Best 2026 Video Games for puzzle design

#1

Puzzle design receives limited but strong praise through the lockpicking minigame.

#2

Puzzle design is praised for turning hacking grids into a real-time combat puzzle that feels fresh rather than a throwaway minigame.

#3

Puzzle-like invasive monster encounters were praised for asking players to solve specific tactical problems.

#4

Habitat construction worked as a light puzzle system, with simple environmental puzzles that made discovery satisfying.

#5

The strongest puzzles reward observation, experimentation, and lateral thinking rather than reflexes. Some solutions are overly specific or poorly hinted, creating occasional frustration.

#6

The Donut Block Maker attraction and select avoidance challenges introduce simple but satisfying puzzle-like problems that fit naturally with Wonder’s platforming.

#7

Puzzle reactions were the core split: many reviewers loved the demanding detective structure, while others found solutions obtuse, fiddly, or punishingly unclear.

#8

Puzzle-like infiltration earns limited but positive support, with one reviewer calling the layered entry method convoluted yet only one of several possible solutions.

#9

Puzzle design received limited but positive evidence, especially for the hacking maze puzzle minigame being called particularly fun.

#10

Combination lockboxes provide simple environmental puzzles with worthwhile early rewards.

#11

Puzzle evidence is mixed: one reviewer found puzzles too simple, while others praised gadget use and puzzle variety within missions.

#12

Puzzle design landed unevenly: one review liked the body-part riddles, while another said puzzles lacked focus overall.

#13

Puzzle elements were viewed as useful for variety, but one reviewer felt repeated setups lost impact.

#14

Tail-based lockpicking is clever and initially enjoyable, while the baseball card game offers a light diversion. Both can become repetitive, trivial, or unfair depending on progression.

#15

Rewind-based investigation occasionally produces clever, satisfying problems, but most puzzles are simple, sparse, and rarely test the player for long.

#16

Puzzle design is one of the most mixed areas: some found the puzzles organic or balanced, while others thought they were too simple or underdeveloped.

#17

Puzzles provide welcome breaks from combat and generally fit classic survival horror, but some are simple while chase-related problem solving can become trial and error.

#18

Reviewer evidence is negative or mixed: puzzle design was often criticized, even where some reviewers found redeeming moments across 9 review(s).

#19

Most puzzles amount to simple scanning, passcodes, or ordered interactions and rarely demand much thought.

#20

Puzzles rarely rise beyond moving boxes, cutting ropes, or finding a simple traversal route. Reviewers generally see them as filler rather than a meaningful second pillar beside combat.