonal of the square is larger than its sides. A circle has the same diameter, no matter how you turn it.
Option 2 (a little frivolous, but also has a right to exist). Hatches are round because the holes are round.
Option 3: Round hatches are easier to transport.
5. About the blender
Answer: 1. Use the measuring divisions to get out. 2. Try to unscrew the glass. 3. Risk rising on the air stream.
6. About the counterfeit coin
Answer:
Option 1. Step 1: take 6 coins and put them on the scales (3 on each side). If the weight is equalized, it means that there is a light coin in the two that remain lying. Step 2: take 2 coins, put them on the scales and find the lighter one.
Option 2. Step 1: take 6 coins and put them on the scales (3 on each side). If the weight does not equalize, it means that the light coin is on the scale, and not one of the two that are left lying. 2nd step: take 3 coins that are on the light side of the scale. We put one aside and put two coins on the scales.
7. About the cake
Answer:
Option 1. 2 times across, cross to cross (as you usually cut a cake). You will get 4 pieces. 1 time from the edge in half (that is, the surface of the knife is horizontal to the surface of the table). You will get 8 pieces, because... Each piece will be cut into 2 more parts.
Option 2: Cut in half. Place the halves on top of each other and cut a second time. Then again make a “sandwich” of quarters and cut it in half.
8. About the ropes
Answer:
1. We light two ropes at the same time, one from one end, and the second from both ends.
2. After half an hour, the second rope will burn completely. At this point, the first rope had exactly half an hour left to burn.
3. We light at both ends what is left of the first rope (at one end it is already burning) - this is where the 15-minute countdown begins.
4. In exactly 15 minutes there will be nothing left of the first rope.
9. About the chain
Answer: It is necessary to cut the third link. The first day he will pay with a sawn ring, the next day he will give away two links together, and the change will be the sawn ring given yesterday. On the third day he will pay in a piece of three links, and the change will be the two links he paid yesterday, etc.
10. About piano tuners
One solution: first determine how many pianos there are in the city. To do this, you need to count the number of schools and the approximate number of students in them (adjusted for the fact that not every student has a piano at home). Then estimate the period of active use of the piano, as well as approximately how many adjustments are required per period. Next, think about how many minimum orders the master needs to complete so that he can make money on it or at least survive. Correlate all the values and determine the number of piano tuners in the city.
Of all the classic PC game genres, puzzles are the real old-timers.
However, in this list we tried to select the best representatives of the genre not throughout the entire existence of the gaming industry, but only those that were released relatively recently (otherwise the selection would be several times longer).
We were guided by fairly strict criteria. We hope you'll find games here that you haven't played yet that will test your intelligence and problem-solving skills using an unconventional approach. That is why there are no projects here like Peggle, which can hardly be called a puzzle, and Tetris, where the gameplay is very monotonous.
We were interested in collecting games that will force you to really stretch your brains and get pleasure from solving creative problems. This list will be updated as new projects are released (or if we decide that some of the old games are still worthy of mention).
Kami
The rules of Kami are simple: click on any single-color pattern to change its color, and try to ensure that the entire playing field is eventually repainted in one color in as few moves as possible. The basic technique is to combine large areas playing field, surrounding small islands of individual colors to result in a single-color field.
The principle is quite straightforward, but here you need to think through your actions several steps ahead, and the very first task after completing the training can confuse you. Nevertheless, solving problems here is extremely pleasant, as well as watching how the paper figures on the screen. It is worth noting the relaxing music, thanks to which the game turns into a great evening to spend time with a cup of coffee after dinner.
The only problem with Kami is the limited number of daily tips. On mobile devices you can buy them, but on PC (the game sells for a reasonable $4/$2.79 on Steam) there are no microtransactions. If you run out of daily hints, you will have to wait for the next day, as the hints here are very important. When you come across a particularly difficult puzzle and get a hint about the first move, you can figure out the solution yourself without feeling like you cheated.
Kami made our list despite these issues. In the end, you can bypass them: if you run out of hints, you can simply change the date in your OS and instantly get new ones.
Lyne
Lyne is another multi-platform game worth checking out. There are practically no situations here that confuse you until the moment of inspiration - in this game you constantly change pieces on the playing field until you achieve the correct sequence. The principle of the project is as follows: on the screen there are several shapes that need to be connected. Only shapes of the same type can be connected, and lines must not intersect.
As you can see in the screenshot, the result is zigzag structures without a single intersection of lines. Sometimes the conditions of the puzzles can be quite difficult, but each of the tasks is completely solvable. Not a bad way to spend $3 or $2 on Steam.
SpaceChem is a game about creating molecules, but you don't need a deep knowledge of chemistry to solve the problems. This is the beauty of projects from Zachtronics Industries - for example, TIS-100, a puzzle game using a programming language, is extremely friendly to everyone who is far from this field.
In SpaceChem, you create a sequence of actions - kind of instructions for creating molecules.
Just like the Infinifactory game, creating patterns and watching them come to life before your eyes is a real pleasure. But sooner or later the levels in SpaceChem become really difficult, so be patient and persevere. Price on Steam is $10/$7.
Basic mechanics in The Swapper (Steam price: $15/$12) consists of creating clones of the main character at points in your field of view, and switching between the created clones. Clones repeat all your character's actions, regardless of their location. Let's say if you create a clone on the platform above you and take a couple of steps forward, then this clone will fall off the platform, breaking its neck with a characteristic crunch.
