I love puzzle games. I would really like to hear from restera members on this subject. Please let me know your favourite puzzle games. When making your suggestion/post, please describe the type of puzzle game you are discussing. Is it a first-person puzzle game with narrative elements (like Portal or QUBE)? Is it a 2D cinematic puzzle platformer (like Limbo or INSIDE)? Is it a visual novel that requires deductive reasoning (like Ace Attorney or Danganronpa)? And so on.
Some of my top picks are below. I do admit that in some cases, I'm stretching the definition of "puzzle" game. For example, I almost added Celeste to this list. I do like to think of it as a puzzle game (you have to piece together the correct moves to make in every platforming room), and Celeste is one of my all-time favourite games of last generation - but I decided against including it in my list. For posters contributing to this thread: Feel free to use a relaxed definition, because I would love to hear about as many puzzles in games as possible.
Anyhow, here is my list, in no particular order:
Botany Manor
Developed by: Balloon Studios
Released: April 9, 2024
Platforms: Xbox, Switch, and PC
Sub-Genre: First-person puzzle game with very mild narrative elements
Description: Welcome to Botany Manor, a stately home in 19th century England. You play as inhabitant Arabella Greene, a retired botanist. Explore your house and gardens, filled with research, to figure out the ideal habitat of forgotten flora. Grow each plant to discover the mysterious qualities they hold…
Why OP loves the game: This game's puzzles consist of "flower recipes". Throughout the game, you encounter flowers that you must help bloom - and the specific steps and materials needed to bloom each flower are puzzles unto themselves. It is really satisfying putting all the pieces together and seeing your flower bloom on-screen.
Cocoon
Developed by: Geometric Interactive
Released: September 29, 2023
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: 3D isometric
Description: Cocoon is a unique take on the puzzle adventure genre, where each world exists within an orb that you can carry on your back. Wrap your head around the core mechanic of leaping between worlds—and combine, manipulate, and rearrange them to solve intricate puzzles
Why OP loves the game: There were multiple moments in this game that made me audibly gasp and say to myself "I cannot believe that just happened". There are a lot of "world inside a world inside a world" shenanigans that occur in this game. I prefer not to elaborate further, to help preserve the surprise for prospective players.
Little Nightmares II
Developed by: Tarsier Studios
Released: February 10, 2021
Sub-Genre: 2D cinematic puzzle platformer, with strong horror elements
Description: Little Nightmares II is a suspense-adventure game in which you play as Mono, a young boy trapped in a world that has been distorted by the humming transmission of a distant tower. With Six, the girl in a yellow raincoat, as his guide, Mono sets out to discover the dark secrets of The Signal Tower and save Six from her terrible fate; but their journey will not be straightforward as Mono and Six will face a gallery of new threats from the terrible residents of this world. Will you dare to face this collection of new, little nightmares?
Why OP loves the game: For so long I've looked at Playdead as leaders of 2D cinematic puzzle platformers. Limbo set the original standard, and INSIDE redefined the standard. Little Nightmares II is a game that finally achieves that same level of quality. I loved the marriage between puzzles and platforming in this game, along with the moody, horror atmosphere that permeated every level.
OP's note: Don't pass on the original Little Nightmares! That one is good too!
Pentiment:
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment
Released: November 15, 2022
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: 2D visual novel, murder mystery
Description: A 16th-century narrative adventure set in Upper Bavaria, following Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist working in the bygone scriptorium of Kiersau Abbey during a time of great social unrest. While finishing his masterpiece, Andreas inadvertently becomes entangled in a series of murders that take place over 25 years. Peasants, thieves, craftsmen, monks, nuns, nobles, and even saints must be investigated and interrogated to expose the truth.
Why OP loves the game: I'm a fan of great visual novels, and there is an emphatic uniqueness to this specific game that is really compelling. I haven't seen any other games set in the 16th century, with beautiful, 2D graphics and art style that evoke a masterful painting. I haven't seen any other games tackle the concept of time limited murder investigation the way this game does. And I haven't seen other games tackle religion, hsitory, and the epistemological notion of truth the way Pentiment does.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Developed by: Spike Chunsoft
Released: January 12, 2017
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: Visual novel murder mystery, with 3D first-person exploration interspersed
Description: Welcome to a new world of Danganronpa, and prepare yourself for the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet. Set in a "psycho-cool" environment, a new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Why OP loves the game: I love visual novels, and I love Battle-Royale-esque / Hunger-Games-esque / Squid-Games-esque death games. This game is peak fiction in my eyes.
OP's note: Don't forget the first two Danganronpa games!
Tunic
Developed by: Andrew Shouldice
Released: March 16, 2022
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mac
Sub-Genre: 3D isometric adventure game, with Zelda-like and Dark-Souls-like battle system
Description: Tunic is an action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world. Explore the wilderness, discover spooky ruins, and fight terrible creatures from long ago.
Why OP loves the game: One part isometric Legend of Zelda, one part Dark Souls, one part Fez, and one part The Witness. Bake on oven rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. And voila - you have a masterpiece. But if I were to come up with one specific quality, the best part of the game overall, is the way the game treats its instruction manual. How you play the game is a mystery, and you slowly piece together the game mechanics, the game's purpose, the overworld, etc. by collecting pieces of the instruction manual one by one.
