When it isn’t a puzzle in and of itself to get the best PC games running on your rig, the PC is also the best platform to play puzzle games. With a huge selection of AAA and indie games all pushing the limits of what a puzzle game even looks like, it is difficult to narrow down which ones are the best of the best. Just like rounding up the best FPS games on PC, we’ve thought long and hard to give our final solution for the best puzzle games you can play on PC.
Our list includes classic and modern games, but there are even more upcoming PC games that could end up on this list in the future.
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The Talos Principle II
88%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
Genre
Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Croteam
Publisher
Devolver Digital
Release
November 02, 2023
While it is still a bit under the radar, The Talos Principle 2 is one of the more demanding puzzle games we’ve played and is starting to get some mainstream shine. Your goal is always to find a way to the other end of a puzzle to press a button, which is obviously never simple. Played from first person, you will do a lot of moving and aiming lasers, placing boxes on pressure plates, and arranging fans. The puzzles alone are worth the price of admission, but there is also a very strong sci-fi story here about humanity creating AI before going extinct that needs to complete puzzles to prove their sapience. If anything, the moral and philosophical questions the game poses are just as challenging to grapple with as the puzzles themselves. The lore does tie directly with the first game, which is excellent as well, but not required to fully enjoy this one.
Baba is You
81%
Platforms
Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Strategy, Indie
Developer
hempuli
Publisher
hempuli
Release
March 13, 2019
Baba Is You feels like a game made by programmers for programmers. It will make you feel like the game is impossible at one moment, then have you kicking yourself for not realizing such an obvious solution the next. The basic premise is simple: Each puzzle has a series of rules, e.g., “baba is you,” “wall is stop,” and “flag is win.” With those rules in place, it’s your job to solve the puzzle. In the case described, that would mean reaching the flag as the little rabbit known as Baba. Nothing is set in stone, however. You’re free to move the very rules of a level around and change how the entire game functions. Although the setup seems simple, it quickly becomes mind-bending. Nothing in Baba Is You holds any value, so a reasonable solution to a puzzle could be as simple as allowing you to move past a wall or as complex as becoming the wall itself.
Outer Wilds
91%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Simulator, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Mobius Digital
Publisher
Annapurna Interactive
Release
May 28, 2019
It is hard for us to say much about Outer Wilds without spoiling it. Even the basic premise of the game is best experienced for yourself with no prior knowledge, not just the puzzles themselves. If you need more than that to take our word and go play it, then the best way to describe Outer Wilds is as an exploration game where you explore various environments at different points in time in whatever order you choose. Your goal is to discover the secrets left by an ancient race to solve a larger problem. All the puzzles are solvable through your own learning and gaining more understanding of how the world works and what things mean. Again, it is hard to properly describe without spoiling it, but if you love the feeling of letting your curiosity lead you to the solution naturally, this game does it better than any other.
The Witness
83%
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox One
Genre
Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Thekla, Inc
Publisher
Thekla, Inc
Release
January 26, 2016
The Witness is similar to Outer Wilds in some ways, but also very different. For the most part, the puzzles you’ll encounter will be done on panels that feature lines, and you must move from the start to the end of a grid, touching all of the relevant points on that grid. They start out simple but grow in complexity one after the other. The real magic is that the game never tells you a single rule. The progression is so natural and intuitive that you will pick up on them without needing to read a single tutorial. Those line puzzles work in tandem with environmental puzzles, allowing you to progress farther through the island. Along the way, you pick up clues as to who you are and how you got stranded on the island. The game is simple on its face, with expertly designed puzzles and beautiful environments. That said, the secrets of the mysterious island you’re on are the most intriguing parts of the game.
Portal 2
92%
Platforms
PlayStation 3, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Shooter, Platform, Puzzle, Adventure
Developer
Valve
Publisher
Valve, Electronic Arts
Release
April 18, 2011
Portal was a surprise hit when it was released as just one component of The Orange Box. It introduced us to the idea of creating and moving through portals in 3D space seamlessly, but when comparing the two directly, it’s clear that the sequel has the edge. Longer than its predecessor, Portal 2 fleshes out the world of Aperture Science, adding more puzzles, a refined (and more humorous) narrative, and loads of interesting set pieces. Even with the new additions, though, the core of Portal 2 remains the same. After playing Portal 2, the original game feels more like a tech demo. The concept of using portals to get around a test chamber is still present in this second entry, but the addition of gels, platforms, and other unique puzzle mechanics makes the game feel larger and more challenging.
Opus Magnum
86%
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Xbox One
Genre
Puzzle, Simulator, Indie
Developer
Zachtronics
Publisher
Zachtronics
Release
December 07, 2017
We called Baba Is You a game for programmers, but that isn’t totally true. You don’t need to know a thing about computers to engage with that game, while Opus Magnum feels more like a visual programming course. Each level asks the player to assemble an automated machine with the tools provided to build the desired output. Everything is done on a hex grid and involves placing tools that move atoms in specific ways. It scratches that same itch as a game like Satisfactory but is on a much smaller and more difficult scale. If you find most puzzle games too easy, test your brain against this one.
World of Goo 2
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Simulator, Strategy, Indie
Developer
2D Boy
Publisher
Tomorrow Corporation
Release
August 02, 2024
Meanwhile, World of Goo 2 is far more casual and fun for players of all skill levels. The game revolves around building different structures using various goo balls that have their own unique properties. Fans of bridge construction games will be right at home here, but it doesn’t stay within that niche the entire game. Again, we have to be careful about spoilers here, but this game goes beyond anything you would expect coming from the more straightforward first game.
Stephen's Sausage Roll
62%
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Genre
Puzzle, Indie
Developer
increpare
Publisher
increpare
Release
April 18, 2016
If the idea of making breakfast sounds like a weird concept for a video game, let alone a puzzle game, then Stephen’s Sausage Roll will change your mind. The closest comparison would be to sliding puzzles, except you are on the grid yourself and every move needs to be perfect. The goal is to use your fork to cook one or more sausages by rolling them onto a grill on both sides to fully cook without pushing them off or cooking the same side twice. You also have to make sure your character doesn’t fall off the incredibly small stage. These aren’t puzzles where you can get creative and find your own solution. You need to observe, plan, try, fail, and learn to do the exact sequence needed for each puzzle.
