Among the many genres of video games that there are, puzzle games are the one that seems to have the most innovation. From rudimentary video games likeTetrisreleased in the 1980s, the genre has come a long way, introducing mechanics that rely on different rule sets that challenge different parts of players' brains.
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The consequence of this innovation is that many games that exist today use increasingly complex mechanics which can lead to unique and exciting challenges. For example, inPortal,these mechanics can be used to give players the longed-for ability to teleport through space or can even be used to challenge the player’s subjective perception of reality like inSuperliminal. Here are some puzzle games that use innovative mechanics.
8Portal 2
Portal 2is a first-person puzzle game from Valve and is one of the most innovative additions to the puzzle genre of all time. With voice performances from Stephen Merchant and J.K. Simmons, the game was as inventive in itsapproach to humoras it was to gameplay mechanics.
The thing that really makes thePortalseries special though, is the portal gun. With this device, players can shoot two linked portals on any immobile surface for objects to travel through. Although this mechanic is relatively simple, the lateral thinking that is needed to solve some puzzles in the test chambers can be really challenging, even for an avid player of puzzle games, which is part of what makes this simple mechanic so brilliant.
7The Witness
The Witnessis an open-world puzzle game that takes place on an island full of unique areas with different puzzles that all require a different perspective to solve. For example, some puzzles near an apple tree may require counting all the apples on that tree and another may require positioning the player character in such a way that the sun shines on a puzzle element which illuminates the solution.
Outside these standard puzzles, there are also environmental puzzles that require the use of the UI to solve. To solve these puzzles, players must use their cursor to trace a linear shape which frequently occurs in different parts of the environment. The funniest part of this mechanic is perhaps howhidden some of these puzzlesare. Some can be hidden in patterns on a wall and others can even be revealed through tracing the shape of a river. All of these puzzles do this to show that the game really is just a matter of perspective.
6Poly Bridge 2
Poly Bridge 2is a physics-based puzzle game that requires players to build their own bridges. To do this, players must select bridge components from a plethora of options while being aware of a budget that constrains their choices.
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The real challenge in this game comes from having to choose the correct options to make a successful bridge while being aware of the money spent in the process. This constraint leads to some creative choices for how to build bridges which can be seen in a community gallery. However, although this can be tricky, it is always satisfying after constructing a bridge to press play and see the car race across the bridge to the finish successfully.
5Tetris
Any longtime fan of the puzzle genre will be familiar withTetris. Originally created by Alexey Pajitnov in 1984, this simple puzzle game has since acquired a legion of adoring fans due to its simple mechanicsand replay value.
The thing that makes this game so special is the way that the simple mechanics work within the limitations that are imposed on the player. The juxtaposition of having to organize the shapes in the most efficient way possible while being under increasingly shorter time pressure leads to an experience that gets increasingly anxiety-inducing as time wears on. To this day, the game still stands as a great example of how to make simple mechanics in a video game fun and highly replayable.
4Human: Fall Flat
Human: Fall Flatis a game that merges puzzle-solving with slapstick co-op shenanigans. The game centers around a variety of environmental puzzles on different maps that players must solve to complete the level and progress.
Unlike other games on this list,Human: Fall Flatdoes not take itself too seriously and instead of having mindbogglingly difficult puzzles, they mostly come down to how well a team can cooperate to solve them. Part of what makes this difficult is the physics-based movement which enables players to grab and hold onto each other. This mechanic can sometimes be helpful and sometimes result in an internal scuffle within the team that halts all progress. In this way,Human: Fall Flatsuccessfully merges elements of a party game with the elements of aserious co-op puzzlerwhich can be sometimes challenging and sometimes hilarious.
3Superliminal
“Perception is Reality” is one of the things scrawled on a piece of paper that players first read when they playSuperliminal. Fittingly, this is a game that plays with the player’s perception by enlargening or shrinking objects depending on where they are picked up and dropped in the environment.
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Consequently, most of the puzzles in the game use this mechanic to a great effect to instill a hallucinogenic and dreamlike feeling within the player. This idea is taken even further towards the end of the game where the player is put in a seriesof surreal dreamscapeswhich is used to question their sense of reality. Overall,Superliminalis a great example of a game that ties its themes together with its mechanics in a way that is clever and innovative.
2Moncage
Moncageis a puzzle game that takes place within a cube. With each side of the cube displaying a unique scene, the player must find ways of linking the scenes together to solve a face of the cube and progress the puzzle.
LikeThe Witness, perspective is the key in this game as the player must use their camera to rotate the cube and match up objects that appear similar within the scenes. This will play out a scene within a side of the cube which will in turn unlock another puzzle to solve. The way that this game plays with time and the interchangeable perspective of the player is unique and is especially impressive given thesmall and contained setting of the game.
1The Entropy Centre
The Entropy Centreis a puzzle-adventure game developed by Stubby Games. Considered by many to be 2022’s answer toPortal,The Entropy Centreplays with time mechanicsin a similar way thatPortalplayed with portals, as both are used to solve puzzles within chambers.
InThe Entropy Centre, players are given a gun that they can use to pick up objects and reverse time. This time reversal mechanic is used to manipulate objects and solve puzzles by working backwards. This results in players needing to use their forward-thinking abilities to play out a scenario and then think backwards to get to the solution. The consequences of this are many satisfying moments that will keep fans of similar games in the genre entertained.