The puzzles are based on overcoming obstacles (various switches and light sources that prevent the creation of clones), but the gameplay itself remains the same as the game progresses. You're given every move available right from the start, and if you get the hang of it quickly, you can zip through the early levels of the game pretty quickly.
Objects and environments are digitized clay models, and the game has an incredible semi-realistic aesthetic: the abandoned space station from The Swapper looks like you can touch the objects on the screen yourself. In addition to excellent gameplay, the game also has a good script, which explores a difficult topic - who can be called a living person and who is not. In other words, here you can puzzle not only over tasks, but also over issues of life and death.
Braid
Every world in Braid (Steam price: $15/$11) starts with a modified version of the tutorial level. In front of you is a chasm that your Mario-like hero cannot jump over. This is initially puzzling - there are no objects typical for 2D platformers that allow you to jump from one area to another. Therefore, the tasks here may seem impossible. But this is only at first glance. Braid transforms a familiar genre into a completely new one by adding an ever-expanding set of abstract rules and mechanics.
Each world has its own rules and mechanics related to time. For example, in one you can press a button to reverse time. In another, the flow of time changes as you move. The mechanics don't get more complicated, they just become more unique. The real challenge lies in the level design. Some puzzles will take you hours, while others may take several days. Insight usually comes suddenly - both during the game and during your daily activities.
As you progress, the bottomless abyss no longer seems so scary. The “wrong” platforming levels turn into simple puzzles where everything operates within the mechanics you’ve already learned.
In the first scene of the film " Great adventure Pee-wee's main character makes himself breakfast using an incredibly complex Rube Goldberg device. Here, many objects that would normally have no connection with each other interact in a single mechanism - a candle ignites a rope, which lowers an anvil, activating a wheel, so that... well, you get the idea. And all this in order to cook an omelette.
The Incredible Machine 2 (like the first part) consists entirely of levels with the same absurd and ingenious Goldberg devices, and the player will have to solve simple problems in the most complicated ways. Let's say you just need to throw a tennis ball into a bin, but to do this you need to somehow tie together windmills, gears, a hamster wheel, a couple of trampolines and a boxing glove.
Each puzzle has an ideal solution, but as your arsenal of devices is replenished with new objects, the number of ways to solve the next problem also grows - it all depends on your creativity. And despite the fact that the difficulty of the levels increases right before your eyes, failures here do not disappoint, but become reasons to smile. Experimental nature games The Incredible Machine (you can buy it on GOG for $10) makes it a puzzle game for all time.
Even if we discard the deeply worked plot The Talos Principle, the bottom line is that we get an amazing puzzle. The game mainly consists of rooms with puzzles, where you need to lift and move objects (boxes, prisms, connecting lasers and opening doors, fans, etc.) in order to eventually bring the desired object to the exit and complete the level. From time to time the game presents us with new devices, but all the basic mechanics remain unchanged until the very end.
When we have several devices at our disposal at once, a huge scope for experimentation opens up before us. What can a fan lift? When to launch it? How to activate it? Every task at first seems impossible, but through trial and error you can find a way that seems so simple and obvious that you are surprised to ask yourself: “Why didn’t I think of this two hours ago?”
That the writer of The Talos Principle (Steam price: $40/$30) worked on The Swapper too, which is not surprising at all. Both games explore questions of consciousness, humanity, and moral ambiguity, wrapped in gameplay ideal for thought. Yes, the script of The Talos Principle is made at the highest level.
There's that creeping sense of suspense that the first Portal was famous for, coupled with some really clever philosophical thinking. So as you solve problems, you also ask yourself questions about the nature of your actions and whether your choices will affect the overall outcome of the story. A wonderful puzzle in every sense.
Fez
Fez is a charming and surprisingly sad puzzle platformer that doesn't seem difficult at first glance. Protagonist Gomez, who must travel through a peaceful 2D world suddenly collided with 3D, must navigate through 3D levels presented in a 2D perspective. Sounds confusing! This is true, but almost anyone can complete the entire game. The real puzzles in Fez are the nature of the puzzles shown.
The way they are presented leads to various speculations: strange hieroglyphs and QR codes found throughout the game have given rise to many theories among the gaming community, and some of them have not been deciphered to this day. If you are ready to join those who are trying to get to the bottom of the true nature of Fez, we recommend that you do not put it off for too long.
Hexcells is slow game, where everything is done methodically because you get punished for making wrong moves. Imagine a complicated version of Minesweeper. The field consists of hexagons, some of which are part of a pattern and turn blue when you click on them. Others are not included in this number - if you right-click on them, you will see how many of the same hexagons are on the field. Some of them give you useful information– for example, whether two adjacent blue hexagons are connected to each other.
In Hexcells, you need to collect information piece by piece and use it to identify the missing parts of the big picture. For example, if a closed cell is located next to a blue cell, next to which another blue cell is already open, then you can easily calculate the number of remaining adjacent cells. In action, the game's mechanics are not particularly complex, but the challenges will make you work hard, such as some Sudoku.
Of course, winning the game feels like a well-deserved achievement - not everyone can complete the task without making a single mistake. The game is not suitable for those who are used to experimenting with the initial data of a problem in order to eventually come to a solution (as in Lyne and Infinifactory). Here you need to take strictly verified steps in a certain sequence to complete the level. Hexcells Infinite is only $5/$4 on Steam.
Explaining what Antichamber (which sells for $20/$15 on Steam) is all about. Let's start with the fact that this is a harsh puzzle game with a view from . In its minimalist corridors and mysterious rooms, certain rules apply, the understanding of which sometimes requires looking at things from a different perspective, sometimes literally. There is virtually no story, so the gameplay mainly consists of exploring rooms.
