I really love thinky games. Obviously I’ve been designing them for over a decade now, but more than that it’s the only genre where you'll find deep systems, surprising interactions, and that eureka moment where you're in the shower and realise the solution to the puzzle you've been stuck on.
It’s such a great time for the space right now — there’s so many games coming out it feels hard to keep up! I hope my recommendations will be useful to you, whether you’re someone who tries to play everything thinky or you just dabble occasionally.
I’m not being paid by any of these developers to promote their games, I just want to advocate for talented people making great work. All games were purchased by myself.
Here's what I've been playing:
Headlong Hunt, by Toombler
Chase easily-spooked creatures to herd them into the perfect location. This may initially look simple, but it features some really great puzzle design while remaining very approachable!
COCOON, by Geometric Interactive and Annapurna Interactive
The vibes on this game are off the charts. The puzzles seem very streamlined for a mainstream audience, but that doesn’t stop every moment being intensely satisfying.
Magicube, by nebu soku
The puzzle design in this game is really fantastic! It might take a little perseverance to get into — it's a hard game — but if you stick with it, it will be incredibly rewarding.
Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire, by Color Gray Games and Playstack
The second and final DLC for The Case of the Golden Idol. I don’t think it lived up to the main game + first DLC, and found the cases pretty frustrating, but the new gameplay variation is a nice twist on the formula.
Chants of Sennaar, by Rundisc and Focus Entertainment
An intriguing language-learning game. I don’t love the unnecessary / uninteresting stealth sections or that I had to do a Rush Hour puzzle in the first hour, but overall I think it’s worth checking out. I’ve seen several people recommend playing without using the journal that confirms your word guesses — if you want to lean into the concept and increase the thinkiness, that seems like a good choice.
More recent thinky releases:
- Underground Blossom, by Rusty Lake
- Escape From Mystwood Mansion, by Lost Sock Studio
- Bilkins' Folly, by Webbysoft and Armor Games Studios
- A Tiny Sticker Tale, by Ogre Pixel
- Submachine: Legacy, by Mateusz Skutnik
- Mosa Lina, by Stuffed Wombat
- Sandy's Great Escape, by Mocha Moose Games
Upcoming games to watch out for:
Crossroad OS, by Daisy Games
(Demo available now)
Martin of Daisy Games has been making quietly competent puzzle games at a pretty impressive pace, but this one is a real step up. The demo that just came out has some solid puzzles and great vibes — I highly recommend giving it a go, especially since it’s pretty short.
Plungeroo, by Little Crown Games
(Demo available now)
This is a delightful pinball-themed puzzle game, and the graphics/audio really lean into that theme. I wasn’t expecting much when I checked out the demo during Steam Next Fest, but it really grabbed me with its level of polish. The puzzles are pretty light, but still satisfying, so I’m looking forward to playing more of it when it comes out in a little over a week on Oct 27.
Puzzmo, by Zach Gage and Orta Therox
(Early access signups start today)
Announced today, Puzzmo is a hub for small games that want to be part of your daily routine — think Wordle or the NYT crossword. During their prelaunch period they’re opening the doors to 500 new players every day, or if you can’t wait to get let in there’s some coverage on Digital Trends that has more info.
The Talos Principle 2, by Croteam and Devolver Digital
(Demo available now)
The first game is one of the best-selling puzzle games of all time, so there’s a high bar for the sequel. We’ll find out soon how it’s turned out — it’s releasing on Nov 2.
Sokobond Express, by Jose Hernandez and Draknek & Friends
(Demo available now)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the next game I’m publishing. We’re putting the final touches on it now and will have more news to share soon — in the meanwhile, please add it to your wishlist on Steam!
That's it!
Please let me know what you think - I’d love to know if you found it useful or have any recommendations.
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