Thinky Essentials — the most influential, must-play thinky games

If you're new to thinky games or just want to explore some of the most influential and much-loved games in this space, our team has put together the following list of Thinky Essentials.

We aim to keep this list relatively short so you're not overwhelmed with choice, but there are of course so many other wonderful thinky games for you to discover. If you'd like to know which games are the most-favorited by our website members, please take a look at our best thinky games list.

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
You have been invited to Hotel Letztes Jahr, a strange manor full of lateral puzzles and a dark past.
Chants of Sennaar
Ascend a tower, deciphering the languages of its inhabitants.
Can of Wormholes
Wriggle worms into position in this challenging grid-based puzzler.
Storyteller
Set the stage for stories to come to life.
The Case of the Golden Idol
The story of a mysterious artefact told through twelve whodunits.
Patrick's Parabox
Push boxes within boxes within boxes within boxes within...
Tunic
What appears to be a difficult Souls-like adventure game hides layers of secrets and discoveries.
LOK
Uncover the hidden language of the LOK through letter-based logic puzzles.
Myst (2021)
A genre-defining adventure across enigmatic worlds.
A Monster's Expedition
Push and roll trees to build bridges through an expansive open world.
Outer Wilds
Explore a solar system and unravel its mysteries.
Dicey Dungeons
Battle monsters and level up your dicey heroes in this roguelike strategy game.

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