solve problem in games/apps 2022

Best Puzzle and Problem-Solving Apps for Kids [Updated for 2022]

Learn spatial skills, critical thinking and visual perception

We Reviewed Dozens Of The Best Puzzle and Problem-Solving Apps for Kids So You Don’t Have To. Here Are Our Top Picks.

Puzzles stimulate the centers of the brain for spatial skills, critical thinking and visual perception. Download the best puzzle apps for your iPhone or Android and improve your abilities while having fun trying to beat the puzzle. We’ve got a collection of puzzle apps that has been tested and tried by teachers and parents to meet your skill level and challenge your children.

Here are some awesome puzzle and problem-solving apps to keep little minds learning! Our roundup of some of the best puzzle and problem-solving apps for little kids will help your young ones put on their thinking caps and engage their brains. These are not your typical, put-the-pieces-where-they-go puzzles, but more of the creative, problem-solving kind.

Wonderful Words

Endless wordplay.

Price: Free with in-app purchases

iOS App Store / Google Play Store

Endless Wordplay will quickly become a favorite. Brought to you by the team at ORIGINATOR, the same team behind Endless Alphabet, Endless Reader, and Endless Numbers, this app sets the perfect stage for spelling, word-building, and rhyming.

It will teach children how to recognize spelling patterns and phonograms, which are crucial skills for learning to read and write. There are 3 spelling lessons (9 words) to try for free, and additional lessons available as an in-app purchase. Additional packs are $6.99 and all words are $14.99. The animations and graphics are top-notch. Be sure to share this fun word puzzle with your child!

Kids Puzzles Games Puzzingo

Puzzingo offers loads of jigsaw puzzles with a twist: each piece is named and helps your young child build vocabulary skills while they play. The app supports learning in a multitude of languages, as well. Let your child exercise motor skills, visual-spatial skills and more as they play. Best of all, adults can easily play with children to expand the learning experience in ways recommended by experts.

The free version of the app comes with ten puzzles, and users can purchase additional sets for $2.99 each or an all-access pass for $24.99. The purchases are protected by a parent gate, so no worries about your child accidentally accessing something that costs money, though.

Building Readiness Skills

Pango hide & seek: fairy tales.

Pango Hide & Seek is an observation and exploration game for preschoolers. The app includes adaptations of 5 favorite fairy tales, with 3 scenes in each. The scenes support the story, but also have a wealth of hidden secrets that get progressively more challenging. Children will need to explore thoroughly to find all of the hidden pictures.

An in-app purchase of $2.99 will unlock additional stories. Games such as this one nurture a wealth of foundational skills to get your child ready for academic work in school, including concentration, perseverance, fine motor skills, and more.

Shape Gurus: Preschooler Game

Price: $2.99 on iOS App Store; $1.99 on Google Play Store

This app uses shape and color puzzles to teach 2-5 year olds basic readiness skills such as matching, sorting, classifying and more. These readiness skills are crucial to later reading and school success.

Shape Gurus features 27 interactive puzzles with 4 shapes and 9 colors. It supports play in twelve languages, too. The app is very child-friendly, with no advertisements or in-app purchases so it’s perfect for young players.

Logic and Thinking Puzzles

Winkythink logic puzzles.

Price: $2.99

iOS App Store

WinkyThink features 180 puzzles presented in order of difficulty. Players must not only match, but solve problems, use tools, figure out patterns, and much, much more. This app provides hours of fun that will build problem solving skills, coordination, basic readiness skills, logic and memory.

Developers did an outstanding job of finding the right balance for each puzzle, so that players’ skills are challenged, but they will be able to make progress in the game. The puzzles are completely nonverbal, so there’s no need for reading skills or even following directions. Everything is very hands-on, figure-it-out-as-you-go. It costs $2.99 to download.

Where’s My Water?

Price: $1.99 with in-app purchases

The Where’s My Water? App has previously won the Game of the Year award. Meet Swampy the Gator; he needs your help guiding water to his broken shower. Each level of this game features challenging physics-based puzzles with amazingly life-like water mechanics. In this kids’ puzzle app, children will cut paths through the dirt to guide fresh water, dirty water, toxic water, steam and ooze to their proper places.

Every drop counts! Can you get enough clean water to Swampy’s shower? There are four original characters, each with their own scenario. Along the way, kids can collect special items they find in the dirt, as well as complete challenges and bonus levels. If you would like to share a new game with your preschooler, be sure to check out this physics puzzler! And if your child finds this one enjoyable, there are several sequels and related apps, including “Where’s My Water? 2”, “Where’s My Perry?” and “Where’s My Mickey?” All are $1.99 with in-app purchases.

Cut the Rope: Experiments GOLD

Price: 99 cents on iOS App Store; Free on Google Play Store; both with in-app purchases

Here’s another great kids’ problem-solving app! Meet Om Nom, the adorable little candy eating monster. With Cut the Rope: Experiments, kids will experiment to feed Om Nom candy throughout 200 challenging levels. The little green monster is hungrier than ever, and kids can team up with the Professor to study Om Nom’s candy-eating behavior through a series of experiments.

There are 8 level packs with 200 levels; all of the levels feature innovative physics gameplay. Kids will use suction cups and lots of other funny devices to feed Om Nom, while collecting shiny gold stars, uncovering hidden prizes and unlocking new levels along the way. If your child enjoys this fun app, look for Cut the Rope 2 and other great sequels. The app has in-app purchase offers to unlock most content.

Inventioneers

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Inventioneers allows kids to create their own crazy, fun inventions! With the help of the Inventioneers – tiny helpers with unique characteristics – kids can create fun, creative and quirky inventions. This problem solving app allows children to learn about physics while exploring with inventions in realtime and learning the science behind different features, including: air, fire, magnetism and jumping.

In the free version, kids can explore the first chapter with 14 inventions, as well as hang out with the first Inventioneer, Windy; there are 40+ different objects to use in the inventions. With the full version (purchase: one time fee), kids can explore 6 chapters with a total of 84 inventions, 40+ new objects, 10 characters that you can help, and 6 Inventioneers – Blaze, Sporty, Zappy, Bunny, Magneta and Freezy. If you would like to check out a fun creative app, be sure to share Inventioneers with your little inventor! This free trial includes the first three chapters. If you like it, the rest of the app is available as an in-app purchase for $4.99.

Price: $3.99 on iOS App Store; $2.99 on Google Play Store

For older kids, this unique puzzle app might be just the ticket. The app is a story told in comic book-style frames, but the frames are all mixed up. In order to see how the story progresses, players must bring order to the chaos by putting the frames into their correct positions.

The app has won multiple awards. It’s definitely for older kids, due to some mildly-objectionable content, so parents will want to screen the app carefully.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Super puzzle kids jigsaw game.

Here are dozens and dozens of kid-friendly digital jigsaw puzzles for toddlers and preschoolers. The puzzles can be adjusted in size and complexity from 6 to 72 pieces, so there’s loads of room to grow and improve. Each puzzle also includes an animated surprise when finished, so there’s always a cool reward awaiting.

An in-app purchase of $2.99 is required to unlock the full game. You can try a few puzzles, then if your child has fun, you can complete the set.

Baby Shark Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

Even if the adults have had it with the Baby Shark Song, children can’t seem to get enough of it. If you have an addict, check out these puzzles based on Baby Shark. The app offers 14 Baby Shark puzzle activities, each with 5 levels of difficulty.

Doing puzzles like this promotes problem solving skills, observation and visual skills, and many other important skills to help your child succeed in school later in life. The app offers a variety of in-app purchases, ranging from $2.99 to remove the ads to a monthly ($8.99) or annual ($59.99) subscription to unlock still more Baby Shark content.

Jigsaw Puzzles Real Jigsaws

Here’s one of the most customizable jigsaw apps on the market. It includes 2400 pictures, and you can also upload photos from your own device. You can pick the number of pieces and the rotation freedom. While it’s not clear that it would be simple enough for toddlers/preschoolers, the control over the number of pieces will certainly make it a hit with slightly older children as well as adults.

There is an in-app purchase available to remove the ads. Other than that, the app is completely free to download and play. A real bargain for puzzle fans!

15 Best Puzzle Games For Android And iOS In 2022

A mong the various games we have played, puzzle games have been a part of our childhood, and we all have loved the way such games acted as brain teasers and helped stimulate our nervous system.

As we grow up, we need such mind-teasing games for the healthy working of our brain cells . And as most of our time is spent online, why not make room for online puzzles and keep our brains refreshed? Therefore, my new list will include the best puzzle games you should consider downloading on your device for all the perplexity you need.

15 Best Puzzle Games For Android and iOS

Chess light – puzzle game, brain it on, monuments valley, escape puzzle game, move the block, jigsaw puzzles real, smart: brain games and logic puzzles, sudoku – puzzle game, 2048 original.

