Puzzle Games

Why We Puzzle

Complex problems often arise in real-life work, and can leave you feeling frustrated. Put that same, fiendish problem in a puzzle game, however, and you’ll probably enjoy it. There’s something about the context of a puzzle game that makes you able to enjoy that challenge.

You’re not alone in that! Entertainment in the form of puzzles has been around since the dawn of time. Just think of the riddles and mazes you find in ancient mythology—games of meaning designed to tease the brain with their mystery.

The modern puzzle genre is huge, with games taking countless different forms. A newspaper alone might give you word searches, crosswords, sudoku puzzles and more. Puzzle toys, like jigsaws and Rubik’s cubes, have been consistently popular since they were invented. The stagecraft of professional illusionists is, at its core, puzzle-making. We love to be mystified.

Puzzles in Video Games

Over the years, video games have made a significant contribution to the art of puzzle-craft. The right puzzle game will test your mental powers just enough to be fun, providing you with satisfying rewards for each successful step—it could be a row of blocks dissolving in Tetris, or the cascade effect of the right switch in Bejeweled!

The Beginning of Puzzle Games

Puzzle arcade games were there from the beginning of the arcade-gaming era. Atari’s Blockbuster and other classics like Lode Runner, Puzzle Panic and Boulder Dash helped to popularize the genre and it was a good fit for the relatively simple graphics of the time.

Life After Tetris

The release of Tetris and its subsequent bundling with the first Nintendo Game Boys in 1989, saw the puzzler genre really take off. Nowadays, puzzle games remain among the most popular category when it comes to casual online games. The best puzzle games are elegant in design, and take advantage of the more realistic physics possible on modern devices.

Modern games often incorporate strong puzzle elements into more complex worlds. Whether tombs full of traps, or messages from Greek gods, physical puzzles are a strong element of many an action title.

The Elements of Puzzlers

You can usually expect puzzle games to include physics puzzles. In some puzzle games, that means tile-matching or spotting hidden objects. Others ask you to match objects within categories—patterns, shapes, numbers or symbols. Some puzzle video games might have you memorizing certain shapes or symbols. Whatever it tales to test your brain!

Another feature often found in puzzle games is a time limit or limited lives, which increases the pressure on you, testing your ability to think clearly when rushed. Most puzzle games will have increasing levels of difficulty or complexity as you complete and unlock each level, meaning they always present you with a challenge, no matter how good you get.

Puzzle games may be all about challenging your brain to think outside the box but they won’t be very flashy or require a powerful tablet or computer to run, nor will their controls be difficult. In fact, puzzlers are a type of game where simplicity is key! They’re usually deceptively simple in presentation, with intuitive controls and stripped-back interfaces. The humble game of Solitaire is a great example of this, taking moments to understand but years to master.

Many puzzle games take the basic elements of fun levels, interesting gameplay and physics-based problems and add to them an engaging story, placing your puzzle experience in worlds of fun, cute animals, monsters or otherworldly creatures.

The good thing about puzzle games is how much variety you can find in each of the categories—the possibilities are endless, with new variations being created all the time.

Puzzle Games on Gamepix

In this part of the GamePix site, we’ve put together our collection of high-quality online puzzle games. Each browser puzzler comes fully unlocked and free to play, meaning you’ll be able to play on any device that has a web browser, including this one.

Whether you want a five-minute challenge or something a little more serious, our collection of brainteaser games are great for any play style.

At GamePix we’ve got more logic-based puzzles, tile-matching games, timed puzzle challenges, memory training games and slick, physics-based games than you will ever need. Like all of our browser games, our online puzzle games are free and fully unlocked, ready to play whenever you are.

Cut the Rope is a timeless classic, in the hall of fame with the likes of Tetris, Snake and Pac-Man. The objective of feeding Om Nom might seem simple, but cutting the right ropes at the right time to feed him and collect stars is a fun and addictive challenge! In fact, Cut the Rope is so popular that it has spin-off games and a full sequel—all available on GamePix!

Taking advantage of sophisticated physics engines, God of Light lets the player bend, split and multiply light over 150 unique levels and across six beautiful worlds as you help Shiny stop darkness from falling across the universe. This is a remarkable and stunning game filled with great physics-based puzzles and a finely crafted electro soundtrack.

A remake of a legend, Tentrix takes the core values that make Tetris so good and adds a strategic element to play by slowing everything down. With three shapes on the screen at once, you’ll need to drag the shapes into place to delete lines and earn a high score. A simple yet satisfying update to such a legendary puzzle game.

Fireboy and Watergirl is a smash hit so popular that there are five of them. The game puts players in control of two characters. Working together to escape temples by operating different levers and switches, you must use their elemental powers to complete the levels quickly. Each character moves at different speeds, so remember to plan ahead and think on your feet.

Probably one of the oldest games in the world, players old and young will recognize Ultimate Sudoku. Using the power of deduction, you must make sure each row, column and square are filled with numbers one to nine—just one of each. This classic brainteaser browser game will keep you entertained for hours!

FAQs

Are puzzle games good for your brain?

Yes, absolutely. Puzzle games could help you with your focus or brain plasticity. Then there’s the value of fun! Active play can help you relax, promoting mental wellbeing.

Are puzzle games fun?

They certainly are. When it comes to games, everybody’s taste is a little different, but puzzle-based games are one of the most universally popular types of game. No matter your age or where you’re from, there is something deeply satisfying about puzzle games.