Having touchscreen controls on a phone or tablet gives a unique opportunity for puzzle game developers. Our little devices are uniquely suited for these games since they’re easy to pick up and play when we have free time. If you’re looking for a game to tease your brain, check some of these out.
NYTimes – Crossword
This is the most famous ongoing puzzle games of all time. New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle, and you can play them right on your phone with no pencil or pen required. To get access you need to be subscribed to the Times, however, you do get daily Mini puzzles on a 5×5 board for free.
Each puzzle takes a minute or two to complete you can purchase through the app different packs. A free week trial to the premium stuff is offered however, you’ll need to be a Times subscriber to get everything.
Patterns
The best puzzle games usually are the most simpler ones when offering a brain-busting challenge. This is Patterns, a logical game that you need to rotate pieces and create shapes of different sizes. Each puzzle will tell you how many shapes to make and how many pieces can be connected for each one.
They’re times that the puzzle looks impossible, but then suddenly it just comes together. This is the game to put your logic skills to the test. It is free to play unless you want to remove the ads.
Mini Metro
Mini Metro is an award-winning subway simulator combined with puzzle elements. Your task is drawing up subway lines to connect various stations that pop up as your city expands. You need to make sure passengers arrive where they need to in time, you do it by re-drawing your lines to be more efficient.
With a minimalist aesthetic, a responsive soundtrack according to the subway lines you build, and different game modes to enjoy, you’ll love Mini Metro. And yes, it is the best game to play when you’re actually on the metro.
Tetris
Tetris is without a doubt the most iconic puzzle game ever created. This is the new official Tetris app for Android and it offers great touchscreen controls, although only the classic mode is available, we have five different themes to choose from, including a total time travel version to the Game Boy days. It’s free to play with ads, but we can remove them with a one-time $5 in-app purchase.
Monument Valley
This is my favorite one, but I must say it is because I love the great painter Escher and his optical illusions. Monument Valley is an award-winning puzzle game featuring outstanding art and sound design. You play the role of Ida, a princess who must find her way through these fantastic structures, while we help her manipulating and changing the structures to complete the path and help her reach her goal.
Controlling the game is very simple: we tap to move the princess while discovering a different way we can move the surrounding structures.
Turn It On!
Turn It On is all about solving black box puzzles with gears, levers, cogs, switches, dials, and more. The challenges are quite intense and will really push our brains. We not only need to figure out what each thing does but also the correct timings to solve the puzzle.
The best part about this game is that you’ll have no idea what’s going on from the beginning. It has an impossible amount of elements to challenge our intelligence it’s definitely a hidden gem on the Play Store.
The Room series
The Room is a well-known puzzle franchise developed by Fireproof Games, especially for mobile. There are four games in the series offering challenging puzzle fun. The latest game in the series is The Room: Old Sins, but the whole series is worth checking out if you love puzzles.
Each of The Room games is a premium title without ads and transactions guaranteeing hours of spookiness mind addicting entertainment.
Bridge Constructor Portal
Bridge Constructor is an amazing puzzle game based on the laws of physics in its own right, but this spin-off takes the concept and adds sci-fi elements from Portals and Aperture Laboratories. There are 60 test chambers to complete by using the portals, together with propulsion and repulsion gels while avoiding deadly lasers shots, acid pits, and sentient gunned turrets.
It is an incredible cross-over title that provides a challenge that will captivate fans of Bridge Constructor and Portal alike. It’s absolutely delightful to play. It also features Google Play Games achievements.
Threes!
Threes! is a number-based puzzle game where your goal is to swipe around the grid and match like numbers. You must plan very carefully your strategy because once you fill-up the board and run out of moves the game it’s over. Simple but you can spend hours entertaining yourself.
You may want to buy the premium version for no ads or distractions. But if you’d prefer to save your money, there is a free-to-play version.
The House of Da Vinci
The House of a Da Vinci is a skillful 3D puzzle that requires you to escape from certain rooms, by exploring and finding hidden objects. It asks you to pay attention to your surroundings and to keep your wits about you. The puzzles are based on real artifacts and inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci. It has plenty of mechanical puzzles and cool setpieces.