Hocus is a mind-bending perspective puzzle game. It is currently one of the top-rated puzzle games on the Play Store right now. In this game, your goal is to get a cube to the red finish marker as fast and efficiently as possible. It might look easy to play but can be pretty challenging.

One of the most incredible things about this game is that it lets you create and play other user-created puzzles. With over 100 puzzles, you can easily play this game for a few hours whenever you are bored.

Pros : Pick up and play game, easy to learn
Cons : Can get repetitive
Availability : Android and iOS

Amid all the available puzzle games online, Threes has a similar concept of sliding tiles to form a particular number, in this case, three and its multiples. When you start playing the game, it will give you a walk-through on how to play it so that it gets easier for you.

It follows a simple drill of sliding the tiles and joining them to add the two titles. Even though it is an easy process, it will still take a while to join the tiles. It starts with making a three, followed by other multiples of three. Each step expects you to make one, and you have to use your brain while sliding to form the desired number.

The game has ease of flow, and once you start playing it often, you will enjoy it, and sliding tiles to form numbers will be your everyday goal.

Pros : Addictive in a good way
Cons : Can stutter sometimes

Mekorama is an adorable 3D puzzle game just like Treasure Tracker and Monument Valley. In this game, you control a cute little robot and navigate it through different puzzle rooms, each with different mechanics. Due to the variety in obstacles, the game keeps being fresh.

Whenever you finish a level, you unlock five more. So you won’t ever feel stuck, and the progression will be pretty open-ended. With over 50 levels to unlock, the game is quite a delight for those who like a challenge but want a laid-back experience.

Pros : Looks quite good considering its a mobile game
Cons : Might not run properly on older phones

Chess light is a puzzle game based on, you guessed it, “Chess!”. The game puts you in over 180 different chess scenarios where you have to find a way to win. The game is free and comes with no ads, which is rare for games these days.

There are even six different difficulty options if you find the game is hard or too easy. You can even receive a hint if you feel like you are stuck. Fans of chess will definitely want to check this game out.

Pros : Huge variety of puzzle combinations
Cons : Have to know the basic rules of chess

Brain It On is an apt puzzle app to use when you want to challenge your brain. When I used the app, I could not help but scratch my head into how exactly can I play the simplest-looking game. The game works in a horizontal format and has a number of levels to reach.

You have to begin playing without doing much; open up the app, and select the first level (the first few levels are unlocked while others are locked), and start puzzling. Before you start, you have to make any shape of your choice on a plain canvas, beginning the main way of playing the game.

This means that the app needs you to do something on the canvas to execute a particular task. For instance, there will be a situation wherein you have to make something so that a glass kept on the canvas falls on the ground.

As the levels increase, the difficulty of the puzzle increases, which makes Brain It On one of the best Android puzzle games as well as on iOS. Furthermore, you can upgrade the app to get rid of ads.

Pros : Simple UI
Cons : Need to watch ads for hints

Monuments Valley is a puzzle video game wherein you are required to use your brain and help the character reach the destination. Anyone talking about puzzle games ought to mention Monument Valley. Hence, it had to make an entry on my list of best puzzle games.

While in the game, you have to play to puzzle to start playing the actual. The game is interesting as it has a 3D setting, and it is pretty fun to play.

The only drawback of the game is that it is a paid app, which slightly gets disappointing. Nonetheless, if spending money on apps is not a problem for you, Monuments Valley 1 and 2 are must-have puzzle games.

Pros : Intriguing concept
Cons : Paid app

Empty is a puzzle game similar to Monuments Valley, at least in terms of its artistic design. It’s a very zen-like puzzle game with a laid-back approach. Meaning you can play the game and not feel frustrated but rather healed.

The gameplay is quite simple, where you have to clear the room by rotating it. The game aims to teach us the value of simplicity in life with each level. It is entirely free and comes without any ads, which is quite rare for a game nowadays.

Pros : Relaxing music and style
Cons : Simplistic gameplay

The Two Dots Puzzle game moves around the two dots present on the app. You have to connect the dots in a way they meet each other, and a connection between the two is formed.

When you open up the app, the app will give a gist of how to play the game by letting you connect the two dots available on the screen. Once the process gets completed, you can start with the first level of the game, which will eventually take you up the hill of the more and more levels (with new ways of playing).

Two Dots: Best games to tease your brain

Keep in mind that you can connect the dots horizontally, vertically, or form a right-angle but can’t connect them diagonally. Additionally, you get limited moves, so you have to hurry up and use your brain before you make a move.

When you are at a particular level, you will be given some targets to make you cross the level. The initial levels are pretty straightforward, and you will feel like a pro until you reach more levels and realize it’s not as easy as it appeared.

Pros : Engaging
Cons : Can lag sometimes

Escape Room is one of the puzzle types wherein you have to look for objects smartly. The game has a storyline where a girl introduces you to the game’s concept, following which you can start playing.

With a medieval backdrop, the game also provides you with a limited number of hints so that you move ahead with ease in situations when you get stuck.

The game begins with the first level (and moves up more levels), wherein you have to find a given number of objects and use them in the scene itself. You will have to tap on the various things placed and find the hidden things or combine two things to repair an item — the possibilities of proceeding ahead are many.

While the Escape Room is intriguing, the difficulty level makes it one of the well-suited puzzles for adults. However, kids can also play it to sharpen their brains.

Pros : Story format
Cons : Adverts
Availability : Android

Move The Block is one of the classic sliding puzzles (among free puzzles) where you are required to slide the objects (in this case, blocks) to win the puzzle. The puzzle game has a number of levels under Basic, Premium, and Old categories (eight to be precise), with each level coming with sub-levels.

When you start with the first level, you will be guided around the game and the options available for you to use and play with ease. The game is an interesting one, and as you move forward, you won’t even realize how addictive the game will get, and you will end up playing it more than the allotted time period.

Of course, as you move up the levels, the levels will get difficult, and you might need the help of the hints available at your disposal. This is where the game’s drawback appears; to get each clue, you have to watch an ad video that makes it annoying.

Pros : Daily Rewards
Cons : Mid-gameplay ads

If you haven’t played a jigsaw puzzle, have you ever played a puzzle at all? One of the classic puzzle games of all time, the game’s name is enough to be one of the best free online jigsaw puzzles.

The game follows the simple process of joining the puzzle pieces and forming a single picture. The app provides you with various options to choose from: be it pictures related to nature, animals, aerial, and many more, and you can pick the ones you like and arrange the jigsaw puzzle.

Before the pieces are spread around, you will be given a small glimpse of the whole picture to start playing. You can further view the image again and again to get a better idea.

The game makes sure it twists your brain and acts as an element of nostalgia when jigsaw puzzles are actual board games.

Pros : Various Puzzle options
Cons : Ads, ads, ads

Skillz is one of the mobile puzzle games that tease your brain and puts your brain to some good use.

The app lets you decide if you want to play as a single-player or play a multi-player game. Upon choosing, there will be a number of levels, and you will be taken to the first level. As a reminder, other levels will be locked until you pass the initial ones. Hence, skipping levels is not an option. In addition to this, there is an option to replay the game if you weren’t satisfied with your previous performance.

The levels include searching for a particular number or letter among the same numbers or letters, thus testing your brainpower and speed. The game proves pretty addictive as the urge to cross all the levels takes over once you start playing it. However, the presence of ads is a problem.

Pros : Single/Multi-Player option
Cons : Time-based gameplay

Among the various puzzle game apps, Smart is a game that includes several brain teasers and logic puzzles, giving us an opportunity to play free puzzles.

The game has various color-coded levels (Blue, Violet, Gold) and other levels (Left & Right, Block Game, and Pipeline), each level coming with loads of sub-levels for you to enjoy the puzzle maker.

Selecting the levels and then the sub-levels will let you into your puzzles with tutorials so that you can get the hang of the game before starting. There are various puzzle options, which will ensure you don’t get bored with the game. While the gameplay is as smooth as butter initially, the more levels you reach, the more difficult it gets.

Overall, Smart is a fun game to play and rates you in areas such as memory, imagination, problem-solving, flexibility, speed, and attention so that you eventually improve in the areas. Additionally, you earn points and diamonds each time you cross a level.

Pros : Loads of game options
Cons : Slightly confusing app

Sudoku is another puzzle that is a classic and one of the best mobile puzzle games. Bringing the daily newspaper puzzle game to your smartphones, Sudoku is all about arranging numbers both vertically and horizontally.

The number count is from 1 to 9 in a 9×9 grid (also a standard format). You have to ensure that each grid doesn’t have the same number to make the perfect Sudoku. The game allows you to get hints, undo a particular entry, erase it or pencil it off.

