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Puzzle Games You Have To Be A Genius To Complete

Puzzle games are often a mixed bag when it comes to difficulty. Some can be brain-numbingly easy, solved without much of a thought. But others can be so complicated that players can give up and never play that game again. These types of games can come in various genres. Most of them adopt a point-and-click style where solving puzzles is based on game logic instead of real-life logic. Lots of games use a first-person perspective, too, so it feels more immersive.


A few developers, especially of games-2010s/”>indie games, go out of their way to make niche puzzle games that only a handful of people will be able to solve. Regardless of what kind of perspective these puzzle games adopt, there’s no denying that the brain teasers featured in these titles are extremely stimulating and will keep players engaged for some time. Of course, these games aren’t for everyone, so it’s important to have a liking for tough puzzle games before players check out these titles for themselves.

Updated December 30, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Puzzle games are a popular niche in gaming that developers experiment with all the time. In-game mechanics need to be polished to perfection if players want to truly immerse themselves. Many games incorporate puzzles in some form or another, but outright puzzle titles that will capture a player’s attention for hours on end need something special to stand out. Some titles achieve this by making each puzzle as mind-bending as possible, letting players enjoy a great sense of satisfaction when they finally manage to solve these dastardly riddles.

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games-forgotten-play/”>13 Forgotten Puzzle games You Need To Play

Puzzle games have not gone anywhere but some greats of the genre tend to be overlooked. Here are 10 forgotten puzzle games worth playing.

1 The Talos Principle 2

A Sequel That Lives Up to Its Predecessor’s Quality

Looking down at a stage from an elevated height

The Talos Principle 2
Platform(s)
PS5 , Xbox Series X and Series S , PC

Released
November 2, 2023

Developer(s)
Croteam

Genre(s)
Puzzle , Adventure , Action/”>Action

The Talos Principle had a lot of the same ingredients that made Portal such a massive success, with its challenging puzzles and beautiful visuals being a treat for the eyes. The success of this game caused fans to ardently request a sequel that would let people experience more of this game’s wonderful world.

The Talos Principle 2 didn’t disappoint in this regard. The follow-up is perfect for fans of the first game, featuring more mechanics, better visuals, and a philosophical narrative that players can engage with if they wish.

2 Stephen’s Sausage Roll

The Simple Act of Roasting Sausages Is Deceptively Hard

Stephen's Sausage Roll

The title of this game can make people think that the premise is silly…and that’s because it is. All players have to do is take a sausage on a tile-based grid and cook it over special grill tiles on both sides before returning to the starting position. However, as the levels progress, players will soon figure out that this is easier said than done.

There are games/”>many fail states for each puzzle, such as burning a sausage by grilling it too much or causing the sausage to fall off the level. All these situations become harder to avoid as the puzzles increase in complexity, making for an engaging title that will stimulate players’ brains.

3 Deadly Rooms Of Death

This Legendary Puzzle Game Can Boggle Players’ Minds to No End

Deadly Rooms Of Death

It’s mind-blowing that a game made in 1996 is still touted by many as one of the hardest puzzle games ever made. The fact that Deadly Rooms of Death spawned an entire series and attracted a loyal fanbase shows how effective its gameplay loop was, despite relying on simplified gameplay mechanics with tile-based level design.

Players have to use a huge sword to try and take out the many enemies and monsters that inhabit a dungeon, with enemies taking turns and players having to deduce their movement patterns to figure out the best way possible to deal with these foes. The game takes no prisoners and requires a lot of logical thinking from the get-go, which can be frustrating but ultimately rewarding when players get through some of the harder levels.

4 Mini Metro

Connecting Metro Lines Without Issues is a Pain

Mini Metro game switch

Mini Metro

Released
August 11, 2014

Developer
Dinosaur Polo Club

Genre(s)
Simulation , Strategy

Puzzle games take some interesting concepts and incorporate them to keep players interested in the long haul. Mini Metro is a great example. At a glance, the idea of games/”>constructing a metro system with a minimalist interface can sound very boring. However, Mini Metro molds this concept to make it engaging over multiple levels, making it an absolute gem of a title,

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These co-op games will test the group’s puzzle-solving skills.

