What are the best non-FPS PC puzzle games?

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Nov 18, 2022

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Updated

World of Goo vs Papers Please vs Limbo

vs SpaceChem vs Mini Metro vs Braid vs Human Resource Machine vs Trine 2 vs Strata vs Hexcells Infinite vs Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes vs Desktop Dungeons vs Beat Cop vs Baba Is You vs Cogs vs Bridge Constructor Portal vs Concrete Jungle vs DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder vs Chime vs Chip's Challenge 2

Specs

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle (physics-based)

Co-Op

None

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle / Adventure / Platformer

Co-Op

Local / Online

Controller Support

Full

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Roguelike

Co-Op

None

Controller Support

None

Publisher

Finji

File Size

139M

Required Android Version

2.2 and up

In App Purchases

None

Content Rating

Teen

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Adventure, Puzzle, Point-and-click,

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Yes

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Puzzle (turn-based)

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Genre

Co-Op

Controller Support

Publisher

File Size

Required Android Version

In App Purchases

Content Rating

Immersive Mode

Multi-Player

Single Player

Available platforms

Pros + Cons

Pro
Excellent physics engine

Physics in-game take into account gravity, wind, weight of different goo-balls, structural integrity of your architectural solutions to create an addictive, "let me try this one more time"-type of gameplay.

Comment

Pro
Great variety in puzzles

A lot of attention has been put into creating interesting levels with great pacing and variety throughout the game.

Comment

Pro
Beautiful visual style

World of Goo is pleasing to look at. Most of the time it's very colorful and joyful, but it changes from time to time to reflect different parts of the world. Nevertheless, it is stylistically well presented throughout the game.

Comment

Pro
Fantastic soundtrack

Colorful tracks play a big part in establishing the game's quirky style. You can even download all the songs for free.

Comment

Pro
Free demo

If you're on the fence about it, this is one of the relatively few games on Steam that includes a free demo version.

Comment

Pro
A twisted tale

As you start playing there doesn't seem to be much of a story. A few philosophical messages left behind by the Sign Painter and a cut-scene here or there. But as you progress through the game you unearth different details about a slightly disturbing world.

Comment

Con
No co-op mode

The PC version does not include the co-op mode that was included in the Wii Ware version.

Comment

Pro
Unique puzzle solving through clue based deduction

Papers Please has a unique puzzle solving element. Instead of using mathematical logic, or quick matching thinking, the puzzles in Papers Please involve checking people's background information to make sure everything matches the immigration requirements and following clues to find anything amiss.

Comment

Pro
Will require making ridiculously hard decisions

There is a fine line to walk while playing, whether it is worth following the rules and ruining lives or bending the rules at the risk of getting caught in order to help destitute people. The moral choices in the game are often difficult and require hard decisions.

Comment

Con
Simplistic gameplay mechanic

The gameplay itself, once the player gets a grasp of it can get repetitive pretty quick due to there really being not much deviation from a singular gameplay mechanic.

Comment

Pro
Endless mode

Once the main story is beaten there is an optional endless mode for those that want to see how long they can play without losing.

Comment

Pro
Unique black and white aesthetic

Limbo uses (what was once) a very unique monochromatic color scheme to give an atmospheric feel.

Comment

Pro
Intricate puzzles

Limbo uses a wide range of puzzles in game that range from simply moving a box to puzzles that have multiple parts and normally do not reveal their secrets until the player has died while trying to solve it.

Comment

Pro
Immerses the player fully

Since there are no cutscenes or loading screens, Limbo makes you fully immerse yourself in the puzzles and atmosphere of the game.

Comment

Pro
Manages to communicate circumstance and casualty in a unique way

Being completely devoid of text, dialogue, and explanation Limbo manages to communicate circumstance and casualty to the player in a simple way not found in other games. Having a game completely devoid of those three things is hard but Limbo manages to pull it off perfectly.

Comment

Pro
Artistic puzzle

Limbo has very unique environment with highly creative puzzles that offer a great experience with monochrome, b/w and other dim colors.

