Summary

• Puzzle games are not only mentally stimulating but also provide relaxation and stress reduction, making them a wonderful experience.
• Co-op puzzle games like It Takes Two can strengthen relationships as players learn to communicate and work together as a team.
• Puzzle games come in various genres and are available on multiple platforms, offering a wide selection for players to choose from.

Puzzle games are a genre of video games that not only help keep minds sharp but also can be remarkably relaxing and help reduce stress and anxiety. Whether they are games focused on problem-solving and critical thinking skills, like Tetris, or designed for peaceful stress reduction, a well-crafted puzzle game can be a wonderful experience. Playing cooperatively with another person can also help build relationships as people learn to communicate better and work together as a team.

Puzzle games have been around since the creation of gaming and are often incorporated into almost every game and genre in some way or another; even The Legend of Zelda games are known for having puzzles for players to solve. Though this makes it a broad category, many games are focused on the puzzles themselves, including those shown here in this list. These are just a few of the best puzzle games that are easily available to play right now, although the catalog of puzzle games to choose from is growing daily.

10 Unpacking (2021)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, & Mobile

Unpacking is a short and calming puzzle game that tells the story of one woman's life from childhood through adulthood by looking at her objects during each major move in her life. The puzzles are easy, involving simply unpacking boxes and deciding which rooms and where things need to belong. The game will not progress until items are put away correctly, but they usually are not too difficult to figure out, and players can just relax and unwind with the experience.

For its zen-like qualities and beautiful story told without words, Unpacking has received a Metacritic score of 83 and is available on virtually every current gaming platform. It offers a satisfying feeling seeing everything put away neatly, but for a little extra, players are encouraged to also try for its secret dark star mode.

9 Botany Manor (2024)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, & PC

Botany Manor is a cozy and relaxing take on puzzle solving, with 12 plant-related puzzles taking place across the grounds of an 1800s manor. Playing as a botanist who is putting together an herbarium book, the puzzles in the game are fairly simple, which fits with the overall feeling of relaxation and peace that the game emphasizes. Through clues from various objects around the manor, players put pieces together and work to figure out how to make certain plants grow.

The peaceful rejuvenation that Botany Manor provides has led to it having a Screen Rant review. Though the puzzles may not be challenging, they are engaging and relaxing, offering a fun respite from the world.

8 The Witness (2016)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, PC, & Mobile

The Witness is a solo game that provides over 500 puzzles in its open-world format. The player's character doesn't know who they are or why they are alone on an island and goes out to scour it in search of clues. Combined with a captivating storyline and beautiful art style, it is a wonderful experience for puzzle fans. Though at times it can feel creepy, The Witness offers a deeply philosophical and thought-provoking journey.

The Witness is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, and Android mobile devices, and it has a favorable Metacritic score of 87. Because the puzzles in the game range from simple to incredibly complex, completing The Witness can take anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of game time.

7 Return To Monkey Island (2022)

Available On PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, & Mobile

While Return to Monkey Island is not specifically a puzzle game by genre, but more of a point-and-click adventure game, it includes several puzzles within the journey. Even for someone who has never played the original games in the series, Return to Monkey Island is a game that can provide plenty of humor and fun, filled with puzzles as pirates explore uncharted lands. The point-and-click puzzles can be challenging at times, but the game offers several difficulty settings to make it easier or harder, depending on a player's skill level and personal preference.

Return to Monkey Island has received some criticism for its art style, yet still was able to earn a Metacritic score of 87, with most players appreciating the gameplay and puzzle mechanics. The original Monkey Island games from the 90s are beloved, so Return to Monkey Island had a lot of expectations weighing against it upon release.

6 It Takes Two (2021)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, & PC

It Takes Two is a wonderful example of co-op puzzle gaming where players need to work together to solve various challenges despite the title being labeled as an action platformer. The game does not stick to the same format for each level but offers wildly different experiences, covering many different genres for each section that the characters have to cross. Throughout the entire game, the teamwork becomes a puzzle in itself, as the players must work together constantly to progress.

The cooperative puzzle game with a sweet story has earned a movie adaptation.

5 Peggle (2007)

Available On PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, & Mobile

Peggle is an older game, having first released in 2007, but not only has it made its way onto several platforms over the years, but it has become one of those puzzle games that most people have at least heard of, if not played. The simple and whimsical game involves the very basic premise of shooting balls at pegs and watching them bounce around, hoping to remove all the pegs on the board. While that may not sound too exciting, the game is quite addictive and engaging, always wanting to try for one more round.

Peggle has a must-play Metacritic score of 89. Although it has had sequels and off-shoots of the game, including some mini-Peggle games placed inside popular games such as World of Warcraft, the original remains the most beloved with the highest rating.

4 Tetris Effect (2018)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, & Meta Quest

Regarded by many to be one of the first major puzzle video games, Tetris is still incredibly popular among avid video game fans and non-hobbyists alike. Several off-shoots of the simple game can be enjoyed, including Puyo Puyo Tetris, Tetris 99, and Tricky Towers. Among the numerous titles, however, one that stands out is Tetris Effect, which includes two main modes for its standard gameplay formula: Journey and Effect. Journey takes players through several stages, while Effect has more of the arcade-style layout with a bit more variety.

Effect mode also includes weekly challenges and an online leaderboard to see how players stack up. Tetris Effect has a Screen Rant's best games of all time.

3 World Of Goo (2008)

Available On Nintendo Switch, PC, & Mobile

For silly physics-based puzzles, there are no games that can compare to the chaos that is World of Goo. The game has earned numerous awards since its release in 2008 and is entirely based around using globs of little, living, squirming, and talking goo to make bridges, towers, and even cannonballs. The puzzles that the game provides are hilariously fun and offer a lot of replayability, and there are online competitions for building the tallest towers of goo possible.

World of Goo has a Metacritic rating of 90. Although the game does not suffer because of being nearly two decades old, it finally has the excitement of a sequel coming. World of Goo 2 is scheduled to be released on August 2, 2024, for the Nintendo Switch and PC.

2 Chicory: A Colorful Tale (2021)

Available On PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, & PC

Playing as a dog with a magical paintbrush, Chicory: A Colorful Tale lets players solve puzzles through the use of color in an otherwise black-and-white world. It does explore some darker themes of mental health and perfectionism, through this otherwise cute and cartoony game and is filled with satisfying puzzles that are unique. Using the paintbrush, there are secrets to uncover and areas to unlock, and the puzzles can revolve around using different types of colors or using the environment to work with the paint.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale has a Metacritic score of 90, with many praising its unique game mechanics. The game takes deep look at depression and the effects it can have on people, offering a touching story behind its simplistic coloring-book appearance.

1 Portal 2 (2011)

Available On PC, PS3, Xbox 360, & Nintendo Switch

Portal 2 is a first-person shooter take on the puzzle genre, with its portal gun mechanics allowing connected portals to be opened up wherever the gun is shot. Using these portals, players take on a myriad of puzzles to work their way through the story and discover how to get out of this scientific testing center run by robots. Both this sequel and its original game, Portal, have been touted as some of the best puzzle games and include a lot of humor in addition to the challenging brain-teasers.

On Metacritic, Portal 2 has earned itself a highly impressive rating of 95, and despite it being over a decade old, is one that continues to be replayed by many. The quality of its puzzles and humor have held up well over the years, and its two-player functionality makes it an entertaining puzzle game to play with friends and family.

Sources: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)