Games don't always have to be filled with weapon slots, health bars, and flashy cinematics. Sometimes, players want a calmer, more challenging experience that exercises the mind more than it does their thumbs. The problem is, many gamers have no idea where to start looking for the perfect puzzle game.
Aside from the implementation of puzzles in adventure games from Link's Awakening to even Skyrim, there are many games that are dedicated to presenting players with puzzle after puzzle, each more straining than the next. Below are Metacritic's highest rated puzzle games that you can buy today should you feel the need to distract yourself and flex that mental muscle.
10 Critter Crunch (87)
In Critter Crunch, players will take the role of Biggs, a four-legged creature that looks like the child of a frog and a cat. Using his tongue, they'll help Biggs to snatch away creatures from the vines above in order to feed them to creatures that are higher up in the food chain. The goal is to clear the area while getting the critters above to explode, dropping gems for extra points. There's also a mode where players must clear a stage in a set number of moves, giving them all the time in the world to think through their next move. This game is perfect for nature enthusiasts and adorable animal lovers alike, and only serves as a harsh reminder that those at the top of the food chain get all the best perks.
9 Art of Balance (88)
Art of Balance feels like an inverted version of the classic party game Jenga. The game features multiple levels that all revolve around stacking a given amount of shapes into a tower that can stand for up to three seconds. Players can advance through over 100 unique levels while interacting with blocks that possess special properties, like breakable blocks or even blocks that can defy gravity. Art of Balance is definitely not a game for the geometrically-challenged, but it will force anyone who picks it up to solve a seemingly impossible problem that can be solved dozens of ways.
8 Armadillo Run (88)
As long as players don't question how an armadillo even ended up in an alternate dimension, Armadillo Run will be a less stress-filled experience. Players will be given a strict budget that they must use to build a variety of structures, like bridges, ramps, and even firecrackers in order to position Armadillo inside of a blue sphere known as a "Portal" that returns him back home.
The catch is that Armadillo can't just graze the portal for a second, but must sit completely in it before the stage is cleared. Players will be forced to make do with what they can afford without going over their budget, teaching them money management skills that they can take with them even when they put the game down.
7 WarioWare: Twisted! (88)
Creative! Quirky! Fast-paced! Anxiety-inducing! No, we're not describing your Aunt Margaret. WarioWare: Twisted! revolutionized Game Boy Advanced play forever, with its cartridge that came equipped with a built-in gyro sensor and a rumble feature that enabled players to rotate their Game Boy Advance to accomplish a goal in quick videogames that lasted no more than a few seconds. Even the main menu forced players to rotate their device just to navigate it! This didn't hinder the gameplay at all, and its influence could be seen in future Nintendo releases like the Rhythm Heaven series. Players will enjoy the variety of tasks this game forces them to complete, from guiding Mario back into his castle, to punching raindrops and ironing clothes. In one of the oddest minigames, players will feed an alien with clothespins attached to his cheeks. If your Game Boy Advance still works and you manage to find a copy of this game, it is definitely worth the playthrough for any puzzle game enthusiast. With over 223 minigames, WarioWare: Twisted! holds the Guinness World Record for the "most mini-games in a single videogame", ensuring that players will never get bored.
6 Meteos (88)
Sticking in the vein of Nintendo releases, Meteos is a Nintendo DS game that is a lot more sinister than it appears, taking a new approach to a familiar format in which inanimate blocks fall from the sky. Meteos brings this scenario to life as the evil planet Meteo sends down its blocks, called meteos, in order to suffocate organic life on multiple planets. The player must defend these various planets, creating vertical or horizontal lines of three or more of the same block, which sends them shooting back to the source. With multiple gameplay modes and 12 different endings, this puzzle game has the potential to lure players in with an emotional story, despite lacking characters with proper faces.
5 WarioWare Inc.: Mega Microgame$! (89)
Surprisingly, the debut title for the WarioWare series ranks higher than its third installment, albeit by an extra point. But where does this extra point come from? For one thing, the exclusion of the motion sensor provides a degree of simplicity to all 213 minigames while often serenading players with relaxing, trendy Japanese pop that screams the '90s.
As usual, this game tests how fast players can identify a goal and execute it perfectly under pressure. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this game are the stages that feature games all revolving around a common theme. 9-Volt's stage, for instance, features minigames that remind us of popular 8-bit Nintendo classics like Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong, and F-Zero.
4 Lumines (89)
Yet another falling block game, Lumines will feel just like Tetris. Players must prevent boxes from piling up to the top of their grid by forming colored squares that vanish after a sweeping line on the map passes through them. What keeps this game feeling fresh are the different backgrounds that can be played on, each possessing their own style of music that affects the speed of the game. The secret to beating Lumines is learning the rhythm.
3 Peggle (91)
As if Peggle's high Metacritic rating isn't a testament to how fun it is, Peggle lets you play as a pinball-launching unicorn, dragon, sunflower, or even a pumpkin, with the objective to eliminate all orange pegs in a sea of blue ones. There are several bonuses in each level that can spice up the gameplay, like the "magic hat" that can multiply the number of points you rack up, or a "fireball" bonus that turns your pinball into a flaming meteor that burns through everything it touches.
2 Plants Vs. Zombies HD (93)
Plants vs Zombies HD is basically the same thing as Plants vs Zombies. The major differences are that there are new game modes, the ability to touch 11 points on the screen simultaneously, and of course, better graphics. The general premise, however, remains the same.
Players will defend themselves against a zombie apocalypse all over the world by planting armies of plants across several rows, preventing hordes of zombies from making their way across the map. With unique allies like bok choy that can jab and hook like nobody's business to iceberg lettuce that freezes enemies in their place, every plant has its own strengths and weaknesses. With so much hype around this game, we see why there are so many fans who are excited to get their hands on Plants vs Zombies 3.
1 World of Goo (94)
Rated as the best puzzle game by Metacritic, World of Goo has stood the test of time after its October 2008 release over a decade ago. Simple and addictive, World of Goo has mastered the physics-based gameplay format, forcing players to guide lost, frantic little goo balls towards a pipe. The catch? They must use some of their given goo balls to build structures that the others can use to reach the pipe. This game embodies the phrase, "You can't save everyone." Have goo balls that act as balloons? You may have to sacrifice them to get higher. Got some that explode? You may need to use them in order to demolish entire walls in your path. Sacrifice too many and you may not have enough to clear the level. Proceed with caution with this game. We heard that some of the tougher levels have the tendency to turn human brains into goo.