Additionally, Sudoku gives you daily challenges for further brain stimulation, lets you change the game’s theme, and lets you remove ads by making purchases.

While the game appears difficult when you start playing it, it eventually gets fun to play and easier once you get the hang of it. Being one of the vintage free puzzle games, it reminded me of the days when I used to play Sudoku from a newspaper back in school.

Pros : Great brain teaser
Cons : Takes a while to launch

2048 is one of the types of puzzles we have heard of before. It is a sliding puzzle requiring us to slide the blocks and eventually arrange four blocks in the ‘2048’ manner. While there are many apps with the 2048 moniker, it is present on my list of best puzzle games due to the high ratings and downloads.

When you open up the app, you are asked to select the grids (4×4, 5×5, 6×6, 8×8, 3×5, 4×6, 5×8, 6×9) you want to play the game on. Once you select the grid of your choice, you can start playing the game. Remember, grid sizes mean that the difficulty is more with an increase in grid size.

2048 Original is one of the best puzzle apps, given that it activates the brain cells so badly, fulfilling the purpose of a puzzle game. If you want to tease your brain hard, you need 2048 on your smartphone.

Cons : Frequent ads

Types Of Puzzles

For those who think that puzzles are all about finding the puzzle pieces and completing a jigsaw, you need to know that there are many kinds of puzzles available for us to play with. These include riddles, trivia puzzles, math puzzles, pattern guessing, logic puzzles, and many more. This list contains puzzles such as trivia, sliding, logic, paper-and-pencil puzzles, among its various types. Hence, read on for more:

F requently Asked Questions

Are puzzle games good for you.

Online puzzle games keep your mind sharp . Just as we need a physical workout to maintain our fitness, we need mind exercises (in the form of puzzles and more) for brain fitness. I hope my list of best free Android puzzle games (iOS too) acts as a helping tool to keep you busy in something productive other than just social media.

Do puzzle games help with problem solving?

It’s a well-known fact that video games improve problem-solving skills. One research even says that children’s creativity is enhanced by playing any kind of video game, including violent games. However, that’s not the case when the children use other forms of technology, such as a computer or cell phone.

Do let me know which games from our best puzzle games list you liked the most. If you have more suggestions to make, I will take them and add the best ones to my list.

Until then, keep on puzzling your brain and make it fitter and better!

Also Read: Best Android Games To Enjoy Mobile Gaming

Started off as an acquaintance, she is now a friend of tech trying to become a tech pundit soon. An extrovert in nature, she likes everything doggos and puppers.

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19 best puzzle games on android in 2024.

Destress with these mobile puzzlers

Creating a quality puzzle app is not easy, even for the best of the best on the Play Store . Balancing gameplay elegance, intricacy, and satisfaction while adhering to a reasonable difficulty curve is a task only the top puzzle games can achieve. The key is to reward players for their deductive reasoning skills rather than demanding snap decisions, incentivizing some deeper thought and caution before proceeding. Build it around an entertaining gameplay loop with a sweet artstyle, and you’ve got a great puzzle game, ready for the best budget Android phones. From calming apps like Mekorama to addictive “just one more go” experiences like Melon Maker, Puzzle apps are primed and ready to keep you guessing.

It's no secret that puzzle games are a little over-represented on the Play Store, with slews of imitators riding the slipstream of market leaders, so we're here to highlight the best of the best. This genre of apps is a little oversaturated on the Play Store, given its flexibility in terms of setting and artstyle, so we’d like to share our favorites in this roundup of the best puzzle games that stand out. You can put your new high-performance gaming phone away for these apps, but don't forget your thinking cap.

1 Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon

Netflix Games has published Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon on the Play Store, bringing the popular puzzle roguelike to Android. While this game does differ from the original platformer, the puzzle-based gameplay is superb, offering falling block gameplay any Tetris fan should recognize. The mechanics are simple enough to understand while remaining challenging to master, which is why the gameplay loop is so addictive, all without pesky monetization to ruin the experience.

You will need a Netflix account to play, but beyond that, this is a premium release that stacks up to its console and PC counterparts.

2 Baba Is You

Baba Is You takes a traditional Sokoban puzzle game and turns it on its head through the use of cryptic words. You'll unlock specific abilities and areas by pushing certain words together, which is ultimately how you solve each puzzle. Still, these solutions aren't easy, as this is an incredibly challenging game, but the solution is the reward, and it feels great once you finally get past a puzzle that was previously stumping you.

Baba Is You may be a short game clocking in at 7 hours to beat , but it's one of the best puzzle games on the platform, which is why it's a great title to start with for today's puzzle game roundup.

3 Path of Giants

A slick puzzle game where you'll control three characters, each offering unique skills to see you progress through each stage. As you can guess, you'll use these characters to solve each stage's puzzle, with the challenge growing with each solved stage. The graphics are excellent, the gameplay is enjoyable, and it's easily played in bite-size sessions to ensure this is a title best played in your downtime.

Best of all, what you see is what you get, as this is a premium release, so you're free to enjoy the game in its entirety once you pay $4. Not bad, not bad at all.

4 Golf Peaks

Golf Peaks is styled as a miniature golf game, but it's actually a puzzle game (which is why it's on today's list). There are more than 120 levels to explore, spread across ten worlds. Cards are used for movement as you decipher which cards will get your ball into the hole, making for a logic puzzler you will have to spend time thinking about, but that's where the fun is to be found, illustrating why this game is so appealing. It's designed well and offers tons of fun. What's not to like?

Sliding tile puzzle games may have a reputation for being simple, but Gorogoa is anything but. Sure, you'll slide some tiles around, as that is part of the core gameplay, but thanks to some striking art and abstract puzzle solutions, this game goes way beyond moving a few tiles. Imagine if Salvador Dalí created a video game, and you're getting close to the abstract play within this release. While the game is only two hours long , it's a heck of a ride that shouldn't be missed.

PUSH is a fun minimal puzzle game where your single objective is to push a bunch of buttons in the correct order. What is great about this setup is that there are no timers and no tutorials. Heck, there aren't even any boss fights. This game is solely focused on gameplay and gameplay alone. Essentially, what you see is what you get, and what you get is a competent puzzle game that offers a stress-free experience.

7 Hidden Through Time

Hidden Through Time is a stunning hidden object game that offers wonderful art, cute animations, and enjoyable gameplay. Mostly you'll spend your time deciphering clues to find all the hidden objects in each level, and each stage is pleasantly animated, making it easy to gaze at the screen for hours as you hunt down every last hidden object. If you enjoy titles like Hidden Folks but are looking for a splash of color to brighten the experience, then you'll love Hidden Through Time.

8 G30 - A Memory Maze

G30 - A Memory Maze is a minimal puzzle game that offers a unique story about a person suffering from a cognitive disorder. It will be your job to piece together their memory by solving two-part puzzles of scattered text and random images. You'll spend most of your time rotating these images to form larger pictures. The secondary puzzle element comes into play as you cycle these pics through words displayed at the top of the screen.

These words ultimately tell a story, but you'll first have to solve each puzzle before you can piece together the entirety of the tale.

9 Hidden Folks

Hidden Folks is a stylish hidden object game that's a joy to look at and play. The art is hand-drawn and consists of black-and-white pen and ink designs. Players are tasked with finding a particular person hidden in each drawing, much like a Where's Waldo book. This is easier said than done since you'll have to peel back and move objects in each environment to hunt down these hidden people.

Unlike many of the hidden objects on the Play Store, Hidden Folks offers a highly interactive experience, which has a lot to do with the wonderfully engaging art style.

Hocus is an indie puzzle game that exudes a minimal style. It will be your job to navigate a cube through a series of optical illusions. There are 120 hand-crafted levels to explore, and if you get tired of these levels, you can jump into the optional level builder to design your own. What's great about this system is that you can share these homemade levels through a code or card, which means you can jump into levels created by other players if you wish.

Blue is a popular release in the color-themed puzzle game series from Bart Bonte . The game's goal is to change the color in all the title's fifty stages to blue. If you get stuck, hints are available, though ads will play unless you pay to remove them through an in-app purchase. Trial and error is the key to victory, especially if you plan to complete all 50 levels.

12 Shadowmatic

Shadowmatic took its sweet time coming to Android, but the game is so pretty we can forgive the late arrival. The game's setup is extremely simple. All you do is spin and tilt one or more of the game's 3D objects to form a shadow that displays the puzzle's desired shape. Things grow more complex when multiple objects are in play. The beautiful 3D graphics create a relaxed atmosphere perfect for short or lengthy gaming sessions, though you'll need some beefy hardware to run this title.