Comment

Pro
Good for people who don't want to waste too much time on a game

Being a relatively short game (five or six hours long), it's perfect for people who love interesting puzzle games that don't overstay their welcome.

Comment

Pro
Astonishing sound design

The sound design is simply great. Even though there's virtually no soundtrack to speak of, the sound effects do a great job of creating the perfect atmosphere in which the players immerse themselves. What's more is that if you pay close attention to the sound cues while solving a puzzle, you will find out that the sound effects are quite helpful in reaching your objective.

Comment

Pro
Quite addictive

Limbo manages to keep your attention all throughout the game by consistently presenting new, interesting things for you to solve. It starts out simple, but increasingly gets more intricate and grows into smart multi-part puzzles.

Comment

Pro
Does not become frustrating even if you die a lot

Most players die a lot in Limbo. fortunately this does not translate to a frustrating experience while playing the game. If you die from a trap, the game immediately reloads and takes the character right before reaching that very same puzzle. This way you can try again immediately and find a solution.

Comment

Con
Has some pacing issues

The first half of the game is filled with interesting creatures that you as a player encounter on the journey. While in sharp contrast, the second half of the game takes place in a deserted industrial area devoid of any lifeforms and even though puzzles become more and more interesting as you approach the end of the game, this sharp contrast between the two halves of the game creates some serious pacing issues. The pacing issues are even more evident as you reach the ending, which while good comes quite unexpectedly.

Comment

Con
Somewhat short

Limbo can be finished in about 5-6 hours on average.

Comment

Con
Ending comes somewhat abruptly

There's little lead up to the ending so it comes a little too suddenly and unexpectedly.

Comment

Con
Keyboard controls are not that good

Movement is locked to the arrow keys instead of wasd.

Comment

Con
May be too dark for children

The game, by design has the main character dying quite a bit, often very gruesomely and so may not be appropriate for younger players.

Comment

Pro
Could help with real life programming skills

In particular, abstraction and concurrent programming skills could be gleaned from the game as it uses broad techniques often used by computer programmers.

Comment

Pro
Easy to learn, hard to master puzzle

Spacechem's mechanics are pretty simple to learn and only takes minutes to understand how the game works. Of course mastering the gameplay is a whole different matter.

Comment

Pro
Allows for short or long play sessions

The gameplay allows for a player to come in and solve a single puzzle in a short amount of time or to sit and tinker with a puzzle for hours trying to devise the perfect solution and contraption. It all comes down to what one want to put into the game but the free form of the puzzle solving is what makes it great for anyones playstyle be it short or long.

Comment

Pro
Light on the system

The system requirements are quite low at only requiring a 2Ghz processor, 1G of ram and 300MB of hard drive space. Basically this game should work on just about any computer from the last 10-15 years.

Comment

Con
Annoying action-y 'boss' stages

At the end of each 'world', there is a boss stage in which you have to perform a unique task. This wouldn't be too bad, but in these levels, you can use blocks that you can activate in real time to change the way your program runs. This often means lots of manual work and a lot of padding to hit the buttons at the right time, which is unnecessary for a puzzle game (and, given that you cannot rewind, also stressful if your program is very tight). I would imagine that the best scores for these levels also overly abuse this feature to make solutions that would be almost impossible without use of macros, for instance.

Comment

Pro
Endless gameplay through user created solutions

An individual players choices of components, arrangements or factories used will result in completely different experiences and problems/puzzles when compared to another users experience. A truly individualized experience that expands the games replayability.

Comment

Con
Late game is difficult

In later levels some players may reach a point where the game has become too difficult or frustrating, which may discourage any more play time with the game.

Comment

Pro
Very minimal puzzle sim aspects

Very basic and abstract in design and gameplay the user uses limited resources in order to create the most effective routes for a transportation system.

Comment

Pro
Soothing gameplay

Minimalist design and relaxing music makes this a very different experience from the bustle of some others. A minimal zen like game that allows one to relax while playing. While gameplay may get hectic there are modes of play that do not allow for loosing meaning that you can relax and just play without worry.