You'll spend most of the game surrounded by strange architecture and devices, trying to figure out how they might be useful to you and how they relate to the mysteries of the world of Antichamber. Our understanding of how space functions in first-person puzzles is completely destroyed in this game. Further explanations may be spoilers for you.
Most surfaces and objects are painted white with their borders outlined in black, but the color saturation changes in each hall and room, as if the game is experimenting with gradients in MS Paint. The point is that every color has a meaning. Color and every other visual, auditory and tactile component fits into the psychedelic logic of the game.
Having grasped this logic, you will get closer to the solution, but you also need to competently apply it in solving the next problem. For example, once you figure out that some doors only open when they're out of sight, you'll need to combine that with your previous knowledge and fight your way through a series of increasingly difficult puzzles. The more you understand about Antichamber, the less you trust yourself.
World of Goo (like any good puzzle game) is based on simple mechanics: use elastic, sticky (and intelligent) balls to create structures that will allow them to reach the pipe that transports them to the headquarters of the Goo world. They don't ask you to do anything impossible - on one level we are building a tower of balls, on another - a bridge, but the scale of construction is growing rapidly.
At levels, obstacles such as circular saws, spikes and fire appear that kill the balls, and over time special balls are introduced into the game. Some are able to float in the air, while others can be detached and reused, although there are also useless types of balls. And since everything in this world consists of balls, all your structures turn out to be unstable: you need to make sure that your shaky building does not fall apart ahead of time.
World of Goo is also an outstanding puzzle game because of its attention to detail, which perfectly complements the game's picturesque world. The squeaking balls with button eyes are irresistible, and the funny messages left by the mysterious guide keep you interested in the game even when faced with an extremely difficult task. It's unexpected, but there is also a plot that turns dark towards the end without losing its charm.
The soundtrack is also done at a decent level, which fits perfectly into a game about trying to build something stable out of sticky balls. World of Goo definitely falls into the category of games that everyone should play. And it’s sad that 7 years have passed since the game was released, and there is still no news about the sequel.
Infinifactory became one of the most highly rated games of 2015, and many still call it their favorite puzzle game today. Infinifactory is similar to SpaceChem in many ways, but is easier to learn. Trying to please the aliens who have captured you, you have to build various devices using blocks and jetpack. The very first task is very simple - you just need to deliver the item from the dispenser to the desired compartment, but over time the missions will become more complex, and with them the structures on the levels.
Infinifactory is worth playing in order to build a mechanism of gigantic proportions and enjoy watching how all the components work without a single flaw. As one of our editors put it, "It's the video game equivalent of looping GIFs of machinery in action." There is also a dark story, and the final levels feature some extremely picturesque environments. Infinifactory costs $25/$19 on Steam and is well worth the price.
Portal was a success, and a resounding one at that, for a number of reasons. The script, humor and story that took us by surprise when we first walked into the test rooms of Aperture Science in Valve's 2007 puzzle game. And the fact is that even without all of the above, the game would remain a great puzzle. Walkthrough test rooms with only one portal gun in his hands was exciting and funny in itself. The game was radically different from everything we are used to seeing in the FPS genre.
The basic mechanics are grasped in a few seconds. We place two portals at two points in the hall, go through one and exit through the other, wherever it is. Each new room is more challenging than the last, and soon you'll find yourself using portals to bypass turrets, fly across acidic rivers, activate buttons, and redirect lasers. Sometimes you even need to fire portals on the fly to maintain your flight speed and reach otherwise inaccessible places.
The game's difficulty increases at just the right pace to challenge the player without losing interest. And at the end you will find a battle with the boss, where you need to use the skills acquired during the passage in order to hear that very final song. And although Portal 2 is superior to the original in all respects, we once again want to emphasize that the first part is a great way to spend a few hours of your life. (And, of course, don't miss Portal 2 with it).
During the development of the mobile market, more and more games of the same type are labeled as “puzzle”, but in fact they are not such. And we wouldn’t even mention them - if such a thing had not been observed even in the field of PC gaming.
Are all the puzzles now reduced to and “highlight the shapes of the same color”? The portal site selected the 10 most 2017 - creative, unusual and surprisingly complex that will really make you sit and think about the solution for hours.
10.
Redblack Spade, previously unknown to anyone Russian developer, finally burst onto the gaming scene recently with the incredibly hardcore Reflection of Mine, a Billy Milligan-esque story about multiple personalities.
The main catch of this game, like a puzzle, is that you have to simultaneously control two or even three characters, each of whom is in their own “dimension”.
Thus, Redblack Spade killed two birds with one stone - he rolled out the most complex puzzle, and told a reliable story about madness.
The game becomes complex as the play progresses - various elements are added to complicate the process, such as portals, closed doors and keys to them, collected items and even a time limit.
9.
Some people really like games with perspective - well, just to the point of making your head spin. Against the Wall is one of those. Here the player finds himself in a strange world, represented by one large, endless wall and all sorts of objects on it.
Gravity here is a rather vague concept; In order to understand how it works in each specific case, you will first have to study the object itself. Of course, this is not just a wall with buildings, blocks and decorations glued to it - there are also puzzles and a kind of challenge.
8. RiME
RiME
Not so much a puzzle as an intimate parable, an adventure, a story - RiME was loved by many precisely for this. An atmospheric, kind story about a boy washed up on the shore of an unknown island and a fox who helps him along the way and tells him where to go, which direction is the next clue, and so on.
