Best Puzzle Games Of The 2020s, Ranked

Puzzle games have always been a staple in the gaming world, dating back to point-and-click mystery games in the early days and evolving into expansive experiences that transcend the expectations of the sub-genre. As video games develop faster and faster, there have been plenty of innovations in the puzzle space with new technologies, ideas, and a wider range than ever of brain-melting stories to keep players scratching their heads for hours on end. With no boundaries set on the setting or theme of the game, developers have created countless worlds in every universe imaginable, from cartoon comedy to horror.

There’s no shortage of thought-intensive media to explore and solve, and many games have innovated on some classic ideas from the past, adding endless replayability, VR support, and a boatload more features that keep the puzzles feeling modern and just as challenging as ever. Even gamers who might be more comfortable in fast-paced shooters or tactical RPGs can find joy in the world of puzzle games, with so much to figure out and very low barriers to entry that are only set by how creative and imaginative the players themselves can be.

8

A Little To The Left

Everything In Its Proper Place

Sometimes, simplicity is king, stripping away the concept of complex game mechanics and hyper-realistic graphics in place of charming visuals and satisfying gameplay that still scratches that puzzle itch that so many players are looking for. A Little to the Left ticks those boxes perfectly, offering a relaxing organizational experience that still requires quite a bit of thought at times but isn’t going to stretch the player to their absolute mental limit. A lot of the levels can be solved purely by moving items piece by piece, while others take a bit more thinking both in a logical sense and outside of the box.

With a few secrets and extras to find along the way, the game feels great in every single stage, offering satisfying sorting across a range of household items and objects and making the player want to do a bit of spring cleaning of their own. For players looking for complex and brain-tingling puzzles, the game does lack in that regard. But the overall relaxed experience of moving tools into different boxes, blowing out candles one by one, and sifting through piles of objects is still great and well worth playing for any fans of the puzzle genre or people looking for a calming and low-intensity game to play.

7

Little Nightmares 2

Cute Yet Horrifying

It isn’t easy to live up to the success of an initial title in a sequel, but Little Nightmares 2 certainly does and goes even beyond expectations of what a follow-up can and should be. The biggest draw for the game is the art style and dark, dingy setting that is entirely unique to the franchise and combines elements of horror with devilish puzzles to keep the player engaged and focused amidst the prying eyes of giants ready for a feast. Having an NPC companion to traverse the world with was a welcome change that builds upon plenty of the mechanics found in the original, whilst introducing some added depth with some new options and obstacles that need to be solved as a pair.

Puzzles have existed in horror games for many years now with varying levels of difficulty and challenge, but in Little Nightmares 2, the puzzles are fairly simple overall yet feel significantly more difficult, thanks to the stress and fear of being caught at any moment. By themselves, a player could clear any of them in a matter of moments, but being under constant pressure and time constraints makes each one feel like a momentous task once completed and constantly pushes the player’s composure levels and tests their ability to perform under pressure. It would have been nice to see co-op as an option for the game, but with as was announced, players will have to wait to enter the gloomy world with a pal until the third installment that is coming very soon.

6

Blue Prince

Choose The Rooms Wisely

Bridging the gap between puzzles and roguelikes, Blue Prince is a fantastic game that has a very distinct feel that is hard to find elsewhere. Laid out like a dungeon-exploring board game, players are tasked with navigating an ever-expanding labyrinth of rooms inside a giant mansion, with the goal being to locate the hidden 46th room as requested by the protagonist’s late grandfather. Blending hidden objects, escape rooms, and all the classic puzzle tropes players would expect, the game has a unique sense of replayability and a desire to keep going, as with each new day, the player has to start over, with a few upgrades to help the exploration next time.

It really does feel like a tabletop game, with the footstep governing how far the player can progress and limiting their ability to simply sprint around the place willy-nilly. The combination of strategy, thought, and constant engagement gives the game a new and exciting gameplay loop that stands out against other puzzle titles of a similar kind. It is a game that really rewards knowledge and understanding of the puzzles and the rooms themselves, and players can carefully select which room they want to place next, adding a level of choice and personality to the game and making each run have its own individual feel.

5

Escape Simulator

One Hint Is Never Enough

The idea of working together to solve a set of puzzles and tasks sounds immensely fun and engaging, and for the trickier puzzles, two heads are better than one. With Escape Simualtor, players can hop into a level alone or with a partner and be tested at every single stage, with even a single room demanding so much of the players in such a small area. Each base level is full of hidden hints, mind-bending puzzles, and solutions to make both players go “aha” once solved, and the satisfaction that comes from clearing a tricky level together after spending quite a while stuck staring at the same set of symbols for 30 minutes is unmatched.