Comment

Con
Takes a while to get the hang of

Learning the game may take some time, though the mechanics are not too difficult to grasp, the gameplay itself can be frustrating.

Comment

Pro
Wonderfully challenging

On the outset Braid looks like any other platformer but once any time is spent with the game users soon find that the puzzles are deviously difficult forcing users to think outside of the box and even time itself.

Comment

Pro
Clever game mechanics

Braid utilizes a rewind mechanic where in the player can rewind the action in the game at any time. This is coupled with puzzle layouts to each lever where the player has to use the rewind mechanics to reach certain spots in a level.

Comment

Con
Not much main gametime, side gametime is very padded

The average time for completion for this game is about 5 hours. The side content has many times where the rewind function is not going to work (and treating the player like a psychic), including perma-missables and excruciating jumps. This game is known for having a puzzle where you have to wait 2 hours to complete (in which I'm told also occurs multiple times in The Witness). It also doesn't help that the price of this game was seemingly randomly bumped up to $14.99 from $9.99 a long time back.

Comment

Pro
An ambiguous, yet impactful retelling of a man's downfall and a warning to others

Braid is a story about loss and obsessiveness and how those forces drive the hunt for redemption.

Comment

Con
Story is depressing

There is a definite sense of melancholy while playing this game which can make for a depressing experience while playing the game, which may reduce the amount of time played.

Comment

Pro
Can optimize your solutions

The game's replay value increases as solutions can be beat in two metrics: Commands and Steps.

Comment

Pro
Good graphics and sound

The game is very reminiscent of World of Goo's graphics, being very consistent and sort of cartoony, and all sounds are synthesized.

Comment

Pro
Very accessible for people with no coding experience

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Comment

Con
Awful debugging

The game's debugging features consist of a step forward button, a step back button, and fast forwarding (up to about 4x). However, these are not enough. In many levels you could find yourself noticing your program is stuck in a loop, then having to repeatedly click "Step back" dozens of times just to find the key moment, which is even worse if you were fully fast forwarding. In later levels, where solutions start taking some more time, it might take minutes to find the key moment in your program that failed to work, just to wait more to figure out if the change you made was enough to get it to work.

Comment

Con
Short for price, tying in with low learning opportunity

This game contains about 5 hours of content for many players, and is composed of 3 "chapters" of about 11 levels each, which is already short considering it's about the length of many free games. Most of that is taken up by tutorials. Each chapter 'dives in' a little bit into a topic. But if you're looking to learn programming it'll likely be too short. It also has many mini levels where it shows a little topic, but those are not explored that much (one of the worst moments with it is when it asks you to "use a friendly search box" as a serious recommendation). (Note: This game actually is appearing in a Humble Bundle for $1 by the time of writing. I'm sure reseller sites will be all over that.)

Comment

Con
Lack of optimization accuracy

One pro about games like this are the fact that you can optimize your solutions. But the marked "Best" solution is almost always inaccurate. Some levels are tens of blocks and hundreds of steps away. You'll have to go to other places to challenge yourself properly.

Comment

Con
Levels are unoriginal

Related to the game's story not doing much, the gameplay also does not integrate itself with any cool story events that may happen, as they don't happen. You don't lose abilities, nothing gets 'screwed up', and the game doesn't last long enough to be able to explore the game's concept in depth. What this means is that the levels are more by-the-book as if they were programming puzzles in a book, and if you've played many games of this similar genre you've already seen about 80% of the puzzles in the game, in which most of the remaining ones are early tutorial puzzles.

Comment

Con
Frustrating interface at later levels

The game does not show you every part of your program at once. At later stages, even about 20 instructions will require scrolling to reach parts of your program. Even with about 30, it quickly becomes tedious to move around your instructions as you will either have to wait for scrolling or spam the scroll wheel. Many of your solutions will also be using one of the 'blue' commands, which has two arrows, so you cannot just delete the key instruction and add a copy to where you want it to go.

Comment

Con
Story is disappointing

The game's story does not progress very far. With a premise as interesting as tying into the "machines taking over jobs and humans", you'd expect gameplay and levels as unique. But the game plays as stock as a programming game can get, even just on the story standpoint. Many details are shown around the game, but the game doesn't go deep for anything involving it.