While initially seeming simple, Mini Metro hooks players by forcing them to map out the connectivity to multiple stations as more and more of these platforms start popping up over time. It’s important to be efficient and connect platforms with the most efficient railway line to prevent overcrowding, which can lead to a game over sooner rather than later.

5 The Secret of Monkey Island

Moon Logic Makes Puzzles a Pain to Complete

monkey-island-pick-up-the-idol

The Secret of Monkey Island features some of the best and most challenging puzzles around. Whether players are using dance steps to locate buried treasure or transferring grog from mug to mug to bust a convicted flower thief out of jail, they need to use their brains.

What makes The Secret of Monkey Island such a great puzzle game is the varying degrees of difficulty that its puzzles offer. Some of them, like rescuing Guybrush from the bottom of the ocean after he’s been caught stealing an idol, are so simple that many players will overlook the obvious solution, while others do require quite a bit of thought.

6 Braid

Rewinding Time to Solve Puzzles is Surprisingly Challenging

Braid protgaonist standing on a bridge

Braid

Released
August 6, 2008

Developer(s)
Number None Inc

Genre(s)
Puzzle , Platformer

On the surface, Braid may not look all that complicated. Players can beat the game in a little over twenty minutes simply by running from left to right. Those looking to unlock the game’s true ending, however, will need to collect puzzle pieces, which can require a great deal of skill and thought.

Much of Braid‘s difficulty is derived from its excellent time manipulation mechanics, which will need to be used extensively to obtain all of the puzzle pieces. That players have the option of speeding through the game is a nice touch, though, as is the simplistic yet incredibly vibrant art style when compared with the game’s darker tone.

7 Portal 2

Hard, Challenging, Satisfying Puzzles in a Great Sequel

portal 2 co op

Portal 2

Released
April 18, 2011

Genre(s)
Puzzle , Platformer

ESRB
E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language

Split Screen Orientation
Vertical Or Horizontal

Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified

Portal 2 took everything that made the first Portal game great and cranked it right up to 11. The introduction of gels added a whole new dimension to puzzle-solving and helped to keep the formula feeling fresh. Perhaps the greatest addition, however, was games/”>co-op multiplayer, which has the potential to be incredibly difficult for both players.

Figuring out the solution to a particular puzzle can be challenging, but executing it and mastering the timing is something else. Throw in the fact that players will also need to games-for-couples/”>rely on the skill and brainpower of their partner, and Portal 2 has the potential to be one of the most difficult and frustrating puzzle games around.

8 Broken Sword

A Legendary Adventure with Brain-Melting Puzzles

Broken Sword The Shadow of the Templars - character walking down the street

The Broken Sword series is games-hold-up-today/”>one of the finest titles that the point-and-click genre has to offer, and made its name through its thought-provoking puzzles and lovable cast. Players take control of an American tourist named George Stobbart, who finds himself caught up in the middle of a villainous plot to take over the world. Thanks to his astute actions, though, he’s able to persevere.

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The game borrows a lot from real-world history and adds embellishments to create a caper that’s as enjoyable as it is challenging. Players will need to think outside the box if they’re to have any chance of stopping the Neo-Templars, and they’ll need common sense as well. The infamous goat puzzle is the game’s most memorable, but it is just one of many that will take a bit of time to figure out.

9 Human Fall Flat

Goofy Physics Get in the Way of Solving Puzzles

Human: Fall Flat

Human Fall Flat

Released
July 22, 2016

Developer(s)
No Brakes games

Genre(s)
Platformer , Puzzle

Physics-based puzzle games have become increasingly popular since the release of Portal in 2007. Human Fall Flat falls some way short of matching Valve’s masterpiece, but that’s not to say that it has nothing to offer. It might not look like it, but buried beneath its simplistic art style is a game that is both challenging and enjoyable, especially when played with friends.

