Portal 2 2011
Why it still holds upA few simple tools that combine keep producing new puzzles, and the writing and characters carry them, so it still plays well today.
Puzzle games that still hold up
The moments that stop you until you work it out
Games
Portal 2 2011
Why it still holds upA few simple tools that combine keep producing new puzzles, and the writing and characters carry them, so it still plays well today.
Return of the Obra Dinn 2018
Why it still holds upIts deduction holds up today because nobody tells you who anyone is, so you piece together who was where and when.
Portal 2007
Why it still holds upOne tool and its momentum rules still open many solutions today, and the humour and writing make you want to keep going.
Tetris 1989
Why it still holds upIts single simple rule is why it still plays well: it is easy to understand, and it gets harder as the speed rises.
The Talos Principle 2014
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reward finding alternate uses for a small set of tools, with several solutions to many, are the reason to play it now.
Braid 2008
Why it still holds upOne idea, rewinding time, with a fresh rule in each world, makes every mistake part of solving the puzzle, and that is the reason to play it now.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective 2010
Why it still holds upEach puzzle is still one chain of small object changes inside a fixed room, with a mystery plot pulling it along.
Tetris Effect 2018
Why it still holds upRotating, clearing and scoring trigger audio cues, and the music sets the pace of the falling pieces, so learning how each song changes the pace still gives every stage a rhythm to master today.
The Witness 2016
Why it still holds upEach puzzle is a small discovery: you work out the rules yourself, and you can still leave a region when you are stuck.
Monument Valley II 2017
Why it still holds upSingle screen perspective puzzles with simple touch controls, and a new idea in every level instead of a reused one, still keep each screen worth solving today.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes 2015
Why it still holds upSaying out loud what is on the bomb is the only way to share it, so every round is a conversation under pressure that suits a group today.
Machinarium 2009
Why it still holds upPuzzles stay in one place and the world is told without words, so each room is a self contained riddle that is easy to dip into now.
Supraland 2019
Why it still holds upPuzzle ideas that rarely repeat, and landmarks to navigate by instead of a map, give you a reason to explore it today.
Lemmings 2: The Tribes 1993
Why it still holds upEach level is a puzzle about who to spare, with skills you have to ration and levels that need several lemmings to survive, and it absorbs you today.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 2008
Why it still holds upWith no time limit and hints paid for with coins you find, each puzzle can still be taken at your own pace today.
Little Nightmares II 2021
Why it still holds upSlow stretches of sneaking that give way to desperate escapes, with a companion at your side, still keep the tension today.
Gunpoint 2013
Why it still holds upA cross section that shows every guard and circuit lets you plan a route before moving, and that planning still pays off.
Professor Layton and the Curious Village 2007
Why it still holds upWith puzzles given by the villagers and hidden in objects, every conversation is still a possible challenge today.
Grindstone 2019
Why it still holds upEvery move is a plan for the next ten, since combos need ten kills in a row, and it works as a puzzle today.
Opus Magnum 2017
Why it still holds upSolutions are ranked on three measures and you can go back and improve a machine that already works, which is a reason to return to it today.
Peggle Nights 2008
Why it still holds upBecause one shot can clear a board, each launch is still a small gamble today.
Katamari Forever 2009
Why it still holds upRolling up ever larger objects to make stars is still the whole idea, and it is quick to grasp now.
Mario's Super Picross 1995
Why it still holds upYou still slow down and check each clue, because mistakes cost double time.
The Incredible Machine 1992
Why it still holds upEvery failure is still yours to fix, because a machine behaves the same way every time.
The Incredible Machine 2 1994
Why it still holds upBuilding a puzzle and then solving it still makes the parts a toy box to play with.
Antichamber 2013
Why it still holds upA space that breaks your expectations of space still sends you back to look again.
Panel de Pon 1995
Why it still holds upSwaps that set off chains, against a stack that never stops rising, still make it quick to pick up today.
The Room 2012
Why it still holds upA quiet hour with a tactile puzzle is still what this game offers.
Picross 3D: Round 2 2015
Why it still holds upWorking in space rather than on a flat grid is still the whole of the challenge today.
Pushmo 2011
Why it still holds upWith a rewind and a skip option, a spatial puzzle never turns into a wall, which makes it comfortable to pick up now.
SpaceChem 2011
Why it still holds upThe two waldos still make the answer a program, and a program can always be made shorter.
Infinifactory 2015
Why it still holds upThe satisfaction of building a machine that solves a problem is one players can still get here.
Roll Away 1998
Also known as Kula World
Why it still holds upA ball that turns gravity as it rolls still makes each level a puzzle of its own today.
Shanghai 1986
Why it still holds upMatching tiles one pair at a time is a puzzle that still fits a few minutes today.
Crush 2007
Why it still holds upFlattening a level in your head opens a path that was not there.
Baba Is You 2019
Why it still holds upThe rules are the material you move, and today that one idea still carries the whole game.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker 2014
Why it still holds upEvery ledge is still a puzzle, since the characters cannot jump.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box 2007
Also known as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box
Why it still holds upEvery stop still has its own brainteaser, across puzzles spread along a train journey.
Tetrisphere 1997
Why it still holds upA sphere to dig into makes it a puzzle game unlike most Tetris.
Threes! 2014
Why it still holds upGames of a few minutes with previewable swipes suit a short break today.
Meteos 2005
Why it still holds upBlocks launched before the stack fills the screen still make every round a test of speed today.
Mole Mania 1996
Why it still holds upPlanning where to dig on each screen still takes real thought today.
Quern: Undying Thoughts 2016
Why it still holds upA puzzle island with no enemies still leaves time to wander and think.
Manifold Garden 2019
Why it still holds upIts space is the reason to play it now: with gravity you choose and buildings that repeat forever, getting from one place to another is the puzzle.
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask 2011
Why it still holds upIt is an easy game to pick up for anyone who likes puzzles with hints on hand, and that holds today.
King's Valley 1985
Why it still holds upMummies that follow patterns you can learn still make each room a route to plan today.
Boulder Dash EX 2002
Why it still holds upA digging puzzle with falling rocks is still easy to start and hard to stop.
Being stuck is the point, and being stuck well is rarer than it sounds. The good ones are fair: when the answer finally arrives, it was in front of you the whole time.