Thinky Games is expanding into new realms, one of which is our very own direct! Thinky Direct is our very first games showcase, spotlighting some of the most highly anticipated games you'll love to solve. Thinky Direct is our way of celebrating and supporting the thinky community - fans and developers alike. Our goal with this showcase is to spotlight games that might otherwise go overlooked.
This article covers everything from the showcase. Big announcements, exclusive trailers, brand new demos - the lot! So have a scroll to catch up on what you missed, or watch the showcase in its entirety in the video below.
If you're after even more puzzle games, the Thinky Direct is the first event of the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, a huge annual Steam event celebrating the world of puzzle games running from May 29th to June 5th.
A big thank you to everyone who watched and to all the developers who participated in the event!
Solve more full-in-the-blank whodunnits in the Steam demo for Golden Idol-like City of Voices
A brand new adventure from one of the Golden Idol developers, City of Voices is a detective mystery game that follows in the footsteps of Golden Idol's full-in-the-blank whodunnits - and it now has a demo you can play over on Steam!
Factory-building physics puzzler Shape Sender Deluxe now has a Steam demo
In this factory-building physics puzzler, you need to use magnets, springs, portals, fans, and a whole bunch of other machinery to move shapes from A to B, all with the help of your friendly guide Sendy! You can now play the Shape Slender Deluxe demo over on Steam.
Decide which buttons need to be pressed in the demo for The Button Effect
A short, minimalist first-person puzzle game where you explore a museum filled with endless buttons. There seem to be invisible connections between buttons, not to mention some that directly affect the environment, and discovering these secrets and solving the museum's puzzles is at the heart of The Button Effect, and you can play the demo right now on Steam!
Wholesome puzzle game Railbound now has a just as wholesome level editor
The wholesome rail placement puzzle, Railbound, now has a level editor! You can build your own bite-sized train puzzles and decorate them however you like!
Pup Champs gets new bonus puzzles and even more cute dogs!
Pup Champs developer and publisher Afterburn has released bonus puzzles for those who couldn't get enough of those cute football-loving puppies the first time around.
Isles of Sea and Sky's The Mysterious Update releases July 2025
Isles of Sea and Sky's mysterious puzzle update, aptly titled The Mysterious Update, will be releasing this July! More puzzles, more secrets, and more mysteries!
Play as an adorable bear who's getting his five-a-day in Kiko's Apple Adventure - out now!
A Sokoban where you play as an adorable bear who loves eating apples in Kiko's Apple Adventure. Help Kiko satisfy their fruit needs by helping them navigate a series of head-scratching islands. The full game is out now!
Co-op crime mystery Parallel Experiment gets a release date of June 5th
Two brains are often better than one, which is why Parallel Experiment is the perfect co-op puzzle game for two. Can you survive a twisted experiment built by the Cryptic Killer? Find out on June 5th.
Swap strange plants for creepy heirlooms in Strange Antiquities, out June 5th
In this cute but creepy adventure, you take on the role of a shopkeeper helping the local townsfolk with their peculiar problems, often with peculiar antiques. Strange Antiquities is the anticipated follow-up to Strange Horticulture and is out on June 5th.
Strategically sail the high seas in search of cursed treasure in Sunken Stones, out July 18th
A turn-based strategy game set on the high seas, Sunken Stones is about placing pirates on a 5x5 grid to beat up enemies and find treasure. Become the captain of our own pirate adventure on July 18th.
Try wrapping your brain around gravity-manipulation dungeon puzzler He Who Watches, releasing sometime in Fall 2025
Classic dungeon puzzle meets gravity manipulation in He Who Watches. Spatial puzzle-solving, world-flipping, and a bow and arrow grappling hook should be more than enough for you to look forward to He Who Watches, relating sometime this Fall.
Uncover an ancient paradise in Metriodbrania EMUUROM, on track to release sometime this year
In this Metriodbrania, you use your scanner beam to gather data on strange creatures called EMUUROM and then use that data to solve puzzles. It sounds bonkers, stuffed full of secrets, and we want to play it right now. Thankfully, it's on track to release sometime this year.
Watch the first-ever trailer for computer-hacking roguelike 868-BACK
The long-awaited follow-up to 868-HACK, 868-BACK is computer-hacking meets roguelike dungeon crawling, and the result is a game that's totally bonkers. The dungeons are computer servers, your weapons are illicit software tools, and you can eat bootleg burritos. Check out the first-ever trailer for 868-BACK.
Watch the super cosy, brand-new trailer for Is This Seat Taken?
Our friends over at Wholesome Games have let us showcase their brand-new trailer for Is This Seat Taken? In this laid-back puzzle game, you'll be helping fussy folks find the correct seat placements that don't set off their pet peeves. It's cosy, silly, and fun.
Word-based bird puzzler Birdigo gets a new trailer
Watch the new trailer for Birdigo, a roguelike deckbuilder where you need to help your feathered friends solve word-based puzzles. You can watch the fun new trailer as part of the Thinky Direct!
Copy-and-paste platformer Nonolith will be out sometime in 2026
Escape the Nonolith! In this game, you'll need to use your copy-and-paste power to disassemble and rebuild the environment and navigate the Nonolith's many chambers and corridors. We love this twist on the classic tower escape adventure, and we're happy to announce that Nonolith will be out sometime in 2026.
Gid-shading logic puzzle game CIPHER ZERO gets a new trailer
In this abstract minimalist puzzle game, you need to toggle grid tiles on and off and then check the environment for any changes. The challenge is to work out the game's rules by experimenting with different combinations and glyphs. If that's hard to visualize, you can check CIPHER ZERO's new trailer!
The Mermaid Mask reveals a brand new trailer dripping in mystery
Detective Grimoire and Sally are back in the detective mystery game The Mermaid Mask. This time the duo are investigating a strange submarine whose captain has died under mysterious circumstances. The game's brand-new trailer gives us more of a glimpse into what we can expect: a locked room mystery, a cursed artifact, and some excellent Sally and Grimoire banter.
Echo Weaver's new trailer is a lesson on Metriodbranias
The latest game from Moonlight Kids, Echo Weaver is an action platformer all about time manipulation. Understanding the game's looping system is key to progress, and if you'd like to see it in action you could watch the game's brand new trailer (which also acts as an excellent lesson in what a Metriodbrania is - thanks Moonlight Kids!).
The long-awaited Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories Parts 2+3 are now out!
The long-awaited second and third DLC for Bonfire Peaks: Lost Memories are out now! We're very excited to play more of this gorgeous, introspective puzzler, and developer Corey Martin promises new mechanics, new puzzle design, and new areas to explore with parts 2 & 3.
ALL ABOARD! You can now play the demo for Spooky Express
From our puzzle besties Draknek and Friends, Spooky Express follows closely in the train tracks of Cosmic Express, but instead of picking up and dropping off aliens, this time it's a whole cohort of creepy creatures. Help vampires, zombies, and vulnerable human passengers get to their correct destinations. We've just been dying to play this game and will be happily jumping into the demo, now available on Steam.
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