In turn, there are a lot of puzzles here, and all of them are simple at first - but over time suggests looking at it from different angles, looking for new paths and using every possible means to solve the riddle of the next totem.
7.
Colorful, full of life, Future Unfolding is not a puzzle in the usual sense - it places much more emphasis on exploring the surrounding world and getting to know the local flora and fauna. The puzzle itself begins precisely when it is the turn to interact with this flora and fauna.
With the help of bizarre animals and plants you can reach new areas - but how to do it? Considering that the food chains here are their own, the laws are their own, and you yourself don’t know that much about all these details?
Moreover, sometimes, thanks to the style, it may not even be entirely clear who exactly is in front of you - a peaceful animal or a predator. That’s why you have to learn everything through experience, and then also try to clearly apply the information received.
6.
In the surprisingly artistic and strange Where Cards Fall, you literally have to build houses out of cards to solve the riddles. At the same time, decks of cards elegantly float and land on top, forming real houses from which characters even emerge.
Naturally, the visual style immediately sets the game apart from a bunch of others. The world is almost like a toy - houses of cards can easily fall apart, even if little people live in them. Cars driving on local roads have eyes and look up at you.
However, the houses of cards themselves are not without vision. And the emphasis in this little world is precisely on how fragile and fragile it is - due to the fact that it is made of cards. It's quite intriguing to watch, because you never know when the cards will change.
5.
It is very difficult to explain in words what Gorogoa is. If you try to explain it in clear, common words, this game is a kind of interactive story that moves from one window to another, solely under the actions of the player. But in fact, this spectacle looks much more fascinating than can be retold.
Thanks to the unique hand-drawn pictures, Gorogoa looks like the old picture books everyone knows from childhood - only here the book is without text. Absolutely.
Instead, there are living “windows” on which you need to find a key detail and use it for another similar “window” so that it can come to life and show a piece of history. True, thanks to this approach, the game still sometimes suffers from a lack of logic, but the fact that it is incredibly fascinating is a fact.
4.
In the Shadows is a puzzle that even at first glance you wouldn't think it was. Looks like a regular pixel platformer? But no.
They hide in the shadows here to redirect light sources to nightmares and monsters that are constantly approaching the main character. This is the secret of not only the puzzles themselves, but also the plot.
The play of light and shadow here is extremely variable and unpredictable - it may seem to you that you have already understood the laws of shadow mechanics, but confirmation that this is not so will suddenly emerge from the most unexpected corner.
3.
In this physics-oriented game main feature- snake movements. And it is precisely due to the fact that every step you take is subject to the movement of not only the head, but also the entire tail, that the game becomes so interesting.
Gradually, Snake Pass forces you to act truly creatively, although, at first glance, thanks to the colorful graphics, it seems like a simple children's game.
But in fact, there is still potential buried in it. It all depends on the player's understanding of the snake's movement pattern and how to use it to his advantage.
2. Echo
Echo
In the futuristic stealth puzzle game Echo, the player will not even be fighting against the ingenious riddles encountered along the way - but against himself. Echo's unique mechanic is the creation of clones of the player that can do the same things as himself.
If the player shot, that means the clone will also shoot if he notices the player. If the player was hiding, the clone that appears will know the favorite places to “hide” and such tactics will no longer work.
Therefore, from time to time you will have to refine your strategy in order not only to pass the level, but to be able to build a fairly safe and relatively successful road along it.
This is the element of Echo that breaks the mold and forces you to think outside the box - otherwise you won’t be able to stay alive for long in this game.
1.
Do you like optical illusions? Pictures of impossible buildings? Manifold Garden is literally the quintessence of all optical illusions in one game.
She invites you to look at infinity with your own eyes, outline its laws and try to use them - are these buildings really infinite?
Looking at both screenshots and video of the game, it is very difficult to determine where the laws of gravity apply within these physics, and this is what makes Manifold Garden one of the strangest and wonderful puzzles of 2017.
This is not only a journey through impossible architecture - you are also invited to influence it by solving at first glance absolutely mind-blowing and unrealistic riddles, but the answers to them almost always lie on the surface. Just another important question is where this surface is.
Video: Manifold Garden Teaser Trailer
Like if you liked it
Hello tramps! Presented here best puzzles for PC, according to our website. If you have suggestions for other games, write in the comments.
Syberia 1-3
Release date: 2002-2017
Three parts of an exciting adventure quest with an incredibly interesting plot and many original puzzles. Gameplay here it is traditional for the point-and-click genre, i.e. we, in the role of a young girl Kate Walker, travel between locations, communicate with characters, look for places with which we can interact and collect items (the player has an inventory). From time to time we come across various puzzles and conundrums that need to be solved in order to move forward in the plot, as well as documents that often contain clues.
The project will be of interest primarily to fans of the quest genre, as well as to those who don’t mind racking their brains over another puzzle, and of course to all fans of exciting stories. Moreover, information about the passage of games in the series can always be found on the Internet, if you do not want to strain your brains too much, but want to know how the story ends.
Samorost 1-3
Release date: 2003-2016
Genre: Quest
Three parts of a delightful puzzle quest created by Czech designer Jakub Dvorsky. The gameplay here is simple and straightforward - the player interacts with the game environment through the cursor, controlling the character and solving various problems encountered along the way (which corresponds to the point-and-click genre). The riddles are not always logical, however, they can be solved quite easily by trial and error.