13 I Love Hue Too

I Love Hue Too is a psychedelic puzzler where harmony, geometry, perception, skill, and magic intersect to create an enthralling puzzle game. Puzzles are solved by shuffling tiles to create harmony with the colors provided. There are more than 900 puzzles to unravel within this release and multiple play modes, which should keep players busy for a long while. Oh, and the game contains six ambient tracks that help set the mood for this trippy puzzler.

14 Bridge Constructor Portal

The Bridge Constructor series from Headup has seen a few releases on mobile, sporting all kinds of themes, combining gameplay elements from these themes with classic bridge construction gameplay. The most popular title to combine interesting elements is Bridge Constructor Portal. It offers familiar Portal gameplay crossed with bridge-building action, resulting in a good time solving all portal-laced puzzles.

This is a premium release you can snag for $5, and there's extra DLC once you beat the main game that you can pick up for $2. Seeing that the main campaign is 13 hours long and that the DLC adds even more content, you'll have plenty of puzzles to solve for a small investment.

15 Railbound

From the same creator as Golf Peaks, Railbound is a puzzler where you'll lay down train tracks to solve the game's level-based challenges. There are more than 200 puzzles to solve, all revolving around trains and track laying, with adorable graphics attached and a couple of cute pups to boot. So if you're a fan of Golf Peaks and want to see what's new from the same creator, Railbound is the obvious choice, and best of all, it's just as great as its older brother.

16 Mekorama

Mekorama draws inspiration from similar isometric puzzle platformers, such as Monument Valley, but that's an easy thing to forgive when the games you imitate are solid to start with. Much like the titles that inspired this release, you can expect tons of humor and personality, and the developer has implemented a user-friendly way to pay what you want for the full game unlock, which is a nice touch.

17 Lost Words: Beyond the Page

If you're big into platformers, but enjoy them most when they offer puzzle mechanics, then Lost Words: Beyond the Page should be right up your alley. This is a chill game where you'll literally use the letters in words as platforms to traverse each stage. These words, of course, tell an evolving story, which is entertaining enough, but it's the puzzle-based platforming where the game really shines.

Taking a page out of Baba is You's book, you'll have to think creatively about how words can be used to solve the game's 2D puzzles, all at your own pace.

18 Linelight

Linelight is an atmospheric puzzle game centered around navigating threads of light to complete puzzle challenges; with a celestial theme that immerses you in the experience. Gameplay-wise, Linelight gets really creative with the kinds of puzzles it offers; particularly the ones themed around only moving when the player is moving. Linelight focuses on its gameplay, with over 200 puzzles to solve, but its presentation is also very absorbing, from the silky movements to the beautiful music.

19 Melon Maker: Fruit Game

Melon Maker has been making waves for a while due to its curiously magnetic appeal, presenting an interesting blend of match-3 and Tetris mechanics. The gameplay boils down to dropping fruit into a transparent box, and combining fruits of the same color to keep the pile from overflowing. The difficulty curves smoothly as the fruits get bigger the longer you play and the circular nature of the fruits makes stacking difficult. Its cute artstyle, satisfying gameplay, and insane replayability create an experience that's just impossible to put down.

If you’re looking for your next big app addiction à la Vampire Survivors , check out Melon Maker.

The best puzzle games are easily installed from the Google Play Store

The above selection of quality puzzle games are some of our favorites, but there are plenty more out there too, which is why this roundup is constantly updated with new listings to ensure everyone can jump into a fresh puzzler when the need arises. So until the next update, enjoy the latest puzzle titles that have struck our fancy as the best of the best.

30 Best Puzzle Apps & Games to Try in 2022

It will be no surprise to spend more time indoors primarily as an after-effect of the pandemic. Whether that is or isn’t the reason, you might always want to have a few puzzle apps on your smartphone or tablet. The problem is, there are thousands to select from, but we’ve made your job easier by narrowing them down to a list that includes some of the best puzzle apps for iPhone and Android users.

Also, you needn’t worry, as these aren’t just generic jigsaw puzzle apps! We do feature one in our list, but the others incorporate all kinds of variations of puzzle apps that you get to pick from. In our definitive list, you’ll come across interesting puzzle games and apps that deal with numbers, word puzzle apps based on how well your knowledge of the English language is, ones that art-lovers will totally relish, mobile puzzle games that involve out of the box thinking, and various other puzzle apps that take you on exciting adventures. From the best puzzle apps in the App Store to the best Android puzzle games, here are some that you should try out.

It doesn’t matter what type of puzzles you’re a fan of – whether contemporary or classic puzzle games, you’ll find something enjoyable on this list!

Table of Contents

Best Puzzle Games & Apps: The Definitive List

1. match 3d.

There’s nothing to hate and everything to like about the Match 3D app with its adorable combinations of emojis, food, animals, and more to pair up. This puzzle matching is suitable for everyone in the household, so you can all play together. Each level gets increasingly challenging as you progress and objects become tougher to figure out, so it all boils down to your focus and attention levels in solving all the puzzles.

Availability : Free | Android and iOS

2. MPL (Mobile Premier League)

MPL – Asia’s largest gaming platform – is now in the US , featuring some of the best puzzle games you’ll find on the internet. These include Mahjong Puzzle, Block Puzzle , and Chess Puzzle. In Mahjong Puzzle, it’s all about finding the matching tile to place, while in Block Puzzle, it’s about placing blocks on the grid without losing space. Chess Puzzle offers an intriguing series of chess situations where you must correctly figure out the next move(s).

MPL also features games in other categories, including Arcade games, Card games, Casual games, with more frequent additions. Since it allows you to play free practice games and real money games, it’s the apt puzzle app for anyone looking to have fun and simultaneously make some extra income.

3. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles

Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles offers a lot of fun and is ideal for players of all ages. It’s fun and also an excellent way to exercise your mind. You can find over 275 brain-teasing levels designed to work your brain and often manipulate it. The objective is to think quickly and differently to solve truckloads of puzzles. Once you start, there’s no looking back. The best thing about it is that none of the puzzles are too challenging.

4. Tangle Master 3D

If you’re up for challenges, Tangle Master 3D is the perfect game for you! It comes with an infinite number of intertwining pieces of colored rope that the player needs to undo. It might sound like a very straightforward task, don’t take it too lightly. Each level adds an extra layer of complication as more tangle ropes get added to the mess that you eventually need to disentangle.

5. Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure

So, you think you’re good at solving puzzles? Put your puzzle-solving skills to the ultimate test with Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure. Find yourself imprisoned in an old city prison in Alcatraz when you start playing. Your objective is to aptly figure out all puzzles provided to escape the prison and flee the isolated island.

6. Block! Hexa Puzzle Game

Are you a fan of games where you need to place pieces together to clear lines and score points? If yes, Block! Hexa Puzzle is a sensational choice. In each level of the game, you get blocks of varying shapes and sizes that you need to carefully place onto a board without rotating them. Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes to solve all three hundred of the game’s puzzles!

7. Jigsaw Puzzles—Epic

Gone are the days when jigsaws puzzles could only be worked on from home! Courtesy of the Puzzles – Epic app, you can now work on one anywhere, anytime. The app offers over ten thousand different jigsaw images to pick from, or you can create a custom one from a photo you have. And if that wasn’t crazy enough, the app features eleven different levels of jigsaw puzzles, with some having nearly 625 pieces, so it’s nothing less than a challenge!

8. Water Sort Puzzle

This game is the equivalent of a vibrant science experiment. Every test tube is packed with different colors – some with numerous shades. To play, you need to tap a test tube that starts pouring its colored contents into another test tube with the same color. In each round, the puzzle’s goal is to sort out colors and place them in the appropriate test tube without messing up or filling up.

9. Polysphere—Art Of Puzzle

We can vouch for the fact that Polysphere is one of the most unique puzzle apps you’ll ever play. The app makes you think and feel like a true artist trying to finish their masterpiece as you rotate and swipe over the shattered 3D illustration until it becomes whole again. Trust us when we say that you’ll have a big grin on your face every time you finish one of the puzzles!

10. The Birdcage

This is a very unique puzzle game unlike any other. The game features a fantasy-based storyline about an anguished king who has locked away every ocean-colored bird that lives in his kingdom because they remind him of his dead son. But in doing so, he steals the wind from the sky, which can only return to its previous state when the birds are released. The task at hand is to solve all the riddles and puzzles in each level to aid in the birds’ escape so the wind can resume blowing.

11. Two Dots

As the name suggests, the game essentially moves around two dots. You need to connect the dots so that they eventually meet each other and forge a connection. Remember that you can join the dots vertically, horizontally, or form a perpendicular. However, you cannot connect them diagonally. Also, you have limited moves, so you must hurry up and utilize your brain before making any moves.