One of the best parts about the game is the integration with custom maps on the Steam workshop. It means that even after players have bested all the base levels and even the DLCs, there is a huge library of community maps that are equally, if not more, challenging than those in the original game, giving so much additional content and enough head-scratching to satiate anyone’s hunger for puzzles. It is as close as it gets to a real escape room, and the variety of the problems and settings is immense, with no two stages being the same and all being the perfect way to test the player’s mind and memory.

4

Viewfinder

A Whole New Perspective

Often times, puzzle games will take a concept and stretch it to its absolute limit, exploring different worlds and perspectives that are yet to be tapped into and creating unforgettable experiences that defy convention and normality. Viewfinder does exactly that, allowing the player to interact with the world in wild and amazing ways, like rotating entire structures to create new platforms or using photographs and screens as a means to traverse to the next area. Every single solution fills the player with pure joy, and every time a new mechanic or kind of perspective is introduced, it feels like an entirely new game dimension just entered the playing field.

There have been plenty of games that play with the concepts of altering perspectives in interesting ways, like Superliminal, for instance, but Viewfinder has its own individuality that keeps the puzzles interesting and engaging right until the very end. The whole world is expertly crafted with a narrative that can either be experienced passively or truly appreciated for the beautifully crafted moments that keep the player begging for more. It is a shame that the game is rather short compared to other titles that offer more gameplay, yet in just a short time, the game introduces a whole new world of puzzles that stand atop many others as some of the best out there.

3

Animal Well

As Stunning As It Is Puzzling

Animal Well is a standout indie gem that thrusts players into a hauntingly beautiful pixel-art world where every screen brims with secrets waiting to be unraveled. As a lone blob navigating a labyrinthine underground, the game demands keen observation and creative problem-solving at every turn, with puzzles ranging from single-room conundrums to sprawling multi-area enigmas that test both logic and lateral thinking. The satisfaction of piecing together a solution, whether it’s using a yo-yo to flick a distant switch or blowing bubbles to ascend to new heights, delivers a rush of triumph that lingers long after the puzzle is cracked.

What elevates Animal Well beyond a typical puzzle platformer is its layered design and the sheer density of its mysteries. The game’s world is a treasure trove of hidden passages, cryptic symbols, and unconventional tools like Frisbees and Slinkies, each with multiple ingenious uses that unfold as players experiment and explore. Beyond the initial quest to gather four flames, a deeper post-game beckons, filled with secrets so intricate that they’ve sparked collaborative efforts among players worldwide. This ever-expanding well of discovery ensures that even after hours of play, the game retains its allure, challenging the sharpest minds to peel back its many layers. With its atmospheric tension and rewarding complexity, Animal Well stands as a testament to the power of puzzles to captivate and confound in equal measure.

2

The Talos Principle 2

Even More Mind-Bending Solutions

Beautiful doesn’t really do The Talos Principle 2 justice. A philosophical journey that explores many facets of the mind and the human condition, the game is more than just a simple set of puzzles in a sequence. It speaks to an inner craving for knowledge and understanding and delivers an experience that expands so much upon the original, both in stimulating the mind and provoking deep and interesting thought. The puzzles are solved through a variety of different tools and techniques, each giving the player even more options to create intricate solutions to the well-crafted puzzles that grace every second of the game.

And the environments are simply stunning. With so many different settings and worlds to explore and uncover, the game never feels empty or boring, as the background is constantly full of life and excitement that it is almost distracting and pulls the attention away from the puzzles in order to appreciate their glory. Now, with a third game in the series which is just as exceptional, this second entry is the perfect starting point for any fans of puzzle games looking for their next big hit, and the series as a whole is one of the best narratively and intellectually in all of the puzzle universe.

1

The Case of the Golden Idol

A Truly Interactive Whodunit Experience

There’s nothing like a good mystery to get the cogs turning, and The Case of the Golden Idol is the pinnacle of the detective game, which not only brings a very quirky and individual art style but also provides a comedic yet intellectually stimulating experience that knows no contemporary. Solving each death requires careful attention to all the minute details and an eye for things that may be out of place, letting the player strap on their Sherlock Holmes cap and get down and dirty to reveal and uncover the mysteries of the crimes before them.

With several DLCs and a sequel that is equally good, the gameplay has such a distinctive feeling that it feels more like an actual mystery being solved by the player than a puzzling video game locked behind the screen. The whole game is a puzzle in essence, as with each clue uncovered and smaller detail realized, the player comes closer and closer to figuring out the culpret and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way to surprise and excite the player down the line, emulating a detective novel to perfection and redefining this sub-genre of gaming.