Comment

Pro
Physics based puzzle platforming

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Comment

Pro
3-player local and online co-op

The game can be played cooperatively with each player taking control of one of the three characters - thief, wizard and warrior.

Comment

Pro
Gorgeous art style

Trine has a very fairytale-esque art style.

Comment

Con
Somewhat simplistic puzzles

The game includes mostly physics based puzzles, but they're not particularly challenging.

Comment

Con
Too easy if you figure out the pattern

The pattern behind the puzzles isn't the simplest, but if you can figure it out, you can solve any of the puzzles quickly.

Comment

Pro
Supports flexible window resolutions

The game scales to any resolution so you can have it in a window on the side.

Comment

Pro
Addictive gameplay that steadily increases in difficulty

While the gameplay starts out as being quite straightforward (therefore easing the player into the game), the difficulty does build as one continues to play.

Comment

Con
Includes in app purchases

Strata is an upfront paid game at $2.99 which is why it is disappointing to see that in app purchases later apply.

Comment

Con
No level generator

Even though the levels could easily be automatically generated, there is no level generator.

Comment

Con
Short

The game can be beaten in about six and a half hours, which is really not all that long for a PC game. Of course originally this was a mobile phone game, which shows its roots in the length.

Comment

Pro
Original design and gameplay

The minimalistic look of the game as well as the way the gameplay works is quite original while still staying intuitive.

Comment

Pro
2D minimalistic "weaving" that requires thinking in 3d

While represented in 2D the puzzle solving aspect of the game requires thinking in terms of "levels" as one would while weaving.

Comment

Pro
Level generates infinite solvable puzzles

The game has a random level generator to create a near infinite supply of levels, and the built in level solver makes sure that every level is beatable.

Comment

Pro
Can be solved with pure logic

In games like minesweeper, sometimes you run into a 50/50 chance situation where you have no choice but to guess at the solution. The generator in Hexcells runs every puzzle through a solver to make sure that all puzzles can be solved with logic alone without any guessing or brute forcing a solution.

Comment

Pro
Clever twist on minesweeper

Hexcells Infinite is like minesweeper mixed with picross on a hexagon grid with clever layouts and hints to keep the puzzles interesting.

Comment

Pro
Layered logic

The clues provided in Hexcells come in a variety of forms. They can be based around number of active cells around an inactive one, the row, or the number of active cells up to two spaces away from an active cell, and all these have potential modifiers on top of it. The game introduces you to the concepts slowly so it isn't too overwhelming, but all the different possible mechanics help keep the puzzles fresh and interesting, and makes you think in more ways than games like minesweeper will.

Comment

Pro
Ambient noise soundtrack

The music in Hexcells is slow and relaxing for a great zen puzzle session so you can zone out if you're on a break or traveling. The sound effects also procedurally match with the music in tempo, so they aren't distracting, and they actually add to the music.

Comment

Pro
Features challenging handmade puzzles

The game also features a "campaign" mode with different worlds and hand made levels that provide some challenging and interesting puzzles.

Comment

Pro
Windowed mode works with flexible resolution

You can resize the game window to almost any size for convenient placement for playing the game on the side.

Comment

Con
Randomly generated levels are not as intricate as main levels

While the randomly generated levels are fun, they are not as involved as the main levels designed by the developer.

Comment

Pro
Interesting mix of match three and RPG

Players are in a traditional RPG world and do level up characters as they would in an RPG but the main gameplay mechanic is match three where players line up their troops against an opposing team doing the same. There is also defensive aspects to the field, so it is a bit more involved than a traditional match 3 game.

Comment

Pro
Lengthy campaign

M&M Clash of Heroes has a lengthy campaign that will last around 24 hours of play, which for a puzzle focused game is pretty good.

Comment

Pro
Beautiful graphics

The graphics have been upgraded for the PC version and they look great. All pixel art now in HD with bright colors and fantastic character designs.

Comment

Pro
Local and online mutiplayer

New to the PC and console editions (as apposed to the DS title) there is now 4 player multiplayer that can be played locally and online.