When you play at a particular level, you will get some targets. The initial levels are pretty straightforward, and you will get that pro-feeling once you scale more levels and realize the game was never easy in the first place.

12. Puzzledom

If you happen to be a puzzle game enthusiast and are in search of an app offering multiple puzzles in a single place, Puzzledom is what we’d suggest. It features a tonne of exciting puzzles, but the most remarkable thing about the app is that you can play without an internet connection, and there’s no time limit applicable.

13. Diggy’s Adventure Puzzle Games

Set off on a thrilling adventure in this rollicking 2D puzzle maze. Diggy the Professor, Rusty, and Linda will accompany you on the journey of exploring mines and obtaining numerous items that you’ll use to solve jigsaw puzzles. Real fun it is, to solve over a thousand riddles and escape from nearly five hundred mazes, spread over four varying locations. There’s nothing quite like this game in the ecosystem of puzzle games.

14. Mansion of Puzzles—Escape

It’s time to put on your detective hat and solve puzzles as that’s the core focus of Mansion of Puzzles – Escape. You’ll need to solve riddles, mini puzzles, and other riveting challenges that the game offers to unlock the mansion’s hundred doors and solve mysteries at every level.

15. Escape Room: Mystery Word

Do you miss going to escape rooms with your pals during the pandemic? If yes, there’s a high probability of you becoming obsessed with this game. Escape Room: Mystery World positions you in an escape room and offers three hints to solve the existing puzzle and get out. Once you make your way out, you can resume playing over three hundred levels that the game has.

16. Parking Jam 3D

In this quirky game, you need to figure out how to move everyone’s vehicles out of your way to get out without bumping into any of the traffic. There’s a catch, however. You need to get them out in a specific order, which makes this puzzle harder to solve than you might anticipate. You never know – this puzzle game could even help you in real life when you find yourself in sophisticated parking situations that require a strategy.

17. Candy Crush Saga

Of course, there can never be any puzzle game list without featuring one of the most popular puzzle games – Candy Crush Saga. Millions of games worldwide enjoy the game, featuring thousands of levels; what matters is your quick thinking. That’ll earn you candy combos! Find out if you can match three or more candies in a row and make your way to the higher levels.

Availability : Free| Android and iOS

18. Numpuz: Number Puzzle Games

This app is a reliable way to test your prowess in numbers. Each game features a square packed with numbered tiles, with a single empty space. The objective is to figure out how to slide every tile into the correct order. The game offers six varying levels of puzzle difficulty for players, so it will take a while for you to achieve success in all!

19. Pack Master

Trust us when we say you’d love to recall how you packed every puzzle item into a suitcase in this game when you’re packing your bags for the next trip. Pack Masters tests your organizational skills, requiring you to ideally put each object into your bag. No, it’s not just about making more spaces for clothes to fit in – you’ll have to pack everything from shoes to plants to bowling balls and lots more. We wish you the best of luck!

20. Toon Blast

You’ll find this puzzle to be one of the most adorable ones ever! Enter the world of Cooper Car, Bruno Bear, and Wally Wolf as you attempt to solve numerous quirky, challenging puzzles enabling the toon gang to travel. Kids and adults alike will love Toon Blast!

Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned game of Sudoku! To date, it is one of the best puzzle games to give yourself a mental workout. There are more than fifty thousand logical number puzzle games to pick from and four difficulty levels to work on. You need to place digits 1-9 strategically into a grid so that each number shows up only once in every column, row, and mini-grid.

Availability : Free | iOS

22. Puzzle Page—Daily Puzzles!

Consider this app to be a non-stop puzzle service! There are brand new puzzles to pick from every day, so you will never try to solve the same puzzle twice. You can also use the app’s calendar to go through any puzzles you may have missed earlier in the week or find more of your favorite kinds of puzzles to solve on the app.

23. Picture Cross

When you combine the aspects of art with puzzle-solving, you get Picture Cross! Start at the easiest level and game your way up to expert levels as you solve puzzle after puzzle to unravel the mystery artwork.

24. Mr. Bullet—Spy Puzzles

Mr. Bullet—Spy Puzzles is a pretty unique puzzle game you wouldn’t want to miss out on! The game takes you on a secret mission to eliminate your foes and save hostages by using your brain. Get your brain to work and solve exciting puzzles!

25. Word Connect

We bring you the ultimate spelling puzzle game in the form of Word Connect. It urges you to think quickly and combine letters into as many words as possible to earn coins. With 12,700 levels, there’s no shortage of choice, and you needn’t worry about finding other apps to spend time on.

A mind-twisting perspective puzzle game, Hocus is presently one of the most highly rated puzzles games on Google Play. Your goal in the game is to secure a cube to red finish marker efficiently and quickly. It might seem easy to play but can be pretty challenging.

The most incredible feature of this game is that it allows you to create and play custom puzzles created that other users create. The game features over a hundred puzzles and offers more than just a few hours of entertainment.

27. Unblock Me

Download Unblock Me if you’re looking for endless hours of fun! This game features over 18,000 puzzles that you can solve one after another. Also, you can play in four distinct modes: Multi-player, Challenge, Relax, or Daily.

28. Chess Light

A captivating puzzle based on Chess, the game places you in over 180 different scenarios where you must figure out a way to win. The game is free to download and has no annoying ads, which is rare for online puzzle games these days.

If you find the game too easy or challenging, you can choose between six difficulty options. Get a hint if you think you’re stuck without any moves to make. This game is bound to impress fans of chess!

Empty is a zen-like puzzle that follows a relaxed approach. We mean that the game doesn’t induce feelings of frustration but slowly heals you from the inside.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward, where you need to clear out the room by rotating it. The game teaches us how to look at life simplistically at every level. It’s also ad-free, making it a total treat to play continuously!

Among all the online puzzle games available, Threes follows a familiar concept of sliding tiles to form a specific number – in this case, three or its multiples. The game offers a walkthrough in the beginning, making it clear how to play.

It sticks to the specific drill of sliding tiles and joining them to add two other tiles. Even though it sounds like an easy process, joining the tiles will take much longer than you think. You begin with making a three, subsequently by its other multiples. Every step requires you to make one, and you must use your brain while sliding to come up with the desired number.

There’s a fun flow to the game, which gets increasingly more enjoyable as you play. Chances are, you’ll be playing it almost every day once you start.

Wrapping Up

There are plenty of choices when it comes to puzzle apps and games. Now that you’ve gone through our extensive list of the best ones, you might want to get started by downloading and trying some of these. Get MPL first if you’re looking for an authentic online gaming experience in the puzzle game category.

Top 25 best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

25 essential iOS puzzle games to start your collection

Updated on April 19, 2023 - re-checked the list. This genre is right at the heart of the mobile gaming experience. Therefore, we decided to create a list of the best iOS puzzle games for iPhones and iPads !

It fits the environment perfectly - small, largely static (or at least slow-paced) titles that don't require lavish visuals or complex controls, and which will reward however much time you're able to commit to them.

It's not surprising to find that the App Store is positively brimming with puzzle games , then. But finding the best puzzle games for iOS is no easy feat.

They come in all shapes and sizes, from old-fashioned match threes to crazy experimental flights of fancy. And the ground between those two extremes is vast. Imagine this - nowadays, you can even find puzzle RPGs (which was unheard of a few years back)! Also read:

Best iOS multiplayer games
Best iOS games with controller support

Best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad

We're sure that you have a few select ones that we haven't listed, but that's partly because of what we mentioned above. There are just so many!

Instead, we've tried to focus on the few select titles that really stood out to us and distinguished themselves in some sort - be it they've got unique graphics, never-before-seen mechanics or especially tricky perplexities. That's what we tried to look out for, so while you might see some premium titles (like Gorogoa), you'll also find free-to-play ones that can be plenty of fun (such as Pink)!

So, let's take a look at some of the best iPhone puzzle games , shall we?

1 Monument Valley 2

Like the original, Monument Valley warps reality and assaults your eyes with otherworldly landscapes. Rarely has a runaway mainstream hit felt so daringly experimental. With the problem-solving aspect falling somewhere in between 3D and mind-twisting, it is a great title to get you started.

The graphics are gorgeous, but while that's an aspect that deserves our appreciation in a different post, you'll find that this creation meets all the expectations. That's why it's one of the best puzzle games iPhone users can get their hands on, even years down the line.

2 Text Express: Word Adventure

Text Express: Word Adventure is an interesting puzzle game where you have to solve crosswords and a lot more. The gameplay is great, and the story and atmosphere are also remarkable. Text Express is a perfect choice for both children and adults if you want to relax and enjoy your time.

Text Express: Word Adventure was nominated for the best mobile puzzle game at the Pocket Gamer Awards 2022 and won it! The users of our website consider it to be the best puzzle of the year, and we definitely agree with them!

