I play just about every genre of video game, but I especially lovea great puzzle game. While I enjoy high-skill experiences that require fast reflexes, I appreciate any cleverly designed game that can test my brain just as much. Titles likeThe WitnessandPortal 2rank high on my list of all-time favorites, sitting comfortably next to canonical action classics likeMass Effect 2andThe Last of Us.
As someone who follows the genre closely, let me tell you: 2023 was one hell of a year for puzzlers.
That’s thanks in part to the continued broadening of the genre, which has steadily grown in scope over gaming’s history. You can now have something as small and traditional asPuzzle Bobble Everybubble!in the same year that you getThe Talos Principle 2, a massive 20-hour adventure packed with narrative. This year proved that the puzzle genre is one of gaming’s most varied, with entirely new concepts that feel inventive next to big-budget genre games cut from the same action-adventure cloth.
And yet, puzzle games are still treated as a niche. The biggest publishers have largely abandoned the genre and there’sno category for it at shows like The Game Awards(which has two separate action honors). If nothing else, 2023’s stellar lineup of puzzle games should remind us to give the proper respect on the genre.
The year in puzzles
This year was so strong for puzzle games that you could craft a strong Game of the Year category out of the highlights. On the more traditional side of the spectrum, we saw strong releases likeStation to Station,Rytmos, andFantavision 20XX. Some of my personal favorites experimented with the classic format in ways I’ve never seen before.Let’s! Revolution!is an entirely fresh mix ofMinesweeperand a roguelike, whileStorytelleris a clever indie that turns story crafting into a creative gameplay hook.
You didn’t need to look far to find a new experience like that. I was especiallyblown away byViewfinder, which contains the best magic trick of the year. Players solve puzzles by taking 2D photos and placing them in the world, instantly turning them into 3D spaces. It’s a mind-bending hook that feels impossible, and that’s exactly the kind of thing I look for in games: experiences that are wholly unique to the medium.
This year also saw the further fusion of the puzzle and adventure genres, with incredible results.The Talos Principle 2is a highlight, expanding its philosophical predecessor with complex puzzles and a meaty story that we usually don’t get from this kind of game.Cocoon, on the other hand, sawLimbolead designer Carlsen Jeppe spreading his wings with a sharply designed game filled with bugs, recursive puzzles, and one of the year’s most striking worlds.
That’s before even mentioning my two favorites of the bunch, both of which made Digital Trends’ top 10 list this year. First, there’sHumanity, a fascinating game about directing swarms of people that’s especially enthralling in VR. It doesn’t just contain a fun puzzle gimmick; it’s one of the year’s most effective, and often harrowing, reflections on human beings and all the things we’re capable of. Then there’sChants of Sennaar, an ingenious game about deducing unfamiliar languages using context clues. It’s a sharp deduction game that gives me the same feelingReturn of the Obra Dinnleft me with years ago.
Even that feels like a woefully incomplete roundup of everything the puzzle genre had to offer this year.American Arcadiaturned theLimboformula into a blockbuster puzzle-platformer,Birthis a delightful point-and-click game about loneliness, and Zach Gage’snewspaper-inspiredPuzzmomight be my single-favorite gaming project this year.
Despite so many highlights, games like these have to scrape and claw to get recognition at the end of any given year. With no proper category dedicated to the genre at The Game Awards, a lot of these titles only end up standing a chance in the show’s two indie categories, and occasionally Games for Impact. There’s no space for a game as highly regarded asThe Talos Principle 2to get love, as the “Action-Adventure” category excludes anything that doesn’t feature some form of combat. Just about all of the games I’ve highlighted are smaller indies too, which means they don’t stand much of a chance in categories like Art Direction against technical behemoths likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Even if there’s few mechanisms in place to formally recognize their importance, the puzzle genre brought us a wealth of innovation this year. It’s the one space that continues to evolve while so many other styles have settled into repeatable templates. If you want to see more creative games outside of the open-world adventure mold, then support and celebrate the independent developers crafting some of gaming’s most inventive experiences.
