Smartphone touchscreen controls offer a unique opportunity for puzzle game developers. Our pocket devices are uniquely suited for clever puzzle games because they’re easy to pick up and play whenever you have a few free moments. If you’re looking for a game to test your brain, check some of these out.
The Room is a widely celebrated puzzle franchise developed by Fireproof Games for mobile. There are four games in the series that each offer hours of challenging puzzle fun. They’re reminiscent of point-and-click classic adventure series like Myst and Siberia that you can easily sink many hours into, so you’ve been warned.
The latest game in the series is The Room: Old Sins, which we’ve linked to below, but the whole series is worth checking out if you love a good puzzle. Each of The Room games is a premium title without ads or microtransactions and they’re just spooky enough to keep you on your toes.
Mini Metro
Mini Metro is an award-winning subway simulator that is steeped with puzzle elements. You’re tasked with drawing up subway lines that connect the various stations that pop up as your city expands. You need to make sure passengers arrive where they need to go in a timely fashion, which often requires re-drawing your lines to be more efficient.
With a brilliant minimalist aesthetic, a responsive soundtrack that’s fleshed out by the subway lines you build, and a ton of different game modes to enjoy, you will fall in love with Mini Metro. It’s probably the best game to play when you’re actually on the metro.
Bridge Constructor Portal
Bridge Constructor is a great physics-based puzzle game in its own right, but this spin-off takes the concept and adds in all the wacky elements from Portal and Aperture Laboratories. There are 60 test chambers to complete using portals, along with propulsion and repulsion gels all while avoiding deadly lasers, pits of acid, and sentient turrets.
It’s an outstanding cross-over title that provides a challenge that will delight fans of Bridge Constructor and Portal alike. It’s an absolute delight to play with tons of Portal references and it even features Google Play Games achievements to aid in the replayability!
NYTimes – Crossword
The New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle is arguably one of the most famous ongoing puzzle games of all time, and you can play them all right on your phone — no pencil or pen required — with this free app. To get access to the daily big puzzles you need to be subscribed to the Times, but you do get daily Mini puzzles on a 5×5 board for free.
Each puzzle only takes a minute or two to complete but they’re really fun and satisfying ways to start your day. Other puzzle packs are also available via in-app purchases. You get a free week trial to the premium stuff, but as I said above, you’ll need to be a Times subscriber to get everything.
Still, this is great for a quick puzzle in the morning when you’re drinking your coffee, waiting for the bus, or sitting on the metro.
Threes!
Threes! is a fun and surprisingly cute number-based puzzle game where your goal is to swipe around the grid and match like numbers. You have to be strategic because if you fill-up the board and run out of moves it’s game over! It’s a simple game, but man can you spend hours trying to master it.
For a truly unfettered experience, you’ll want to buy the full game for no ads or distractions. If you’d prefer to save your money, there’s a free-to-play version, but you have to watch ads to earn more plays. It’s a bit of a steep price for a game of this type, but when the final product is this good, I’m more than happy to support indie developers.
Twenty48 Solitaire
Twenty48 Solitaire is an excellent mash-up between the 2048 puzzle game and classic Solitaire. It’s varied enough to stand out from 2048’s tile-swapping gameplay while adding in some of the more satisfying card tricks from Solitaire games. You set up a row with the right sequence to create a waterfall of cleared cards, which is so satisfying.
You need to be strategic about card placement because it’s easy to box yourself in. To prevent those situations, you’re given a discard pile that you can use twice before you need to clear them out by watching a video ad. I wouldn’t say that the monetization model in this game is my favorite thing, but the gameplay is addicting enough that I do my best to overlook it.
Monument Valley
Monument Valley is an award-winning puzzle game that features outstanding art and sound design. You play as Ida, a princess who must find her way through fantastical structures, which you must manipulate and change to complete the path and help her reach her goal.
The controls are simple: tap to move the princess while discovering the different ways you can move the surrounding structures. It’s an intuitive experience that forces you to look at things from a different perspective.
The sequel, Monument Valley 2, is much of the same, but in a good way. There are a few additional twists on the formula, but if you liked the first one, you’ll appreciate the sequel.