A rare masterpiece, Gorogoa combines a clever picture-shifting mechanic with a beautiful storybook art style. It's quite wonderful but challenging at the same time. We added it as one of our best iPad puzzle games since the bigger screen is going to make it a lot more enjoyable.

Also, Gorogoa is best served in one sitting though because the story is a mesmerizing one and you won't want to miss a thing! You'll find stunning hand-drawn illustrations, unexpected obstacles, and an alluring narrative. What else could you want?

4 Grindstone

One of the finest titles from the initial Apple Arcade offering - which is really saying something. Grindstone's tactile match-three battling is a real treat. It's nothing like you would expect from a classic match-3 game, and that is mainly thanks to its unique approach.

Players will have plenty of levels to grind their stones (if I may say that), and with such great-looking graphics, it's an absolute treat. Grindstone is a must-try for all the match-three enthusiasts. We even have some Grindstone beginner tips to help you out!

Puzzlers used to be functional looking and targeted at the logic centres rather than seeking any kind of emotional response. Prune turns all that on its head with its achingly beautiful grown-'em-up gameplay. It's not what one might expect at the start, but it's one of those unique approaches to the genre we mentioned in our introduction.

Prune has been, and still is, one of the most beautiful iPhone puzzle games out there - not only that, but it's also extremely relaxing, although it poses a challenge every now and again.

6 The Room: Old Sins

Even four entries in, the intricate locked-box puzzles within puzzles of The Room series continue to enthral. When it's as perfectly executed as The Room: Old Sins, we could happily take several more.

While it is a premium title, it's well worth its price. Not only do the graphics amaze us with their realism, but also the gameplay is spot on - it's everything one could want from a real mystery experience. Talk about unique-looking games executed well! We have a video review for The Room: Old Sins , so if you're curious about how it plays, make sure to check it out!

This fiendishly clever number-based title should have a place on every mobile device. Accept no imitations.

With plenty of spark that has (somewhat) cooled off over the years, Threes! is, and has been, a title that stood out. It's easy to understand why that is, especially when you have a title with so much potential playtime. And no, before you ask, you don't need to like maths to like Threes! - in fact, it could be quite the opposite. You might even start (slightly) liking maths after you've played it.

8 Ticket to Earth

You've probably noticed that in our introduction we mentioned RPGs - well, here's one! It's not often that you find a title with a rollicking story, but that's precisely what Ticket to Earth provides. At heart, it's a block-matching title, but one that adds in compelling RPG elements and glorious comic book visuals.

The premium price is well-justified by its quality, so if that's what you're looking for in this genre, don't feel guilty about it. Ticket to Earth is one of the best iPhone puzzle games, and that won't change anytime soon.

9 Mini Metro

At your disposal is the whole modern world, all the megacities that today have a subway. Will you be able to organize the transport system in such a way that everything functions without delays and other problems? You are given a complete list of tools for work, but to dispose of them correctly is the very puzzle that will test your skills as a manager and builder.

For those of you eager to try it, you can take a look at the tips for Mini Metro that might open up some new paths for you (no pun intended).

10 Yankai's Peak

A highly challenging abstract puzzler from Kenny Sun that keeps drawing you back in. Rotating coloured triangles into place across its compact levels is a mind-bending delight. It might seem simple, but it's one of the best iOS puzzle games that does exactly what it's meant to do without much effort.

This hand-crafted gimmick of a game is ideal for testing your logical thinking in the direst situations. It could even be called a little psychedelic, if you may. It all depends on how you look at it.

11 The Witness

The Witness might look and even feel like a first-person adventure, but its beautiful free-roaming hub world is underpinned by fiendishly clever line-drawing puzzles. It is the ideal title for kicking back and relaxing at the end of an exhausting day, because thanks to its beautiful atmosphere, it will fill you right up with energy!

12 Evergarden

You thought you knew all about the most enjoyable iOS puzzle games? Think again. This enchanting experience takes the advanced match-and-evolve gameplay of Triple Town to the next level, with a hexagon-based grid and a beautiful 3D art style.

Evergarden feels like an enchanted title, where each move could give birth to something new and intriguing. And that's only part of the story. You should definitely give this one a try, it's as good as it gets!

13 Good Sudoku

To the uninitiated, Sudoku can feel like a foreign language. Zach Gage feels your sense of mystification and has made this comprehensive take on the popular pencil-and-paper intellect booster. Whether you're a Sudoku newbie or a veteran, Good Sudoku will more than live up to its name.

And no, you don't need to know the what s and how s of this popular title to ace it. You can start slow, and move your way up to more advanced sudokus.

Bart Bonte is renowned for his colour-coded abstract puzzlers, and Pink is the brightest yet. Each brain-teaser is a clever, meta delight that will challenge your rods and cones to the next level. While the levels might seem simple at the start, they'll quickly evolve into something a little more... fantastic.

If you're feeling up for the challenge, give it a shot! And while you're at it, you could also check out Green, Red, Yellow, or Blue! They're all equally amazing, so pick your colour and get to solving them!

15 Campfire Cooking

Games with a cooking theme have been around for a while, but none quite seemed to integrate the "cooking" part as well as Campfire Cooking. The beauty in this title is not from the graphics alone, but from the gameplay too. It is one of the few iPhone puzzle games you can almost always find time to play!

A grid-based title with some of the most delicious presentations around. In place of blocks and tiles, here you're shuffling around marshmallows and cooking pots. Tasty.

A stylish casual puzzler that asks you to rotate a series of boldly decorated rooms through 360 degrees, matching up colour-coded items of furniture. Empty. is a minimalistic title, but with a massive appeal once you get the hang of it. In essence, it's quite simple. At a closer look, it requires more than just a couple of twists and turns.

You won't decorate in Empty, but instead, make things disappear. Now THAT'S a unique approach. Don't forget to read our Empty. review , since it'll give you all the details you need to get started on this stunning iPhone puzzle game.

17 Photographs

You thought there could be a list without as much as a pixel graphic title? Wrong.

It is not at all what one might expect though. A narrative with a real heart, Photographs will tug your heartstrings just as much as it tickles your neurons with its block-sliding gameplay. It's one of the absolute most satisfying puzzle games on iOS we ever played, hands-down. Just read our Photographs review .

Each story is different, and each one is uniquely beautiful in its own sense. One aspect that cannot go overlooked though, is its cleverness. You actually need to pay attention to everything, because nothing is 'just there". Every feature of perplexity has a deeper meaning.

18 Framed 2

Have you ever dreamed of creating an interesting comic? While you might not be able to actually do that, you can control the action of the characters! In Framed 2, much like in Framed, you'll have to arrange panels in order to reveal a certain outcome to a story.

It's clever, it's unique, but most certainly it is fun. A challenging title that features mysteries, fun stories, and great-looking graphics.

19 Song of Bloom

You don't typically equate the puzzler genre with strong narratives, but Song of Bloom achieves that rare balance with some aplomb. It's the story of a search for meaning, told through a bunch of eclectic problems that require logical thinking, keen observation, and experimentation.

With ever-changing art styles and fitting music for each level, you'll have to figure out some rather... unique ways of solving the mysteries. Looking for one of the greatest iPhone puzzle games? Give this one a shot.

Another bright, minimalistic title from the developer of Zenge and Scalak. OXXO is essentially a 3D sliding puzzle, with plenty of clever flourishes.

What starts off as a simple one-dimensional title, will soon come to be a true 3D experience that will leave you scratching your head. It's challenging, despite its simple approach. A true masterpiece. Don't forget to read our OXXO review , since it'll tell you more about this challenging iOS puzzler - it might even make you want to try it for yourself!

21 7 Billion Humans

A game that utilises the basic principles of coding doesn't exactly sound like a barrel of laughs, but 7 Billion Humans pulls the whole off with style and substance. It seems complicated at best, but you'll soon discover that it's all for good reason. When the world gets overtaken by robots, nothing will seem too simple after all.

However intricate it might look, if you just follow a few simple principles, you'll find yourself loving 7 Billion Humans more and more every second. We have a 7 Billion Humans review too - so, if you're not sure whether or not this puzzler is right for you, make sure to check it out.

22 Golf Peaks

It might look like dull isometric golf, but Golf Peaks is actually an ingenious card-based puzzler that has you laying down golf shots in the right sequence. The simple graphics make this (slightly) complex title more appealing, giving it a rather cartoonish look, even though the levels will soon prove to be straight out of hell.

Golf Peaks is a clever reminder that looks can be quite deceiving, especially when it comes to mobile games. It's a top-notch puzzle game for iPhone that will not disappoint you, golf fan or otherwise - you can read our review of Golf Peaks if you need further convincing!

