Puzzle games
The genre that tests logic, pattern recognition and problem solving, and rewards thinking over reflexes.
What is the puzzle genre?
A puzzle game gives you a set of rules and asks you to find a solution within them. The solution is often not hidden; you just have to see it. That is why the genre's best moment is the sudden click of understanding after being stuck in front of the screen for minutes.
The genre spans a wide field: From classic box-pushing and tile-sliding designs to levels that play with physics, and three-dimensional puzzle adventures set inside a space. Some are made for breaks of a few minutes, others for a mental marathon of dozens of hours.
What defines it?
The rules are clear; the solution depends on understanding the system, not on luck.
A good puzzle game quietly teaches a new rule in a simple level first.
Progress comes from the player understanding, not from the character getting stronger.
Most games set no timer; those that do offer it as a separate layer of challenge.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Puzzle games (48)
Hoa 2 TR
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf TR
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis TR
The House of Hikmah TR
Marble Odyssey: Sandbox TR
The August Before TR
Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth TR
7
Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile TR
Monument Valley 2 TR
Monument Valley TR
Hidden Folks TR
Recur TR
Dorfromantik TR
Monument Valley 3 TR
Angry Birds Bounce TR
Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes TR
Little Nightmares TR
Retro Classics TR
American Arcadia TR
Neighbours from Hell TR
Wordle TR
9
Blue Prince TR
Leila TR
Infinity Nikki TR
Frequently asked questions
Do puzzle games count as brain training?
These games rely on pattern recognition and problem solving, and you use those skills while playing. Claims of a lasting effect on general intelligence are scientifically disputed, so it is better not to judge games by such a promise.
Do puzzle and adventure games mix?
Often. In what are called puzzle-adventures, the way to move a story forward is to solve puzzles scattered around the locations.