Admittedly, some of the game’s difficulty does arise from games-physics-worst-funny/”>its wonky controls and physics, although this seems to have been by design. The rest stems from some well-designed puzzles that require both a great deal of thought and patience to solve. It perhaps lacks the same level of replayability as some of the other great puzzle games out there, but Human Fall Flat is worth playing at least once.

10 Baba Is You

The Game’s Coding Itself is Part of Mind-Bending Puzzles

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Baba Is You

Released
March 13, 2019

Developer(s)
Hempuli

Genre(s)
Puzzle

Baba Is You is games-2019-best-top/”>one of the best indie games of the past few years, and it does a fantastic job of gradually cranking up the difficulty as players progress. There’s not much of a narrative, but the game makes up for this with its unique and creative mechanics. It might look simple, though it is anything but.

Players will need to think both clearly and logically if they’re to have any hope of completing the game. As they progress, they’ll find a real sense of achievement as they begin to master the game’s mechanics. With a cross-platform level designer currently in the works, there’s potential for some even more challenging stages looming large on the horizon as well.

11 Opus Magnum

An Educational Game With Puzzle-Based Programming

Opus Magnum

An educational game rarely manages to be entertaining, but that’s exactly what programmer Zach Barth achieved with his 2017 title Opus Magnum. It’s a game that’s designed for programmers (or those looking to learn the craft) and allows players to design devices to complete a wide variety of tasks. It can be a little daunting at first, but it’s incredibly intuitive and can be picked up in a matter of hours.

Once players have gotten the hang of things, they should have little trouble completing the game’s tasks, as there are countless ways of doing so. Those hoping to have their names immortalized on the game’s leaderboards will need to put some real thought into their designs, though, as the competition at the top is quite stiff. Finding the perfect solution will require not only brains, but considerable time and perseverance.

12 The Bizarre Adventures Of Woodruff And The Schnibble

Classic Moon Logic Adventure Game Puzzling

The Bizarre Adventures Of Woodruff And The Schnibble

Although games/”>Sierra’s King’s Quest series has its fair share of difficult puzzles, most of them look like child’s play compared to the ones found in the company’s earlier title, The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble. This wonderfully illustrated adventure game is teeming with perplexing puzzles that will require a considerable amount of reasoning to solve. Either that or some kind of walkthrough or guide.

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It’s one of those games where the developer seems to have gone to great lengths to prevent players from progressing through trial and error, which can, at times, make it incredibly infuriating. Those who can master its challenging puzzles will come away with a real sense of achievement, even if they remain confused by the game’s convoluted plot.

13 Return Of The Obra Dinn

Solve Every Casualty on the Titular Ghost Ship

Return Of The Obra Dinn

Return of the Obra Dinn

Released
October 18, 2018

Developer(s)
Lucas Pope

Genre(s)
Adventure , Puzzle , Horror

Return Of The Obra Dinn is a prime example of a developer creating a unique and niche puzzle game. Return of the Obra Dinn is about a missing ship that had been classed as lost at sea, and drifts into port with no crew and damaged sails.

Players control an insurance investigator who has the power to see into the final moments of someone dying, as well as hear their last seconds. By using this power, they must determine how people died so that they can decide if payment is due. Ultimately, they’ll need to solve the puzzle of the ship of what ultimately happened on board.

14 Myst

A Classic First-Person Adventure Game with Tough, Time-Consuming Puzzles

Myst

Myst
Platform(s)
macOS , PC , PS1 , PSP , Sega Saturn , Nintendo DS , 3DS , Switch , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released
September 24, 1993

Developer(s)
Cyan Worlds Inc

Genre(s)
Puzzle

Myst is a first-person adventure title, which is once again oddly unique. The game gives players very little backstory, and no goal or purpose is laid out. There is no time limit or risk of death; all players must do is explore and find everything out for themselves.

Players can interact with the world by clicking and dragging on objects with scenes of the game. And this is how players solve the puzzles in the world of Myst. To complete the game, players must discover books that transport them to several different Ages, and then those mini-world puzzles must be solved. The existence of multiple endings in this game encourages replayability too.