23 The Gardens Between

You don't often get the 'have to' phrase before premium games, but this one is a must. The Gardens Between is hand-down one of the best iPhone puzzle games out there, and for all the right reasons.

This side-scrolling puzzler ingeniously plays with time in various (clever but accessible) ways and marries its temporal manipulation with an utterly dreamy art style. It's absolutely stunning. We even have a review of The Gardens Between , so if you're curious how it actually feels while playing, make sure to read it.

You don't normally associate puzzlers with rhythm, but that's precisely what ELOH brings to the table. This charmer has you deflecting streams of pips, forming delightful percussive loops along the way. It's a most relaxing experience, where you get to solve various stages by enjoying a good beat.

Basically, it's related to basic geometry, and it's quite fun. After solving the most complex puzzles you'll have the true 'Eureka' moment. ELOH is going to bring you true Zen - what more could you ask for?

25 Baba is You

Baba is You has a quite unique approach to the whole puzzle genre. It got a few awards for it, and for a good reason, it's hard to think of a concept that's new in today's world. Namely, the game looks like the old Sokoban, where you need to move blocks in a certain order to finish a level. Baba is You has expanded this concept and went much further.

At each level, you have some fundamental rules written in blocks. Like 'Rock| is | Stop' means that you can't go through rocks. But you can move the block that says |stop| and guess what happens? You can move through obstacles! Breaking the basic rules set is much more fun than you think, basically, you can shift them however you want, and find different ways to complete the levels. Mindbreaking, isn't it?

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Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: February 13, 2024

Here is our list of the best problem solving games, activities and exercises for adults.

Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. The purpose of these exercises is to sharpen reasoning and decision-making skills in group settings and to do team building with employees.

These activities are a subset of remote team games , found in problem solving books , and are similar to team puzzles , team building brain teasers and team riddles .

This article contains:

team building problem solving activities for employees
free problem solving games for adults
virtual problem solving activities for students
group problem solving activities
problem solving team builders

Here we go!

List of problem solving games & activities

From word and number puzzles to role-playing games, here is a list of inexpensive and free problem solving team builders that help groups practice the art of critical thinking and compromise.

1. Espionage! (Team Favorite)

For an exciting game of social deduction, check out Espionage! This thrilling experience will put your team’s wits and instincts to the test.

Espionage! offers the following:

a 90-minute session led by an experienced host
undercover teams of agents and spies
challenging puzzles, tasks, and maneuvers
team conversations to help uncover secret identities

The best part is we will bring all the necessary game materials to your preferred location. If you are interested in boosting communication and critical-thinking skills within your team, then consider Espionage!

Learn more about Espionage!

2. Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh (Hosted)

You can turn your team into skilled detectives with Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh! In this captivating mystery, participants will locate the stolen artwork, The Bedroom .

Key features of this experience include:

a 90-minute adventure led by a world-class host
detailed puzzles, clues, and mysteries to unravel
trails of evidence and hidden secrets
group discussions to find the art

Additionally, you can include a cocktail kit to spice up your event. Through Art Heist, you will enhance your team’s ingenuity and problem-solving skills!

Learn more about Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh .

Get our free team building toolbox

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3. War of the Wizards (Popular)

With War of the Wizards, teams roleplay as minions of powerful wizards to vanquish forces of evil. Participants will play thrilling games and go on a quest to restore harmony to the realm!

War of the Wizards offers the following:

a 90-minute journey guided by a distinguished host
immersive storytelling that transports players into a magical realm
engaging activities like world-building, role-playing games, and storytelling
opportunities for forming alliances, facing challenges, and going on quests

Through the power of imagination and teamwork, your team can overcome tasks and participate in an epic fantasy battle. To improve communication and bonds, include War of the Wizards in your agenda!

Learn more about War of the Wizards .

Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board. Then, turn on the annotation features. Using the add text functions, participants can fill in the numbers on the grid.

We made a starter puzzle you can use in your next meeting or virtual team bonding session:

Here are more online Sudoku puzzles .

5. Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles are word games that ask players to fill in words based on clues. Words interconnect, and players must think critically about the surrounding words to select the right phrase for the space.

You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle. Here are a few themes you may want to consider:

teammates’ tastes and interests
company knowledge and history
industry terms and trends

Or, create a miscellaneous puzzle just for fun.

We made a sample puzzle you can use for your game:

To complete puzzles during online meetings, you can use the share screen function and add text through annotations.

Or, subscribers can play the New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle virtually . Dictionary.com also offers a free daily online crossword puzzle .

Check out more vocabulary games .

6. Online Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are timed games that get groups working together to solve puzzles. Traditionally, players enter a locked room and must complete all puzzles in an hour or two to unlock the door. However, groups can also play escape rooms online.

Digital escape rooms typically come in one of two forms: in a Zoom room and led by a host, or in a choose-your-own adventure format via Google Forms or websites. To play escape rooms virtually, enter a video meeting and follow the prompts, or screen share the Google Form and work out the puzzles together.

Check out our full list of online escape rooms .

7. Murder Mysteries

Murder Mysteries are story-based games that ask players to take on the roles of suspects or detectives while trying to identify a killer. These games often involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, and occasionally solving puzzles to get hints.

These games make participants pay attention to conversations, analyze other characters’ behavior, and search for hidden meaning in the script. Players must use their powers of observation and logic to unravel the mystery.

Check out our list of Zoom murder mystery games .

8. Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts are scavenger hunts with intention. While virtual scavenger hunts often ask players to collect random items, treasure hunts require participants to locate clues that lead to other prompts and hints. The game typically ends with players finding a treasure or solving a mystery, sometimes both.

The treasure hunt can have a specific theme such as secret agent missions or a hunt for pirate treasure, or you can run a more general hunt. Teammates can either compete simultaneously via Zoom call, or can play the hunt on an app individually and compete to beat each other’s scores.

Check out our list of treasure hunt apps .

9. Poem or story challenge

Most team building problem solving activities for employees revolve around science, math, and logic. Poem/story challenges rely on writing skills and are sure to appeal to the language lovers on your team.

Each player receives a limited word bank to use to create a story or poem. Then, players have a few minutes to craft their pieces. Afterward, everyone reads out or screen shares their creations.

Here are a few word challenge activities you can do remotely:

Found poems or stories : Participants make poems or stories out of words they find by visiting websites, searching emails, glancing out the window, or taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood.
Random word generators : Teammates use a random word generator to populate a word bank, and must use each word in the poem or story.
Poetry magnets : Group members make poems using poetry magnets. You can send poetry magnet sets to employees and assemble the verses on a cookie pan during a Zoom call. Or, teammates can play with poetry magnets online .
Page poems: Participants receive one page of a book or magazine, and must make a poem or story by blocking out other words so only the chosen text remains visible. This activity is part storytelling, part art, since story crafters can illustrate the pages as part of the design.
Ransom note stories or poems : Players cut out letters from magazines and must form new words to make poems and stories. Or, players can receive a mix of random letters, form words, and run the text through a ransom note generator .

These activities are suitable for teams and individual players.

10. Moral challenge

Some problems are ethical rather than factual. Moral judgment plays just as important a role in the decision-making process as technical prowess. Players can flex their moral problem-solving skills by tackling ethical dilemmas or social puzzles.

Here are some social problem solving games online:

Moral machine
Scruples – the game of moral dilemmas
Morality play

To play these games, either download the apps, or pull up the website and then screen share the prompts. These games are best played when discussed as a group, because the more belief systems and opinions, the harder an issue is to resolve. These exercises provide practice for real-life conflict resolution.

You can find similar challenges on our list of online personality tests .

11. Frostbite

Frostbite is a group game that hones team leaders’ communication skills while sharpening teammates’ listening and cooperation skills. The premise behind the game is that a group of explorers gets caught in a snowstorm and must build a shelter. Frostbite has paralyzed the leaders’ hands and snow-blinded the rest of the team. The leader must give the team instructions to build a tent that can resist arctic winds.

To play Frostbite, each teammate wears a blindfold. Then, the leader gives directions. Once the structures are complete, players turn on a fan to test whether tents can withstand the wind.

Frostbite is usually an in-person game, however you can also play virtually. In the remote version of the game, teammates construct tents out of cards and tape, while the leader surveys the scene on screen.

This exercise demonstrates the challenges of leading remotely, as teams need to operate with minimal oversight or supervisor observation. Therefore, instructions need to be clear and direct to be effective.

Check out more team building games .

12. Virtual Hackathons

Hackathons are events where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. This type of event originated in the programming world and is often used to create new apps, however you can apply the game to any industry or school subject.

Virtual hackathons are online versions of the event. Teams enter the competition, then work with each other via virtual meeting software or remote work communication platforms to design the solution. At the end of the competition, teams pitch ideas to a panel of judges and a winner is decided.