Comment

Con
Writing comes off as a bit childish

While the original target of the game may have been young adults or children due to its release on the DS (a mainstay of gaming for kids) the writing shows its roots and may come off as a bit childish.

Comment

Pro
Mix of puzzle and roguelike

The game gets its roots from roguelikes, and the complexity of the combined genre really enhances the puzzle solving side of the game. Instead of being real time, or taking place in a large expansive world, Desktop Dungeons games take place on a small 20x20 dungeon. Although the map is small, there is tons of strategy to figuring out the optimal way to clear the dungeon. Unveiling tiles is how you recover health and mana, so the game is fundamentally about efficiently using the tools and resources available to you in each map and coming up with unique strategies in such a small space. You must balance the risk between trying to get experience from exposed monsters and exploring deeper into the fog of war.

Comment

Pro
Tons of character combinations

There are 7 races and 12 classes that are combinable as well as 4 extra monster classes that do not allow choosing of race making for 112 unique combinations, all with their own custom avatar. There are also 6 additional special races as well as 9 different gods you can worship during the game for even more abilities.

Comment

Pro
Great for short bursts of play

Since each game takes place in one small dungeon, it's a great game to play in small bits of downtime.

Comment

Pro
Humorous tone

The game doesn't take itself too seriously with lots of clever dialogue parodying the fantasy genre.

Comment

Pro
Deep amount of content keeps strategy interesting and fresh

Even though the core gameplay is simple, the amount of power-ups and enemies create a massive amount of ways to play the game which keeps the puzzle solving aspect fresh.

Comment

Con
While polished the graphics are still simple

Compared to other modern roguelikes the graphics are pretty minimal where the characters are tile based and lack animation when moving.

Comment

Con
Hidden map means you can't solve the puzzles on logic alone

The map is hidden by fog of war until you explore it, meaning you can't devise a solution from the start. Because revealing the map regenerates your health and mana you can't explore everything at the start. You need to spend most of the game not knowing the state of the rest of the map.

Comment

Pro
Perfectly captures the feel of classic cop shows and movies

Beat Cop successfully captures the general feel of '80s shows and movies about cops. It's got all the stereotypes people find and enjoy in those shows and movies. All the cliches make it seem like it's straight out of Miami Vice.

Comment

Pro
Players are required to make meaningful decisions that have meaningful consequences

In order to progress in the game, players have to make a variety of difficult decisions. For example, accepting a bribe may improve your relations with the Mafia but reduce your overall reputation with your fellow police officers. You can choose to play a good cop that plays by the rules, but it's not easy. You can issue tickets even for cars that are not breaking any laws, but those tickets count towards your daily ticket quota. Issuing them may have long-term consequences. In order to reach their daily goals, the player must make the choice they think will get them closer to it. Whether that is the moral choice or not is entirely up to the player themselves. The right choice will reward the player, the wrong choice however can greatly penalize and set them back.

Comment

Pro
Deals with relevant issues

Even if it's set 30 years ago, Beat Cop manages to make a statement about issues relevant today. Problems like race, police brutality, and corruption are dealt with with a good dose of satire and introspection. It throws the player into a hostile environment and asks them to make important decisions under extremely high pressure and difficulty where doing something immoral is often seen as the simplest and fastest way of reaching your goals. The quota-based system is reminiscent of the statistics-based systems many countries employ to measure a cop's performance. This blurs the line between moral and immoral choices. Do you choose to take the high road? Or do you make an immoral choice in order to reach your goals faster? This way, Beat Cop shines a light on the many difficulties policemen have to address every day and the game does so while remaining impartial and without throwing needless accusations around.

Comment

Con
In-game time management could have been handled a bit better

Five minutes in-game are equivalent to a couple of real-world seconds. This makes time go awfully quickly in Beat Cop. The idea is that time needs to go quickly in order for the player to strategize and think hard about which choices they will make during a single day. This fact is further emphasized by NPCs repeating again and again that you will not be able to complete all of your tasks. The problem is that it's perfectly possible to complete all given tasks in even such a small timeframe. You have a daily minimum number of tickets you have to write, if you reach double of your daily quota the game will reward you for that. But because in-game time management is poor, it's quite easy to even quadruple your daily quota which seems to not have been predicted by the game creators since the game gives no rewards whatsoever for reaching more than double your ticket quota.

