5 Best Indie Puzzle Games You Should Play

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5 Best Indie Puzzle Games You Should Play


After talking about the best platformer and metroidvania games, among others, we decided to draw up a list of five of the best indie puzzle games, a genre that is similar to those already mentioned. Often, in fact, these three genres are mixed together to create hybrids that manage to incorporate different game mechanics. In this list, however, we have decided to collect five games that can be considered pure puzzle games, and that any lover of this genre should play.


5. Trine 4

Trine 4, as can be deduced from the name, is the last of the games released in regard to this series. Although all the chapters are worthy of mention, we have decided to include the fourth chapter in this list as it takes all the good things that have been done with its predecessors and adds further improvements. In Trine 4 we will play the historical heroes of the saga who will be called to explore different 2.5D environments. The game can be played both in single-player and online or local co-op mode. Obviously, the core of the game is to try to solve the puzzles that are presented to us during the course of our adventure in order to reach the end credits.

4. The Witness

The Witness is a puzzle game set on a deserted island, full of puzzles to solve. We play an unidentified character who has no memory of what happened and why he is on that island. Thus begins an adventure in search of clues in order to discover the truth. The structure of the game is an open world, which means that the whole game world is freely explorable, with over 500 puzzles to solve. The Witness is certainly an excellent exponent of puzzle games and any fan of the genre will find bread for his teeth.

the witness

3. The Turing Test

The Turing Test is a sci-fi puzzle game, part of the line of games that take inspiration from the old Portal. In the game, we play as Ava Turing, an engineer from the International Space Agency (ISA) who is sent to Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons) to shed light on the disappearance of the crew. The artificial intelligence that commands the station is convinced that only a human being can complete the puzzles present in the base. The Turing Test is an excellent game that mixes puzzle games and narrative that will be able to involve you throughout its duration.

the turing test

2. Machinarium

Machinarium is a puzzle game in which all the scenarios have been drawn entirely by hand and which boasts an artistic direction of the highest level. We impersonate a robot who, once awakened in a landfill, will have to try to defeat his enemies in order to bring his beloved to safety. The fulcrum of the game is obviously the resolution of puzzles that are essential to be able to complete the adventure and succeed in the protagonist’s enterprise. The story is told through simple comics and not with long speeches, so it’s ideal for those who don’t like reading and/or listening to long lines of dialogue.

machinarium

1. Portal

And finally, Portal could not be missing. While the game has been published by Valve, its origins are in indie, its lasting impact on indie puzzle games puts it in a deserved first place. This is why we decided to put it on this list. Portal is the oldest game on the list but probably also the best. Portal has been a real cornerstone for this genre and many games that have followed it have taken inspiration from it. As in the case of The Turing Test, here too we are faced with a science fiction puzzle game, in which we will be called to solve numerous puzzles which, at the launch of the game in 2007, were considered revolutionary by industry critics. Precisely for this reason, in fact, Portal is considered one of the most innovative titles of its time and still manages to compete with more recent games. If you are a puzzle game enthusiast, you have probably already played this game, but in case you haven’t, we absolutely recommend you to do so.

portal



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