Puzzle games are often praised for their simple yet complex challenges, and many love to play them. But what if you want only to play free ones? We can help with that.
#12 We Were Here Expeditions: The Friendship
Platform: PC PS4 Xbox One PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: September 14, 2023
Steam | PlayStation | Xbox
Who doesn’t love going to an amusement park on a deserted island where the “boat ride” is actually an intense challenge to you and your friendship with the person next to you? Oh, that doesn’t sound like a blast?
Well, then, you won’t want to try out We Were Here Expeditions: The Friendship!
In the game, you and your partner have found themselves on a boat ride that is full of puzzles. The only way to solve them is to work together, and we mean that in the literal sense. If you fail, the boat ride ends, as does your friendship!
So be the team you always say you are and get the job done!
#11 The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog
Platform: PC
Release Date: March 31, 2023
It should’ve been a simple birthday party, but now, it’s so much more! The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog will put you in the middle of a fun birthday party event on board a mystery train.
But in a twist, Sonic is the one who “dies” on the Mirage Express! You are tasked with finding out who “did the deed” and bringing them to justice! It won’t be easy, there are plenty of familiar characters and new ones, and each has a story to tell!
So what will happen as you dive down this rabbit hole of a murder mystery? Get the game and find out!
#10 Portal Reloaded
We’re starting with a mod because, well, it’s a mod. But it’s a great one! Portal Reloaded was made by fans who wanted to push the beloved game series into a new dimension. In this case, you play a test subject with a portal gun. That shouldn’t be surprising, but the twist is that the gun can shoot three portals!
That allows you to deal with the concept of time travel as you work through timelines to solve the puzzles.
There are 25 for you to solve, and as you can guess, they aren’t going to be simple. Think in multiple dimensions to prove to the community how good you are!
#9 We Were Here
Here’s a title to play with a friend, should you desire that. But you’ll need to make sure they can be trusted.
In We Were Here, you and your friend are trapped in a castle in two different places. One of you will be locked in a smaller part of the castle. The other will have to wander around the place to find you. The only way to help one another is through communication.
You’ll have to use a walkie-talkie to communicate and solve problems you come across. A lot is going on in this case, so if you don’t work together, you might not survive it.
#8 Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle
Have you ever wanted to portray Jason Voorhees in a video game? If so, then you need to expand your horizons more, not the least is because he’s been in several video games over the years. But in Friday The 13th: Killer Puzzle, you’ll find a more “low-poly” yet hilarious take on the beloved horror franchise.
You play Jason, tasked with killing everyone in a room he’s placed in. The people you find and the places you haunt are taken from the movies and stories Voorhees was a part of.
As such, you’ll take a walk through history and do your best to complete the blood rampage from Camp Crystal Lake all the way to the future!
#7 Helltaker
Did you notice we’re doing a lot of freaky puzzle games at the beginning?
Well, this one is a bit different and much more insane. In Helltaker, you’ll play a young man who has a dream that is problematic at best. He wants a harem comprised of demon girls. Clearly, that young man has a lot of issues, and that’s before his journey starts!
Through dumb luck, you’ll enter the underworld and attempt to woo said demon girls. You’ll need to solve puzzles and then try not to get slaughtered by them. Remember, they’re demon girls!
The game is short and sweet, and you can skip the puzzles if you want!
#6 Lightmatter
Does light matter? Oh, we’re reading that wrong. We’re talking about the game Lightmatter.
The title is an “homage” to the first-person puzzle titles of the past and forces you to think about everything around you to solve puzzles. Then, using light, shadow, and various platforms, you’ll work your way through the areas and solve the puzzles around you.
But what is the purpose behind all this? You’ll need to ask Virgil, who is very gung-ho about his “discovery.” Don’t underestimate what he or his puzzles can do, as there are deadly consequences if you do things incorrectly.
Will you make them see the light?
#5 Cube Escape: Paradox
The beloved puzzle game series continues with Cube Escape: Paradox. In the title, you’ll play a familiar detective who suddenly awakens in a place he’s never been. Trapped in the room, he must search it for clues and find puzzles that will unlock more about the area.
You’ll soon discover that a rival of yours has set up the game and somehow taken your memories! Time is of the essence, and not everything is what it appears!
With unique visuals, soundtrack, and immersion, you’ll get sucked into the mystery and not want to leave until you’ve figured it all out. Whether you solve the mystery, however, is up to you.
#4 What Never Was
In What Never Was, you play Sarah Elizabeth Wright. A young girl who has lost her grandfather recently. The man was an adventurer and collected a great many things. As such, upon his passing, you are tasked with heading to the attic where he kept it all and rummaging through it.
But when you do, you’ll see that this attic is not regular. As you solve the puzzles hidden around the room, you’ll uncover the story step by step. Finally, you’ll learn the truth about Sarah’s grandfather and why he has so many artifacts.
What awaits you at the end of the mystery? Jump in and find out!
#3 Gravitas
Gravitas is not unlike a certain title we talked about before in that it’s a physics-based puzzle game. But don’t think it’s a simple knockoff. Instead, it has its unique way of doing things.
In the title, you’ll enter a gallery dedicated to gravity. The curator is there with you and wants you to advance through it. Nothing wrong with that, right? Except, the gallery isn’t just an exhibit. It’s a deathtrap.
You’ll have to manipulate gravity through several different objects to weave through the puzzles and make it to the next room in the gallery. If you make it to the end, you’ll see the “masterwork” of the curator.
#2 Samsara Room
If you recall the Cube Escape game, you’ll also enjoy the Samsara Room title. The same people who did the other game made the title, and they completely revamped everything to feel fresh.
Once again, you’ll end up in a room you don’t recognize. Throughout your point-and-click adventure, you’ll try on numerous puzzles and attempt to learn more about the situation you’ve ended up in.
What is the mystery of the room? How many puzzles are within it that you need to solve? Are you alone in this place? Or did you put yourself here for some reason?
These questions and more will be answered as you play the title.
#1 100 Hidden Frogs
Finally, we have a game that will give you a simple puzzle experience that should invoke your nostalgia in the right ways.
100 Hidden Frogs puts you in a “hidden picture.” But instead of finding random objects around the place, you’re finding frogs! There are 100 in each area if you couldn’t tell, and they’re very clever with how they hide.
You’ll need to look at everything backward and forward, then maybe turn it upside down to ensure you find them all. Then, when you’re done with one, move to the other! Plus, while not free, there are spinoffs of the game that you can choose from to play next!
