Steamhas a world of opportunity for gamers, with practically every genre of videogame under the sun available. One of the most underrated game genres is puzzles. At their core, all video games are puzzles, as players are constantly challenged to find solutions to the problems in their gaming lives.
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From solving murder mysteries to peacefully trying to unpack moving boxes,puzzle gamesare a genre that has definitely evolved over recent years. The puzzle games featured on this list are much more interesting and versatile than a standard jigsaw puzzle and deserve more attention.
11I’m On Observation Duty
I’m On Observation Dutyis available to play on PC, Android, and iOS.
Although there are technically 5I’m On Observation Dutygames, the basic premise for all of them is the same. Players must monitor live surveillance camera footage and spot anomalies in these rooms.
As the night progresses, these frightful anomalies become more and more frequent. Hence, players need to familiarize themselves with the environments and objects in each room. Beware of jump scares inthis psychological horrorgame.
10Please Fix The Road
Please Fix The Roadis available to play on PC.
Please Fix The Roadis a colorful andcasual building-simulatorpuzzle game. As the title suggests, it involves fixing roads to make them functional, using a limited selection of tools.
Satisfaction is guaranteed as players rotate and move tiles around to create a piece of road to allow cars, boats, and even pink llamas to get from Point A to Point B. Its minimalist art style offers a peaceful escape from reality without the stress of actually building a road.
9Tangle Tower
Tangle Toweris available to play on PC.
Tangle Toweris a classicdetective point-and-click puzzle game. Players are tasked with unraveling the mystery of this twisted mansion, dampened by a murder.
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Players can interrogate potential suspects, discover suspicious clues in the environment and solve clever logic puzzles. Tangle Tower features some excellent voice-acting in its visual-novel animation style.
8In Sound Mind
In Sound Mindis available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
In Sound Mindis a first-person psychologicalhorror game with a plethora of puzzles. Players take on the role of Desmond Wales, a therapist who deals with patients having mental crises. The levels are linked to his patients, as players discover tapes of their therapy sessions and their mental breaking points.
There is a well-produced soundtrack, an in-depth storyline tackling complex themes, and puzzle-based boss fights. Overall, players will discover that the most terrifying thing is the depths of their own minds.
7Tunic
Tunicis available to play on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5.
Explore a world filled with ancient powers, puzzles and more inTunic. Stranded and alone, players must trust their curiosity, investigate hidden secrets, rebuild the game’s Instruction Manual, and battle colossal creatures.
Tunichas a mixture of puzzles, allowing for diverse and fresh gameplay involving memory elements, collecting in-game items to use later on, and mini-game puzzles. With an atmosphere similar to theLegend of Zeldagames,play as a small fox on the adventure of a lifetime.
6Escape Simulator
Escape Simulatoris available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
Ever wanted to complete an escape room without actually leaving the house?Escape Simulatorhas that covered. It is a first-person puzzle game that can be completed solo or with a party of2-3 other players – two (or more) heads are better than one.
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Players can exploreinteractive escape roomsby moving furniture, smashing objects, picking everything up, and examining it. There are 20 escape rooms in total, all with different themes. There are frequent updates and community-made rooms, so there’s always a puzzle to be solved.
5Monument Valley
Monument Valley: Panoramic Editionis available to play on PC, Android, and iOS.
Embark on a revolutionary journey with a gorgeous color palette and illusionary puzzles inMonument Valley: Panoramic Edition. It wasoriginally a mobile gamebut has recently been adapted to suit PC.
With a click of the mouse, manipulate in-game monuments to create evolving paths to explore new worlds and otherwise impossible pathways in an ever-changing environment.Monument Valleyis the perfect game for sitting down and relaxing while taking in thepeaceful, aesthetically pleasingenvironments.
4Unravel
Unravelis available to play on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
If players are looking for a game similar toLittle NightmaresorLimbo, look no further than this cotton equivalent. InUnravel, play as Yarny, a being made up of a single thread of yarn that is slowly unraveling. Yarny’s character resembles the ties that bind people together as it explores a world of memories.
Unravelis a physics-basedpuzzle platformer gameas Yarny can use their yarn to swing from tree branches or even hitch a ride on a flying kite. It is relatively easy to fall due to the physics aspects; players must use momentum to swing to new heights.
3Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forestis available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
Ori and the Blind Forestis a puzzle-action platformer. It is a story-driven adventure with agorgeous aesthetic and a Studio Ghibli atmosphere. It is far from peaceful, though some have even described it as “Souls-like” in difficulty. It certainly helps that every panel inOri and the Blind Forestlooks like it could be made into a desktop wallpaper.
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After a raging storm sets the game’s events into motion, an unlikely orphan must confront a dark nemesis to save the forest he calls home. Timed puzzles, challenging jumps, fantastic level design, anda tear-jerking storyall feature in this adorably deceiving game. The sequel,Ori and the Will of the Wispsis designed forplayers that can’t get enough of this style of game!
2The Talos Principle
The Talos Principleis available to play on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.
The Talos Principlesets players off as a robot tasked with completing different challenges and follows the commands of a God-like figure talking in their head.Somewhat influenced by thePortalseries, the puzzles inThe Talos Principleall ramp up in difficulty as players progress through the different stages.
They reuse some previous mechanics to keep gameplay fresh. The story is also full of philosophical questions, getting players to consider their purpose while solving head-scratching challenges. Try not to have an existential crisis while playingThe Talos Principle.