Why then are these games so admired if their gameplay is not too intricate? First of all, the graphic design of characters and locations, as well as the incredibly atmospheric soundtrack. As for the design of the levels, when creating them the developer used processed photographs of moss, grass, tree bark, etc., which made it possible to create a “texture” of essentially two-dimensional levels. In general, these are the kind of games that people say: “It’s better to see once,” so try it and form your own opinion.
Portal 1 and 2
Release date: the first - 2007, the second - 2011.
An original first-person puzzle game based on the player's interaction with portals. Our heroine has a special portal gun that allows her to create two portals on almost any flat surface. These portals allow us to move to hard-to-reach places, speed up jumps, interact with certain objects, etc.
The second part develops the ideas of the first, and also adds a cooperative, i.e. Solving puzzles and completing levels together. At the same time, the levels and riddles on them become “tailored” for joint gameplay. In addition, the second part expands the scope of portals and their interaction with the outside world. In both parts, the initial levels are very simple and allow players to quickly understand all the intricacies of the game mechanics.
World of Goo
Release date: 2008
Genre: Puzzle
Logic puzzle mixed with physics. The gameplay is based on the interaction of Goo balls, which can be attached to each other and form a variety of shapes. The goal at a level is usually the same - to deliver a certain number of balls into the pipe, using them to build various towers, bridges and other figures that allow you to get to the coveted exit from the level, often bypassing various obstacles.
The game features 46 levels in total, as well as a bonus level in which players compete to build towers from extra marbles collected during the game. Moreover, each player builds his own tower separately, and you can compare your tower with others only when connected to the Internet.
Braid
Release date: 2008
An atmospheric puzzle platformer that gives players the ability to control the passage of time. It is on this skill of our character that most of the tasks are built. To solve emerging puzzles, the player can rewind time (as in Prince of Persia), slow down time, manipulate it in relation to certain objects, etc. It is also noteworthy that in order to move forward it is not necessary to solve every single puzzle encountered. You can always skip any of them and come back to it a little later.
The project received many awards, including the title of “Indie of 2009” according to Igromania magazine. But most importantly, this game popularized the indie genre, showing players that even small indie projects can captivate interesting gameplay and an original plot.
Trine Series
Release date: 2009
A hand-drawn point-and-click quest with many puzzles, in which we, in the role of a little robot, must rid the city of robots Machinarium from the Black Hats Gang and save our friend. The gameplay here is traditional for the genre, and a significant difference from others similar games we can say that we can only interact with those objects that are within the character’s reach. At the same time, our protagonist can stretch a little or, on the contrary, shrink.
The game has nice hand-drawn graphics with a very original art style, as well as the presence of hints that can be obtained by completing a simple mini-game. Another feature of the project is that the characters in the game do not speak in words, and any dialogue is shown here in the form of animated “thought clouds.”
Toki Tori
Release date: 2010
Genre: Platformer
A cute puzzle platformer where the player, in the role of a small yellow bird, must collect eggs scattered throughout the levels. But it's not that simple. To achieve his goal, the player has to use various objects, avoid enemies and carefully think through his every step.
The game is interesting because with each level the complexity of the puzzles will increase. In addition, the PC version (and the game was released on many platforms) includes a number of additional levels. In addition, exclusively for the computer version, a time rewind function was added to the game, allowing you to cancel a mistake without returning to the beginning of the level.
LIMBO
Release date: 2010
Genre: Quest, indie, platformer,
An atmospheric platformer that also includes elements of such genres as survival-horror and puzzle. Essentially, the game is a two-dimensional side-roller in which we control a character who moves preferentially in one direction (from left to right), except when he needs to overcome some obstacle.
Our hero can run, jump, push or drag some objects, but he does not have any superhuman abilities. Those. he dies easily and often. This is exactly what the gameplay is built on. The developers call it the “trial and death” method, when the slightest mistake entails the death of the hero and a return to the control point. In addition to the exciting gameplay, the game has stylish black and white graphics and an atmospheric soundtrack.
SpaceChem
Release date: 2011
Genre: Puzzle
An exciting puzzle game in which the player is given the opportunity to feel like an engineer of a fantastic chemical corporation, where he must create new ones from available chemical elements through synthesis, chemical or nuclear reactions. The gameplay is divided into several stages, which in turn are divided into categories: research, production or defensive. In the first two stages the player produces chemical compounds, and in the last stage he defends the station from some monster.
The synthesis of elements occurs in a special reactor, which is a field of 10x8 cells. The field has two inputs for supplying elements and two outputs for shipping them. There are also two Waldo manipulators in the reactor, which are capable of performing various actions on elements. The player's task is to program a specific algorithm and ultimately obtain the necessary connection.
The Tiny Bang Story
Release date: 2011
Genre: Puzzle, point-and-click
A worthy representative of hand-drawn point-and-click quests, in which a pleasant picture is combined with wonderful music and interesting and varied puzzles. In addition to pixel hunting (this is when the player clicks on various objects on the screen to find one with which he can interact), various mini-games have been added to the game to add variety to the gameplay.
In general, the project does not belong to hardcore quests and is more suitable for beginners in this genre, however, pleasant drawing and some kind of peculiar magic of this drawn magical world, force players to decide game tasks until the very end, turning the gameplay into a kind of relaxation and meditation session.
