Puzzle games are often a mixed bag when it comes to difficulty. Some can be brain-numbingly easy, solved without much of a thought. But others can be so complicated that players can give up and never play that game again. These types of games can come in various genres. Most of them adopt a point-and-click style where solving puzzles is based on game logic instead of real-life logic. Lots of games use a first-person perspective, too, so it feels more immersive.
A few developers, especially ofindie games, go out of their way to make niche puzzle games that only a handful of people will be able to solve. Regardless of what kind of perspective these puzzle games adopt, there’s no denying that the brain teasers featured in these titles are extremely stimulating and will keep players engaged for some time. Of course, these games aren’t for everyone, so it’s important to have a liking for tough puzzle games before players check out these titles for themselves.
Updated June 21, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Puzzle games are a popular niche in gaming that developers experiment with all the time. In-game mechanics need to be polished to perfection if players want to truly immerse themselves. Many games incorporate puzzles in some form or another, but outright puzzle titles that will capture a player’s attention for hours on end need something special to stand out. Some titles achieve this by making each puzzle as mind-bending as possible, letting players enjoy a great sense of satisfaction when they finally manage to solve these dastardly riddles.
The Talos Principlehad a lot of the same ingredients that madePortalsuch a massive success, with its challenging puzzles and beautiful visuals being a treat for the eyes. The success of this game caused fans to ardently request a sequel that would let people experience more of this game’s wonderful world.
The Talos Principle 2didn’t disappoint in this regard. The follow-up is perfect for fans of the first game, featuring more mechanics, better visuals, and a philosophical narrative that players can engage with if they wish.
2Stephen’s Sausage Roll
The Simple Act of Roasting Sausages Is Deceptively Hard
The title of this game can make people think that the premise is silly…and that’s because it is. All players have to do is take a sausage on a tile-based grid and cook it over special grill tiles on both sides before returning to the starting position. However, as the levels progress, players will soon figure out that this is easier said than done.
There aremany fail states for each puzzle, such as burning a sausage by grilling it too much or causing the sausage to fall off the level. All these situations become harder to avoid as the puzzles increase in complexity, making for an engaging title that will stimulate players' brains.
3Deadly Rooms Of Death
This Legendary Puzzle Game Can Boggle Players' Minds to No End
It’s mind-blowing that a game made in 1996 is still touted by many as one of the hardest puzzle games ever made. The fact thatDeadly Rooms of Deathspawned an entire series and attracted a loyal fanbase shows how effective its gameplay loop was, despite relying on simplified gameplay mechanics with tile-based level design.
Players have to use a huge sword to try and take out the many enemies and monsters that inhabit a dungeon, with enemies taking turns and players having to deduce their movement patterns to figure out the best way possible to deal with these foes. The game takes no prisoners and requires a lot of logical thinking from the get-go, which can be frustrating but ultimately rewarding when players get through some of the harder levels.
Puzzle games take some interesting concepts and incorporate them to keep players interested in the long haul.Mini Metrois a great example. At a glance, the idea ofconstructing a metro system with a minimalist interfacecan sound very boring. However,Mini Metromolds this concept to make it engaging over multiple levels, making it an absolute gem of a title,
While initially seeming simple,Mini Metrohooks players by forcing them to map out the connectivity to multiple stations as more and more of these platforms start popping up over time. It’s important to be efficient and connect platforms with the most efficient railway line to prevent overcrowding, which can lead to a game over sooner rather than later.
5The Secret of Monkey Island
Moon Logic Makes Puzzles a Pain to Complete
The Secret of Monkey Islandfeatures some of the best and most challenging puzzles around. Whether players are using dance steps to locate buried treasure or transferring grog from mug to mug to bust a convicted flower thief out of jail, they need to use their brains.
What makesThe Secret of Monkey Islandsuch a great puzzle game is the varying degrees of difficulty that its puzzles offer. Some of them, like rescuing Guybrush from the bottom of the ocean after he’s been caught stealing an idol, are so simple that many players will overlook the obvious solution, while others do require quite a bit of thought.
On the surface,Braidmay not look all that complicated. Players can beat the game in a little over twenty minutes simply by running from left to right. Those looking to unlock the game’s true ending, however, will need to collect puzzle pieces, which can require a great deal of skill and thought.
Much ofBraid’s difficulty is derived from its excellent time manipulation mechanics, which will need to be used extensively to obtain all of the puzzle pieces. That players have the option of speeding through the game is a nice touch, though, as is the simplistic yet incredibly vibrant art style when compared with the game’s darker tone.
Portal 2took everything that made the firstPortalgame great and cranked it right up to 11. The introduction of gels added a whole new dimension to puzzle-solving and helped to keep the formula feeling fresh. Perhaps the greatest addition, however, wasco-op multiplayer, which has the potential to be incredibly difficult for both players.
Figuring out the solution to a particular puzzle can be challenging, but executing it and mastering the timing is something else. Throw in the fact that players will also need torely on the skill and brainpower of their partner, andPortal 2has the potential to be one of the most difficult and frustrating puzzle games around.
8Broken Sword
A Legendary Adventure with Brain-Melting Puzzles
TheBroken Swordseries isone of the finest titles that the point-and-click genre has to offer, and made its name through its thought-provoking puzzles and lovable cast. Players take control of an American tourist named George Stobbart, who finds himself caught up in the middle of a villainous plot to take over the world. Thanks to his astute actions, though, he’s able to persevere.
The game borrows a lot from real-world history and adds embellishments to create a caper that’s as enjoyable as it is challenging. Players will need to think outside the box if they’re to have any chance of stopping the Neo-Templars, and they’ll need common sense as well. The infamous goat puzzle is the game’s most memorable, but it is just one of many that will take a bit of time to figure out.
Physics-based puzzle games have become increasingly popular since the release ofPortalin 2007.Human Fall Flatfalls some way short of matching Valve’s masterpiece, but that’s not to say that it has nothing to offer. It might not look like it, but buried beneath its simplistic art style is a game that is both challenging and enjoyable, especially when played with friends.
Admittedly, some of the game’s difficulty does arise fromits wonky controls and physics, although this seems to have been by design. The rest stems from some well-designed puzzles that require both a great deal of thought and patience to solve. It perhaps lacks the same level of replayability as some of the other great puzzle games out there, butHuman Fall Flatis worth playing at least once.
Baba Is Youisone of the best indie games of the past few years, and it does a fantastic job of gradually cranking up the difficulty as players progress. There’s not much of a narrative, but the game makes up for this with its unique and creative mechanics. It might look simple, though it is anything but.
Players will need to think both clearly and logically if they’re to have any hope of completing the game. As they progress, they’ll find a real sense of achievement as they begin to master the game’s mechanics. With a cross-platform level designer currently in the works, there’s potential for some even more challenging stages looming large on the horizon as well.