15 The Witness

Takes a Simple Problem and Runs With It

The Witness

The Witness

Released
January 26, 2016

Developer(s)
Thekla Inc.

Publisher(s)
Thekla Inc.

Genre(s)
Puzzle

ESRB
E For Everyone due to Alcohol Reference

The Witness is an games-2016/”>indie game from 2016 very much inspired by the aforementioned Myst. The entire game is set in first-person, and players must interact with the world around them. Players awake on a strange island and must solve the puzzles there to escape.

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More or less, all puzzles are the same: a path is drawn on a grid. But the beauty of this game is how they are portrayed and the rules behind each puzzle. As the problems get harder, the grid is no longer important, as the environment and objects are used instead. There are over 650 puzzles in the game. The Witness has a great open-world feel, too, as regions don’t have to be completed in order, so if players get stuck, they can move on.

16 The Talos Principle

Clever Puzzles that Slowly Increase in Difficulty

The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle

Released
December 11, 2014

Developer(s)
Croteam

Genre(s)
Puzzle

The Talos Principle is a narrative-based puzzle game, but it can be played from a first and third-person perspective. In this game, players control a robot that seems human. Players have to solve a plethora of different puzzles to move on to the next area. But as players progress through the Talos Principle, the difficulty increases with more puzzle elements being added into the mix, like jump pads, the use of clones, and more.

These puzzles can and will kill players if they’re not careful, as there are multiple things within the puzzle course that are capable of destroying them in an instant. But alas, there is no penalty for dying, apart from the puzzle being reset.

17 Unheard

Audio is the Only Tool Players Have to Solve Cases

Unheard video game

Unheard is another beautiful example of Indie developers creating a unique and brilliant game. With Unheard, players control an Acoustic Detective, using only audio to solve cases. Using a specific device, it’s possible to eavesdrop on conversations from past crime scenes.

However, all clues, motives, and everything else are presented in the form of audio. Match names to voices determine fake screams to real ones. Everything is not given to players on a silver platter; instead, they become the fly on the wall. To observe, to listen, to solve. Attention to detail is paramount with this title to solve the puzzles within.

18 The Turing Test

Solve a String of Tough Puzzles Created by a Mysterious AI

The Turing Test

The Turing Test

Developer(s)
Bulkhead Interactive

Genre(s)
Puzzle

The Turing Test is a first-person puzzle game set up in space on the moon of Jupiter named Europa. Play as an engineer for a Space Agency that has sent players on a mission. This mission is to find the cause of the disappearance of the ground crew who were stationed there.

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However, upon their arrival, the AI, Tom, has been busy creating tests that only a human can solve. And apparently, these tests were created by the ground crew. Players will need to use different perspectives and the ability to transfer power between machines to solve all of the puzzles Tom has laid out for them as they discover what happened to the ground crew.

19 SpaceChem

Manipulate Molecules and Atoms

SpaceChem gameplay

SpaceChem is a design-based puzzle game, and the whole premise is to manipulate molecules and atoms in reactors to create new ones. Then build even more reactors with different molecules to even more complex molecules.

However, knowing chemistry is not needed to play this title, as it uses pseudo-science to engage and teach players what they need to know. The puzzles, of course, get more difficult as they progress through the game. In some cases, people have never finished this game due to the difficulty of the later levels, as it becomes very time-consuming.

20 Fez

This Game Does Something Truly Intriguing with Perspective

Fez

Fez

Genre(s)
Puzzle , Platformer

Released
April 13, 2012

Fez is an indie puzzle game that is both 2D and 3D. This is the unique game mechanic that Fez has to offer. The game is played in 2D; however, the world is 3D, but only in 90-degree increments, which means that the world only has four facings. But the rotation mechanic is essential to the game, as this is the pain puzzle aspect of Fez, that a different angle can reveal new paths and secrets that were not there before.

The main premise of Fez is to collect cubes and cube fragments to restore order to the universe; to do this, players must explore the 3D world of Fez and complete an array of different puzzles. There are no enemies or bosses, as Fez prioritizes its puzzle-solving aspects over all else.

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