There are a lot more puzzle games I'm leaving off this list, to help keep the OP shorter. Games like Braid, Portal 2, Fez, Limbo, INSIDE, The Turing Test, The Witness, Unravel, etc.
Some of my top picks are below. I do admit that in some cases, I'm stretching the definition of "puzzle" game. For example, I almost added Celeste to this list. I do like to think of it as a puzzle game (you have to piece together the correct moves to make in every platforming room), and Celeste is one of my all-time favourite games of last generation - but I decided against including it in my list. For posters contributing to this thread: Feel free to use a relaxed definition, because I would love to hear about as many puzzles in games as possible.
Anyhow, here is my list, in no particular order:
Botany Manor
Developed by: Balloon Studios
Released: April 9, 2024
Platforms: Xbox, Switch, and PC
Sub-Genre: First-person puzzle game with very mild narrative elements
Description: Welcome to Botany Manor, a stately home in 19th century England. You play as inhabitant Arabella Greene, a retired botanist. Explore your house and gardens, filled with research, to figure out the ideal habitat of forgotten flora. Grow each plant to discover the mysterious qualities they hold…
Why OP loves the game: This game's puzzles consist of "flower recipes". Throughout the game, you encounter flowers that you must help bloom - and the specific steps and materials needed to bloom each flower are puzzles unto themselves. It is really satisfying putting all the pieces together and seeing your flower bloom on-screen.
Cocoon
Developed by: Geometric Interactive
Released: September 29, 2023
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: 3D isometric
Description: Cocoon is a unique take on the puzzle adventure genre, where each world exists within an orb that you can carry on your back. Wrap your head around the core mechanic of leaping between worlds—and combine, manipulate, and rearrange them to solve intricate puzzles
Why OP loves the game: There were multiple moments in this game that made me audibly gasp and say to myself "I cannot believe that just happened". There are a lot of "world inside a world inside a world" shenanigans that occur in this game. I prefer not to elaborate further, to help preserve the surprise for prospective players.
Little Nightmares II
Developed by: Tarsier Studios
Released: February 10, 2021
Sub-Genre: 2D cinematic puzzle platformer, with strong horror elements
Description: Little Nightmares II is a suspense-adventure game in which you play as Mono, a young boy trapped in a world that has been distorted by the humming transmission of a distant tower. With Six, the girl in a yellow raincoat, as his guide, Mono sets out to discover the dark secrets of The Signal Tower and save Six from her terrible fate; but their journey will not be straightforward as Mono and Six will face a gallery of new threats from the terrible residents of this world. Will you dare to face this collection of new, little nightmares?
Why OP loves the game: For so long I've looked at Playdead as leaders of 2D cinematic puzzle platformers. Limbo set the original standard, and INSIDE redefined the standard. Little Nightmares II is a game that finally achieves that same level of quality. I loved the marriage between puzzles and platforming in this game, along with the moody, horror atmosphere that permeated every level.
OP's note: Don't pass on the original Little Nightmares! That one is good too!
Pentiment:
Developed by: Obsidian Entertainment
Released: November 15, 2022
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: 2D visual novel, murder mystery
Description: A 16th-century narrative adventure set in Upper Bavaria, following Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist working in the bygone scriptorium of Kiersau Abbey during a time of great social unrest. While finishing his masterpiece, Andreas inadvertently becomes entangled in a series of murders that take place over 25 years. Peasants, thieves, craftsmen, monks, nuns, nobles, and even saints must be investigated and interrogated to expose the truth.
Why OP loves the game: I'm a fan of great visual novels, and there is an emphatic uniqueness to this specific game that is really compelling. I haven't seen any other games set in the 16th century, with beautiful, 2D graphics and art style that evoke a masterful painting. I haven't seen any other games tackle the concept of time limited murder investigation the way this game does. And I haven't seen other games tackle religion, hsitory, and the epistemological notion of truth the way Pentiment does.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Developed by: Spike Chunsoft
Released: January 12, 2017
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC
Sub-Genre: Visual novel murder mystery, with 3D first-person exploration interspersed
Description: Welcome to a new world of Danganronpa, and prepare yourself for the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet. Set in a "psycho-cool" environment, a new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Why OP loves the game: I love visual novels, and I love Battle-Royale-esque / Hunger-Games-esque / Squid-Games-esque death games. This game is peak fiction in my eyes.
OP's note: Don't forget the first two Danganronpa games!
Tunic
Developed by: Andrew Shouldice
Released: March 16, 2022
Platforms: Playstation, Xbox, Switch, PC, Mac
Sub-Genre: 3D isometric adventure game, with Zelda-like and Dark-Souls-like battle system
Description: Tunic is an action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world. Explore the wilderness, discover spooky ruins, and fight terrible creatures from long ago.
Why OP loves the game: One part isometric Legend of Zelda, one part Dark Souls, one part Fez, and one part The Witness. Bake on oven rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. And voila - you have a masterpiece. But if I were to come up with one specific quality, the best part of the game overall, is the way the game treats its instruction manual. How you play the game is a mystery, and you slowly piece together the game mechanics, the game's purpose, the overworld, etc. by collecting pieces of the instruction manual one by one.
There are a lot more puzzle games I'm leaving off this list, to help keep the OP shorter. Games like Braid, Portal 2, Fez, Limbo, INSIDE, The Turing Test, The Witness, Unravel, etc.
