Puzzle Games That Don’t Feel Like Puzzle Games

One of the most common things we hear people say in regards to playing escape rooms is: “I’m too stupid! I’d never be able to figure it out!”

In reality, you don’t really need to be “smart” to figure out the kinds of puzzles we have in the games. In fact, we design it that way! And many other game developers and designers do the same. 

While we - and other game designers - make games to specifically challenge your thinking skills, others have more subtle ways. So, here’s a list of video and board games that will get your brain working, but don’t feel like you’re solving puzzle after puzzle.

**Disclaimer: not all of these games are suitable for children, make sure to check ratings and warnings if you’re considering playing them.

**This is not sponsored by any of these games or studios

Number 13: Oxenfree

This is one of the games that actually include environmental puzzle-solving but the best puzzle you need to solve is not as blatant as finding correct radio frequencies. Throughout the game, you must figure out ways to navigate the relationships of the group and the island you’ve found yourself on. That mixed with the unique art-style and real-time dialogue makes this a fun “puzzle” game that anyone can play!

Number 12: What Remains of Edith Finch

What Remains of Edith Finch is a great example of unraveling a mystery without decoding clues or solving riddles. As the player, you uncover the story of the Finch family through diving into different perspectives as you revisit the family home. Throughout, you explore the interactive vignettes, digging deep into the history of the characters within. A great introduction to over-arching mysteries without having to work your brain!

Number 11: Betrayal at House on the Hill

If you’re a fan of board games and mystery, this is a wonderful addition to your repertoire! This spooky-themed game will require you and your friends to explore the ever-evolving mansion you’ve found yourselves in. With different phases of the game, and a betrayal (gasp), your group will have to either solve the mystery, or keep it from being solved. Similar to an escape room, teamwork will be integral to your success.

Number 10: The Persona Series

While the famous JRPG series may seem like it’s just having some characters use spectral companions to beat down some bad guys, there’s a lot of integrated problem-solving. One of the common mechanics of the game is finding out the best ways to defeat your foes (similar to the Pokemon series). Another portion is stealthing your way through other worlds or “palaces” and exploring spaces in unique ways. Other games similar to this series also inhabit these mechanics, but if you’re looking for a fun and flashy way of working your skills, this is a great one!

Number 9: Road 96

This randomly-sequenced game has both interpersonal revelations and dawning realizations. Set in a world where the political conflicts of Petria have come to a head and teenagers are making their way north to flee the country. You play as these said teenagers, traveling, making friends (and enemies), and keeping yourself safe. While the main goal is to eventually get all your characters across the border, the real puzzle is unraveling the secrets of the country’s influential groups and people. You do this by interacting with the recurring characters you meet along your trip. This is a great example of a game where your interaction with the story decides how deep into the mystery you get. 

Number 8: Mystery Visual Novels (Phoenix Wright, Danganronpa, Zero Escape, etc.)

Ok, these games aren't for everyone. With ridiculous plot-lines and a lot to read, they captivate a niche group of people. However, if you’re looking for a linear adventure with sprinkles of puzzle-solving mixed in, these are perfect. Each game has phases of deduction where you as a player are asked to use the information that has been/is being given to make your way through the story. In the example of Zero Escape, though, it’s kind of like a novel with mini escape rooms mixed in. So, if you’re looking for a way to train your deduction skills with breaks of narrative spliced in, check out one of these!

Number 7: Papers, Please

What seems like a simple paperwork inspection simulator, is actually a dynamic story of the inner workings of the dystopian country Arstotzka. In the game, you play as a border control agent; you look through passports, visas, and various other forms and decide whether people enter or not. Pretty straight-forward, yeah? That is, until you have to navigate your way through dangerous organizations and corrupt agencies. With impactful choices, the overall puzzle you solve will be your character’s place in it all. It’ll work your brain to make important decisions on the spot all while doing your job dutifully (or un-dutifully). 

Number 6: Find-the-Imposter Games (Secret Hitler, Mafia, Among Us, etc.)

Alright, most games on this list are puzzles you solve within the games themselves, but these ones, you attempt to solve them within your friend group. Each of these games intersperse progressing the game with finding out the secret roles your group holds. For most of the group, your goal is to suss out the saboteur, while the rest are trying to carry out their goals and keep their status a secret. The puzzle-solving can get heated with accusing your fellow player and lying to others. But overall, it’s a game where you solve the ultimate mystery: is my friend an imposter?

Number 5: Her Story

This one is a bit of a wild card. Though the mystery is solving an overarching story like What Remains of Edith Finch, there’s considerably less gameplay. As the player, you investigate the tapes of one Hannah Smith as she’s interviewed about her husband’s case and her life. To play, you must search keywords and watch the tapes that include those keywords in the transcript. The narrative is unraveled through the things that Hannah reveals and you must figure out how it’s all connected. Her Story doesn’t give you much help in the way of uncovering the mystery - you have to conquer it yourself - which makes this a really neat exercise in deduction and problem solving without overwhelming mechanics.

Number 4: Firewatch

Firewatch follows the story of a fire lookout Henry and his supervisor Delilah as Henry learns the ins and outs of the job while chatting with Delilah over a walkie-talkie. Things get progressively more intense as you play as Henry: discovering stranger and stranger things in the forest landscape. Overall, there’s little actual “problem-solving” with only a few creative ways of making your way around the world. (And, if you’re like me, just navigating the map is a puzzle in itself.) However, your narrative will take you through the mystery of what is happening in this forest and how to navigate Henry’s and Delilah’s own histories. 

Number 3: The Life is Strange Series

While this game series does have its environmental puzzle-solving, like many of these games, the enigma is finding out how to make the choices that best shape your personal goal. Do you want to rewind time to save one of your classmates over and over again, or do you want to ignore your conscience and let them figure it out? Do you want to teach your brother how to steal or teach him how to follow the rules? The choices in games like these impact your endings. So, which ending are you hoping for? (If you’re into a spookier version of these types of games, might we recommend Until Dawn and similar choice-based games.)

Number 2: Dungeons and Dragons

Now, you might be thinking, “yeah, it’s a puzzle game if the Dungeon Master makes puzzles in the game,” but that doesn’t have to be the case. The flexibility of the game itself is precisely why it is the perfect not-puzzle-game puzzle game. Because, get this, the puzzles aren’t in the game, they are the game (gasp). Figuring out how to play this includes the DM having to interweave the plot with the players and the players having to find ways to fit into the narrative. Accompanied by personal ways of defeating the BBEG, Dungeons and Dragons flexes the brain’s muscles in the most fun and cooperative ways possible.  

Number 1: Inscryption

Finally, the game that inspired this list: Inscryption. With three incredibly in-depth acts, you, as the player, play a card game. Yes, a card game. What seems like a very simple premise, you begin to dive deep into the game and what inner-workings are at play. Each step of the way will grant you more and more insight into what you’re dealing with. While most of the play-to-play mechanics ask you to strategize your cards, you begin to solve much more than when best to draw a squirrel or something from your deck. With various types of unique game-play, this is a “puzzle game” you’ll wish you could experience for the first time every time. 

So, that’s it! Our (current) top 13 games that will work your brain without having to feel like you’re training for the escape room Olympic team (which, honestly, should be a thing). Let us know which ones you’ve played and what games you’d put on your list!

**This blog was written by someone paid by The Eureka Room and Cryptid Escapes. While intended to be informational, it also acts as promotional material. Thank you for reading and staying media literate. :)