FEZ
Release date: 2012
Genre: Platformer
A colorful 2D puzzle platformer set in a 3D world. The main feature of the game is that we can only move along the sides of the tetrahedral level, but if necessary, we can always rotate the location around the hero 90 degrees to one side. Rotating the level can help in overcoming seemingly impassable places, finding secret doors etc.
An exciting project that features original gameplay based on manipulation of perspective and optical illusions. The game has nice pixel graphics and a complete absence of any opponents. The project encourages the player to calmly solve puzzles and slowly and thoughtfully progress.
Botanicula
Release date: 2012
Genre: Quest
Point-and-click quest with original hand-drawn graphics and exciting gameplay based on solving various puzzles. The game has five characters traveling through a huge fairy-tale tree, which is why the gameplay here is built taking into account this feature. Otherwise, the gameplay does not differ much from other games of this genre - we wander around locations, collect objects and interact with the world around us, solving riddles.
The game is distinguished by pleasant animation and an excellent relaxing soundtrack written by the Czech group DVA. There are no truly difficult puzzles here, so the project is perfect for those who have decided to try their hand at the genre, or simply like pleasant and not too “puzzling” quests.
The Bridge
Release date: 2013
Genre: Puzzle, indie
A two-dimensional hand-drawn spatial puzzle, the action of which takes us to a mysterious black and white dream world, where our protagonist wakes up from an apple falling on his head. This reference to Isaac Newton is not accidental, since in the game we will have to deeply rethink the laws of physics.
To complete the level, the player needs to lead the character to a door that is closed with one or more locks (yes, yes, you will still need to find the keys). Your exit will be blocked by various obstacles that can be passed by rotating the location around its axis. Once the player understands the basic mechanics, the project gains momentum and adds new elements and game rules - spatial whirlpools, teleports, optical illusions and mirror effects. In a word, you definitely won’t be bored here.
The Swapper
Release date: 2013
A puzzle platformer in which we control a female astronaut stranded on an abandoned space station And looking for funds to salvation. Moreover, at the beginning of the game the heroine receives such a remedy. We are talking about a device that allows you to create up to four clones of the player and transfer the heroine’s consciousness into any of them. It is on these mechanics that the entire gameplay is built. Clones follow the player's movements until they collide with an obstacle or die, but they can always be recreated.
In addition to the exciting gameplay, the project is distinguished by its original graphics, for the creation of which the developers used level design elements sculpted from clay, which were later digitized for the game. The game received positive reviews and won many awards.
Gunpoint
Release date: 2013
A stealth platformer with puzzle elements, set in the near future. We control a "spy for hire" accused of murdering a weapons company employee. Our task is to drop the charges and unravel this mysterious crime. The game includes a set of various missions (usually related to infiltrating a protected facility, stealing or replacing information data, etc.).
The gameplay unfolds in a two-dimensional plane, with all buildings shown as if in a cross-section (the object we need and all the security are visible at once). Our character can jump long distances, crawl along the ceiling and walls, and also remotely penetrate electronic circuits various components of the building, reconfiguring them. Between missions, you can upgrade the hero's technical gadgets.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Release date: 2013
An adventure platformer with puzzle elements in which we play as two brothers interacting with each other and the world around them. It is on the interaction between the brothers that the gameplay is built. Our heroes overcome obstacles together, solve riddles and complete levels. The player controls each brother individually using a keyboard and gamepad, but there are also individual action buttons for each character.
Interestingly, NPCs react differently to each of the brothers and often only one of them can receive the necessary information from a particular NPC. In addition to the exciting gameplay, the game is distinguished by a pleasant visual style and a fascinating plot, albeit simple, but capable of drawing the player in until end credits. And the riddles here are quite capable of forcing players to strain their brains.
Teslagrad
Release date: 2013
Genre: Puzzle, platformer
A 2D platformer with lots of puzzles based on the interactions of electromagnetic forces and the principles of magnetism. The game takes place in the 19th century in the city of Teslagrad, where we take on the role of a boy fleeing from the soldiers of the evil King.
The gameplay is based on the principles of electromagnetism. The hero has a variety of devices in his arsenal that make it easier to complete levels and solve puzzles. In particular, we have a teleportation device, a magnetic glove, an electric rod and a special electromagnetic suit. With the help of these devices, the boy not only solves puzzles, but also fights bosses at the end of each mission.
LYNE
Release date: 2014
Genre: Puzzle
A beautiful casual puzzle with a pleasant musical accompaniment for people of all ages. The game has a minimum of objects and simple rules– our task is to connect the same geometric shapes line, completing the circuit. The game has 26 levels, as well as daily sets that open every day. There are several types of palettes that open up as you progress through the game.
The advantages of the project also include the ever-increasing complexity of the gameplay. Those. If you “fly through” the first levels almost instantly, then by the last you have to really rack your brain to solve the puzzle. Highly recommended for all fans of intellectual games!
The Room
Release date: 2014
Genre: Puzzle, quest
An excellent 3D puzzle game with meditative gameplay, an atmospheric soundtrack and photorealistic graphics. In essence, the game is a set of several rooms in which there are huge boxes on the table. These are the ones we have to open, going through the edges, finding clues and secret switches, niches, etc. Does everything seem extremely simple? Whatever the case. You need to be extremely careful and patient, because if you find some strange folding tube, it’s not a fact that it will fit into the round niche you found earlier.
The puzzles in the game are quite complex, but there is a multi-step system of hints that helps to find the right solution (at first only with careful hints, and then directly indicating what the player needs to do). A special monocle also helps in solving puzzles, through which you can see which parts of the box the player can interact with.