Comment

Pro
Eases the player into the gameplay

The game starts out pretty easy and gradually introduces new elements into the gameplay in order to get the player used to all aspects of the game as later levels can be pretty involved.

Comment

Pro
Gear based puzzles

If you're into mechanical machines and clocks, you'll like the puzzle aspect of Cogs. The goal of the game is to construct a series of gears in 3D space to rotate a golden gear.

Comment

Con
No hint or help system

Users are on their own if they get stuck as there is no help system in the game. This can get frustrating when the puzzles get tougher and tougher.

Comment

Pro
Interesting puzzles

While BCP at its core is a game about building bridges so your forklift can pass, the sci-fi elements of the Portal series make it a lot more interesting. This includes sentry turrets that try to destroy your forklift along the way, gel that speeds up your forklift letting it ascend almost vertical slopes, and even portals that allow travel between distant locations, creating solutions to seemingly impossible scenarios. It's simply fun to solve the many puzzles found in the game.

Comment

Pro
Decent amount content for its price

While most puzzle games in this price range usually take only a few hours to beat, BCP has a total of 60 levels, taking about 10 hours for a full first time playthrough. You can even choose between a regular and a hard version of a level, further adding to the playtime.

Comment

Con
Can seem a little bland in its presentation

It has a simple visual style that uses very little color, the soundtrack gets repetitive fairly quickly, and the story feels like an afterthought. The puzzles are the main focus of BCP, but it feels like the developers might've forgotten about every other aspect of the game.

Comment

Con
Can feel frustrating

BCP relies heavily on trial and error, requiring you to build very precise and efficient bridges that don't make much sense initially. Because of this, your well-reasoned and carefully planned bridge might not work at all, which can be really frustrating. So unless you're a really patient player that's willing to try over and over, you probably won't enjoy BCP.

Comment

Pro
Campaign mode that eases the player into the gameplay

By playing the campaign mode users can easily get used to the game at a comfortable pace, with new elements getting introduced the further one makes it. This is a great way to learn the gameplay as it can get complex.

Comment

Pro
Deep gameplay

How the puzzle aspect is implemented allows for a lot of depth to the strategy gameplay

Comment

Pro
Great mix of strategy and puzzle

Concrete Jungle mixes city building strategy with aspects of line clearing puzzlers such as Tetris in a very original way.

Comment

Con
Games can last a long time and difficulty is unknown until level is started

Not knowing how long a game will last can be frustrating for those just looking for a quick sessions. On top of this the terrain will not be known until a round is started, which means it could potentially be stacked against the player, which makes for unknown difficulty before a round is started.

Comment

Pro
Many puzzles have additional optional challenges.

Challenges are not required to complete the game, but provide many hours of gameplay for hardcore players.

Comment

Pro
Each room is handcrafted puzzle

Each puzzle requires you to think.

Comment

Pro
Games are long

There are many levels, and each level can easily take many hours to solve.

Comment

Pro
Series of 5 games

Original order is following: DROD: King Dugan's Dungeon - remake of original game: Deadly Rooms of Death. DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold DROD: The City Beneath DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder - prequel to all series. Remakes of parts 1,2,3 are available as DLCs. DROD: The Second Sky - available as standalone game.

Comment

Pro
Unique gameplay mechanics

It's turn-based puzzle, each turn you can either walk in one of 8 directions or turn by 45 degree.

Comment

Con
DROD is not a softcore or casual game.

If you're looking for easy puzzle, DROD is not your game of choice. Puzzles difficulty range from midcore to hard.

Comment

Pro
As you play music is created

While not always a conscious effort the game creates music as each block is placed. What's great is that in the free play mode users can mess around with making some interesting music while not having to pay as much attention to block placement as they would in regular levels.

Comment