New thinky releases in January 2023

Greetings, friends! I hope 2023 is treating you well. There’s certainly been no shortage of thinky games to get stuck into, so as usual we’ve been collecting them together into a single, easily digestible list. January has brought us three very innovative Ludum Dare entries, a grid-based puzzler about firm handshakes, and a first-person game about mixing colors of light — have a scroll through to find something to sink your neurons into.

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Released: 2nd January
Available on: itch.io (Web) — free

Use conveyor belts to solve increasingly complex puzzles in this open world expansion to Conveyor Con-fusion.

Released: 9th January
Available on: Ludum Dare (Web, Windows, MacOS, Linux) — free

The incredible adventures of the bunny who hopped through time! A grid-based puzzle game about breaking the fourth wall, inspired by Mr. Invincible and Ijon Tichy.

Created for Ludum Dare 52.

Released: 9th January
Available on: itch.io (Web) — free

Two rival groups of squirrels are stocking up for the winter. Each group can only eat a certain type of fruit, but the tree that produces the kind of fruit they like is in their rivals’ territory! What is to be done?

The two rival groups of squirrels will need to work together to be sure that they can survive the winter. But, of course, they’ll demand everything be split up evenly so as not to give their rivals an advantage…

A relaxing sort-of-mostly-deductive grid-filling-in-type puzzle game with a fun organic twist.

Created for Ludum Dare 52.

Released: 9th January
Available on: itch.io (Web, Windows) — free

A first person puzzle platformer about picking and throwing fruit.

Created for Ludum Dare 52.

Released: 10th January
Available on: itch.io (Web) — free

A rule-communicating puzzle game about grids and symbols.

Released: 13th January
Available on: Steam (Windows, Linux) — free

Take your brain for a walk in Handshakes, a simple yet tricksy sokoban puzzle game. Guide two hands through puzzles designed to stump, not frustate, so that they may achieve their dream of a warm, firm handshake.

Released: 16th January
Available on: itch.io (Windows) — $5.99, Steam (Windows) — $7.99

100 Keys To Your Heart is a sweet puzzle platformer game where you play a cute key. You must find your way back to your owner, as you open a very important gift. Along the way, you will need to look for other keys to open doors, but you can’t take them all with you! Every key you pick up makes you heavier and unable to reach certain areas. Which one to pick up and when?

Released: 24th January
Available on: Steam (Windows) — $4.99

Embark on a journey through the Temple of Starlight, an abstract first-person puzzle game that challenges players to harness the power of light and color to navigate through intricate levels. Uncover the non-linear story of an ancient civilization that was struck by a devastating starlight disaster, and guide the people through this crisis.

Released: 27th January
Available on: itch.io (Web) — free

Help Hermit the Crab find their new home.

Released: 27th January
Available on: itch.io (Web) — free

Is it a snake? Is it slime? Is it an alien monster? Whatever it is… it’s hungry and only eats jam sandwiches. Feed it!