The Talos Principle
Release date: 2014
Genre: First person puzzle
A philosophical puzzle with a first-person view, in which we control a robot with the rudiments of human intelligence. Our protagonist is very curious - he studies the world around him, which is a mixture of ancient civilization with advanced technologies, and solves all kinds of puzzles, of which there are more than 120 in the game! The puzzles in the game are varied; in some places you need to move through a labyrinth, in others you need to overcome obstacles, etc.
As the player solves some puzzles, he receives elements of other puzzles and the devices needed to solve them, which allows him to move further along the plot. In addition to solving puzzles, the game encourages the player to explore the world around them. For example, in secluded places you can find terminals containing interesting plot information, secrets or audio recordings.
Infinifactory
Release date: 2015
Genre: Puzzle, puzzle
Do you want to feel like a production line engineer? Then this exciting puzzle game is for you! Here players will need to build factories and produce various items. At the very beginning of the game, it seems that there is nothing complicated here, but in the future we will have to optimize our factories, and it is this optimization that often makes the player think hard. At the same time, the complexity of the game increases with each new level.
The project really forces players to think about solving this or that puzzle, test various guesses and get joy when the hypotheses begin to work in practice. Challenging, mind-blowing and incredibly exciting!
Pony Island
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle, Platformer, Psychological Horror
A tense puzzle in which we find ourselves in slot machine invented by the devil himself. We have to get out of this trap by solving all kinds of puzzles. And if at first it seems that the problems here are simple and even “childish”, you gradually realize that the first levels are just a warm-up before the real brainstorming.
The gameplay is divided into two components: arcade and puzzle itself. In the arcade, we go through levels in the role of a little pony, who gradually becomes a kind of “seasoned understanding” with hellish wings and the ability to deal with demons. Local puzzles deserve special attention. The mechanics are simple - there is a lock and there is a key, but solving each riddle will require maximum concentration from the player and his lateral thinking.
The Witness
Release date: 2016
A first-person puzzle game inspired by the famous Myst. As in Myst, we travel across a vast open world, which is an island, and solve various puzzles that are found on panels scattered throughout the game location. As a rule, puzzles are types of labyrinths with different conditions, which the player needs to go through. The game does not have a plot in the usual sense, but gradually you can learn it on your own, receiving information from excerpts from books, voice recordings, etc.
The project received critical acclaim, and IGN gave the game the highest score, noting that it is a truly powerful masterpiece, made with skill. And indeed, despite some monotony, the project turned out to be very interesting and exciting - just the right thing to stretch your brain.
Unravel
Release date: 2016
Genre: Platformer
A bright and colorful puzzle platformer in which we control a creature made of yarn named Yarny, who is somewhat reminiscent of a kitten. Actually, the fact that our character is made of yarn is the main gameplay element. In particular, with the help of yarn, our hero can solve some game problems. But here it is important to remember that the rope is not endless and its quantity must be constantly monitored (if the tangle completely unravels, the level will have to be replayed).
Yarny can cling to objects or solve other problems, for example, opening the lid of a box, throwing a snowball off a spruce tree, etc. The main task in the game is to collect memories of the protagonist’s family. Exciting adventure, which will make you feel small again.
Zenge
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle
A relaxing puzzle game with great graphics and atmospheric music. The main goal of the game is to provide the player with the most relaxing effect possible, so there are no points or any other indicators of your progress. Only meditative assembling of a virtual puzzle and solving problems accompanied by suitable music.
Each Zenge level is a picture divided into many elements, while the details of the picture can also be divided into elements (you get a kind of “puzzle within a puzzle”). The collected pictures tell the player an amazing story (yes, this game also has a plot!).
INSIDE
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle, platformer, quest, survival horror
An indie platformer with puzzle elements from the creators of Limbo and, in fact, its ideological successor. The gameplay here corresponds to the gameplay of the ancestor game, i.e. we have a hero who moves across the screen in a two-dimensional plane and tries to avoid various obstacles and enemies along the way.
As in Limbo, our hero has a whole bunch of vulnerabilities and dies from any injury he receives. For this reason, be prepared for the fact that you will have to try to pass some particularly difficult places several times. There are many tests and they are all quite varied (for example, escaping from huge dogs or passing armed guards), which means that the player will not be bored until the very end.
Klocki
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle
An exciting puzzle game whose gameplay is based on the rotation of cube and platform parts. Those. The main task here is to connect all the lines on the objects into one to complete the level. At first the levels are quite simple, but with each new level the tasks become more and more difficult, and now the player has to use all his imagination and logic.
It is noteworthy that the game does not limit us in time, because... the player calmly solves the task assigned to him at the moment, without fear that time will run out and he will have to start the level from the very beginning. Rotate objects and swap them, and once the lines are in the right order, they will be highlighted in a different color, after which you can move on to the next stage.
Zombie Night Terror
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle, Survival horror
A 2D arcade strategy game with puzzle elements in which the player tries to destroy people on earth with the help of a zombie virus. The problem is that our charges are somewhat stupid (even by zombie standards), so the player will have to constantly pause the game and give orders. Otherwise, zombies will fall into traps set by people.
The project, made in pixel style, is replete with excellent humor (it seems that the developers managed to parody all zombie-themed works). The gameplay is simple and unpretentious, but at later levels it makes the “gray matter” work. There are many levels, and at each one the player will face a certain test (for example, to save a certain number of zombies, kill a boss, or complete a level against the clock).
