Sometimes you just need to take a break from racing, shooting or the vastness of an open world game. For many, the puzzle genre is a great place to sink time into when you want something that’s less excessively paced. Mercifully, the puzzle genre is packed with a range of different games of varying qualities. With that in mind, we’ve taken the time to compile a lists of the very best puzzle games that are available on Xbox One. Much like our other “Best of” articles, this wasn’t an easy list to form, but we think we nailed a good list nevertheless. Without further ado, here’s our favorites.
Q.U.B.E. 2 – Trailer
Sequel to the hit predecessor, Q.U.B.E. 2 does everything that a good follow on should. It takes everything that worked in the first game and builds upon it. This resulted in what I personally describe as one of the best puzzle games on Xbox One, and certainly one of the most interesting puzzle games of the year so far. Puzzles here are largely solved through environmental manipulation, and take my word for it, Q.U.B.E. 2 knows how to throw you a curve ball at the same time as dishing up a solid plot. If you’ve yet to try it, fix that right now.
The Witness – Trailer
The Witness offers up an interesting concept with a very light story. Players are thrown onto a lush island, one that’s jam packed with countless variations of puzzles to overcome. Oftentimes, certain puzzles will need to be fulfilled in order to access the next, but The Witness does an excellent job at remaining open and accessible from start to finish, nevertheless. It’s a game that you can sink hours into and not even scratch the surface, and what’s more, each puzzle typically tends to vary tremendously from the last. Highly recommended.
Limbo – Trailer
Above any game on this list, Limbo certainly needs no introduction. This gem first arrived back in 2010 and has since been ported to pretty much every platform since, and for good reason too. Not only did Limbo set new ground for puzzle expectations, but its meaningful hands-off story and its massively engaging gameplay elements still stand as a perfect example in gaming today. Hell, I lost count at how many awards Limbo has won over the years but I’ll tell you, each of those awards have been hard earned and thoroughly deserved.
RiME – Trailer
RiME isn’t just a puzzle game, but an adventure game at heart too. Players take on the role of a young boy that has washed ashore on an abandoned island. Much like The Witness, players will solve a wide range of environmental puzzles to make any progression, but unlike The Witness, RiME brings an interesting plot to carry the pace of the game along. That, and its soundtrack is easily one of the best soundtracks in any Xbox One game in recent memory. If you like more weight to your puzzle games, RiME is likely the best one to pick from this list.
The Sexy Brutale – Trailer
The Sexy Brutale surprised me when it first launched. Not because I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but because of how innovative and deep the gameplay is. The game centers around a never-ending masked ball featuring both intrigue and murder, and you find yourselves smack bang in the middle of it. Seemingly stuck in a time-loop and witnessing the murder of the ball’s guests, time and time again, players will need to focus hard in order to find out exactly how to save lives and track down those responsible for the countless hits.
So, there you have it. Our list of the best puzzle games on Xbox One. Some special mentions need to be given to a few; The Swapper, Peggle 2, Never Alone, The Turing Test, Q.U.B.E. Unravel, Unravel II and Inside. I could go on and on, simply because of the wide range of interesting titles available, but these ones stand out the most for us. Do you have any additions that you would add to the list? Perhaps you don’t agree with some ours from above? Go on ahead and hit the comment section below to get involved in the discussion.
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Well… I did not like The Witness (I have not finished it). I found the puzzles boring variations of the same theme. QUBE 2 and Limbo are very interesting, although you can beat them in one sitting.