Obduction
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle
An excellent point-and-click quest from the creators of the legendary Myst, made in the spirit of the old school. Our hero (or heroine) is abducted by aliens and ends up in an incomprehensible location closed by a dome. Now our task is to get out of this incomprehensible place and get home. Wander through locations, solve puzzles and gradually advance through the plot - all in the best traditions of the genre.
The project received mixed reviews, largely due to its hardcore nature and adherence to the canons of old quests (in the spirit of the same Myst). But if you are an amateur difficult riddles, interesting plot or just a fan of the genre (and even more so if you are a fan of the already mentioned Myst several times) - the game is definitely worth at least trying.
The Turing Test
Release date: 2016
Genre: First person puzzle
A 3D puzzle game with a first-person view in which we play as Eva Turing, an International Space Agency engineer stationed on a space station. The heroine wakes up from cryogenic sleep and finds out that the team has not been in contact for more than 450 hours. Moreover, the configuration of the space station has been changed and the girl, by solving various puzzles, has to move through it to find out the reason for the disappearance of the team.
The game contains more than 70 different puzzles, the process of solving which is based on manipulations with special energy balls. As you progress, new conditions for solving riddles will appear - energy rays, balls with special operating conditions, etc. The game was highly praised by critics, but many criticize the rather low complexity of the puzzles.
Game series Zup!
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle
An exciting casual puzzle that combines physics and logic problems. The main goal of the game is to send the blue cube to the green platform, taking into account the physical properties of other cubes and the interaction between them. The difficulty of the levels gradually increases, and the game features various achievements that the player can receive under certain conditions.
Despite its extremely minimalistic design, the game, for some unknown reason, is addictive from the first minutes. And considering that at the moment the series has as many as 5 parts with an incredible number of levels, we can say with confidence that you will spend many free evenings clicking on squares.
Lara Croft GO
Release date: 2016
Genre: Puzzle
A turn-based puzzle game that is a spin-off from the series of games about the famous Tomb Raider. The gameplay here is turn-based. Levels are divided into nodes and lines that are interconnected. We control the main character, who makes a move and then waits for her opponents to make a move. Each type of enemy has its own movement patterns, and the locations become more and more difficult as you progress. As the game progresses, the heroine can pick up and use disposable items (for example, spears).
The game has nice graphics and exciting gameplay, non-standard for the series Tomb Raider. Many players, as well as critics, praised the original design, as well as the fact that, unlike last game with a similar game mechanics(Hitman GO), the developers did not make it in the “tabletop” style, but drew the backdrops and background so that the player gets the impression that he is not playing a puzzle game, but an arcade game about Lara’s adventures.
Detention
Release date: 2017
Genre: Puzzle, indie, horror
Fascinating horror movie in the spirit Silent Hill, with good puzzles and an original plot. However, unlike Silent Gil, the game is a two-dimensional side-scroller with excellent animated graphics. In addition to strange puzzles, players also encounter all sorts of dangers, such as ghosts, which must be avoided at all costs.
The authors constantly present the player with interesting gameplay opportunities. So, for example, in one moment the player will be able to move between dimensions, and in another, change places with his own shadow (also from the past). The game doesn't let you get bored and periodically cleverly plays with gaming conventions. In a word, this is an amazing project, which has no analogues in modern gaming market simply not.
Little Nightmares
Release date: 2017
Genre: Puzzle, platformer, quest, stealth
A platformer with stealth and quest elements, in which we play as a little girl named Six, trapped in an incomprehensible underwater ship. Our heroine must escape from there, for which she can walk and climb, jump and grab various objects, as well as use a lighter, eat and... hug nomes. Initially, the game is perceived more as a horror film, but later it becomes clear that this is first and foremost a fantastic adventure, albeit with its own horror elements.
At every significant segment game world we will have puzzles and platforming elements that the player will need to go through. In some cases, finding the correct solution to a riddle can only be done through trial and error. The project is incredibly atmospheric, creepy and quite complex in terms of puzzles, but it’s worth going through and finding out how Six’s story ends.
Dude, Stop
Release date: 2018
Genre: Indie
An original pixel indie puzzle game that encourages the player to break all generally accepted rules and regulations. The main task here is to complete tasks as illogically as possible, thereby driving the narrator to the extreme, commenting on your every action.
Each of the many puzzles has multiple solutions and, as a rule, the most illogical ones will be marked with funny comments from the narrator. In general, the humor in the game is excellent with many various references and Easter eggs, and the number of witty comments for each player’s action is in the hundreds (if not more).
Mechanism
Release date: 2018
Genre: Adventure
An adventure puzzle game that tells a touching story about a little robot wandering in a world where a terrible disease - phlegm - is raging. The disease is spreading everywhere and most robots have already died from it. Now our baby has to figure out what is happening.
The gameplay here is based on exploring territories, solving various puzzles, restoring mechanisms and avoiding enemies (there is a small element of stealth). The game has a gloomy atmosphere, and you can only guess about what is happening around you. No one leads the player by the hand and in order to reach the final the player will have to be smart.
7 Billion People
Release date: 2018
Genre: Simulator
Puzzle is a programming simulator in which chains of people represent computer signals. The player must use these people to solve various problems based on real programming languages. The project is an ideological successor to the game Human Resource Machine and in many ways develops the ideas and mechanics inherent in its progenitor.
Despite the fact that all the tasks in the game are based on programming, even a person who is far from programming can play it thanks to excellent training directly in the process of playing. To make the passage even easier, there are hints and even skips for particularly difficult levels.