To run a virtual hackathon, first announce the theme of the event and collect sign-ups. So that no teams work ahead, hint at the general idea of the issue, and only explain the precise problem when the event begins. Then, give teams anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete the project.

Discover more virtual hackathon ideas .

13. Improv games

Improv games are excellent problem solving activities. These exercises force participants to think and respond quickly to keep scenes moving in a logical and entertaining way.

Here are some good problem solving improv games:

Banned words : Performers cannot say certain words. Scene partners will conceive of situations that encourage the actors to use those words, and the actors must find alternatives, such as using synonyms or taking the scene in a new direction.

Scenes from a chat : Audience gives a suggestion for a scene, and players act the scene out. Though it’s a fictional and often ridiculous scenario, actors must react to the situation and solve the problem in order for the scene to end.

Miracle cure : Miracle cure is a quick-moving exercise that follows a simple format. One player declares, “I have a problem.” Another player responds, “I have a….[random object.]” The first player then replies, “great! I can use the [random object] to….” and describes how they will solve the problem.

Check out more problem-solving improv games .

14. Spaghetti Tower

The spaghetti tower is a classic team building game. Participants gather uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows, and must construct the tallest freestanding tower.

During the in-person version, players must construct one tall freestanding tower. However, for the virtual version of the game, players construct individual towers. You can send groups to breakout rooms for the build, then reconvene in the main room for judging. Teams are judged on three main factors: number of towers, height, and uniformity.

This version of the game not only tests the structural integrity of the tower, but also consistency and quality control. This exercise teaches teams to align and collaborate remotely, and produce a consistent product even when far apart.

15. What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? is a simple situational game that challenges participants to react to different circumstances. To play this game, read prompts one by one, and then ask participants to respond with gameplans. You can use the polling or raise hand feature to vote for the best option.

Here are some problem solving scenarios for adults or kids to use in the game:

Zombies attack and you have to find a place to hide.
You are at the zoo and the animals escape. Which one do you try to corral back into the pen first?
After waiting in line for hours, someone cuts in front of you last minute. The person appears to be visually and hearing impaired, and doesn’t notice your protests. An official announces that due to diminishing supply, this individual will be the last in line to be served.
You are eating a meal with important clients and/or your partner’s parents, and you want to impress. The individuals make you a dish that does not fit within your dietary restrictions, but you do not speak the same language and cannot explain why you do not want to eat.
An imposter has infiltrated the organization, who looks, speaks, and behaves exactly like you. How do you convince your peers that you are the original?

For similar dilemmas, check out this list of Would You Rather? questions.

16. Desert Island Survival

Desert Island Survival is a game that challenges players to prioritize. The premise is that players have been stranded on an island, and must decide what order to perform survival steps.

Here are the possible actions:

Set up shelter
Explore the island
Try to signal for help
Make weapons for self-defense
Build a raft to escape the island
Start a fire
Choose a group leader
Search for other survivors

All group members must agree on the order of the steps. Players should explain the reasoning for the order of each step while ranking the actions.

Another version of the game involves players receiving a list of 15 to 20 items, and selecting five or so to bring to the island. You can also vary the location of the game, substituting remote islands for destinations like outer space or the distant past.

17. Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure stories enable readers to determine the outcome of the story by making decisions. Each action has a consequence that takes the tale in a different direction. Participants can try to guess how the story may unfold by talking through the different choices. When completing the activity in a group setting, the majority of the team must agree on an action before moving forward in the story.

There are a few ways to facilitate these activities online:

Play an online role playing video game
Watch an interactive movie like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Read from a Choose Your Own Adventure book on Zoom
Click through a Choose Your Own Adventure platform
Create your own story using a Google Form

Whichever way you choose to do the exercise, you can use the screen share feature in your virtual meeting software so that listeners can more easily follow along.

18. MacGyver

MacGyver is a show where the hero escapes sticky situations by improvising tools out of unlikely materials. For example, in one episode the hero makes a telescope out of a newspaper, magnifying lens, and a watch crystal.

To play MacGyver, you can either list three to five objects participants can use, or challenge players to use items that are within arms reach.

Simply state a desired end result, such as “a way to open a locked door,” or “a getaway vehicle,” and then ask teams to explain what they will build and how they will build it. To make the activity more collaborative, you can give teams five or ten minutes in breakout rooms to strategize and design a prototype.

19. Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a roleplaying game where players pretend to be magical figures and creatures. One player serves as the dungeon master, who guides the game, while the other players pick characters and make decisions to move the story forward. Upon choosing a course of action, players roll a twenty-sided die to determine whether or not the plan succeeds. The game is story-based, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and truly creative problem solving options arise. Also, since gameplay is mostly verbal, Dungeons & Dragons is an easy activity to do over Zoom.

Here are the basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons .

20. Pandemic

Pandemic is a game that pits players against the forces of nature in a race to contain and control disease outbreaks. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a role such as containment specialist or operations expert. Participants must carry out the duties of their roles by choosing appropriate actions. Pandemic is a great game for groups because each team member has a clear part to play, and players must collaborate and work together instead of competing against each other.

To play the game online, you can use a Pandemic game app , or talk through the exercise while one attendee moves and displays pieces on the board.

Note: The subject of this game might hit too close to home for some players, considering recent history. You can find games with similar mechanics that deal with different subject matter, such as Forbidden Island.

Check out more team building board games .

21. Model UN

Model UN is one of the best virtual problem solving activities for students. This exercise casts participants in the role of international diplomats who must negotiate to solve realistic problems. Each player assumes the role of a country ambassador and must form alliances and propose solutions to solve crises.

Here are some sample Model UN scenarios:

Human rights violation by powerful country
Food shortage
Disease epidemic
Technology privacy violations
Civil war branching into surrounding countries
Natural disasters

Depending on the size of the group, participants either take on the part of an entire government of a country, or play a certain role within the government. To carry out the activity on Zoom, players can take turns giving speeches, message other countries privately via the chat, meet in breakout rooms to form alliances or have more intimate discussions, and use the polling feature to vote on propositions.

If politics does not resonate with your group, then you can alter the exercise by applying the same activity structure to a different theme, such as the Justice League, movie characters, business board members, or reality TV stars.

The main purpose of the exercise is to research, talk through problems, and compromise. As long as these elements are present, then the specifics of the setup do not matter.

There are many types of problem solving activities for adults. You can do online problem solving games, which require a different skill set than in-person problem solving. For instance, communication must be much clearer and more abundant when group members are far apart and unable to demonstrate or pick up physical cues.

Though many problem solving games include props and in-person elements, there are many games you can play together online. These exercises work well as educational tools as well as team bonding accelerators. Upon completion, participants are likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence. These games are also great practice for real life conflict resolution, creative thinking and team building.

Next check out this list of connection games , this collection of crime-solving games , and this post with conflict resolution games .

We also have a list of the best decision making books and a list of team building problems for work .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Problem solving activities

Here are common answers to questions about group problem solving activities.

What are problem solving games?

Problem solving games are challenges that ask players to think critically and use logic to overcome issues or answer riddles. Examples include sudoku, murder mysteries, and spaghetti towers. These games are also known as “problem solving exercises”, “problem and solution games” and “group problem solving activities.”

What are the best problem solving games for groups?

The best problem solving games for groups include online escape rooms, moral challenges, and improv games.

What are some good problem solving team building activities for students?

Some good problem solving activities for students include crossword puzzles, choose your own adventure stories, and model UN.

How do you play problem solving games online?

The best way to play problem solving games online is to join a video call meeting to talk through the issue. Using the screen sharing and digital whiteboard features helps participants visualize the problem more clearly. Breakout rooms give teams the chance to discuss the issue more intimately.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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25 Puzzle Apps That'll Challenge Your Brain—Including Word Puzzle Apps, Logic Puzzle Apps and More!

Author: Maryn Liles

Have you found yourself more bored than usual lately? If so, you might want to consider downloading some puzzle apps to your iPhone. There are hundreds out there to choose from, but we’ve narrowed down a list that includes the 25 best free puzzle games for Androids and for iPhones.

But don’t worry, these aren’t just jigsaw puzzle apps! While we do have one in our lineup, the others we found include all sorts of variations of puzzle apps to choose from.

In this list, you'll find puzzle apps that have to do with numbers, word puzzle apps that are based on how well you spell, ones that art lovers will thrive at, mobile puzzle games that involve thinking outside the box and other puzzle apps that will take you on adventures. For the best puzzle games in the App Store to Android puzzle apps, here are free puzzle apps to try out.

No matter what kind of puzzles you’re a fan of, you'll find something to love on this list!

25 Best Free Puzzle Games

1. tangle master 3d.

If you’re looking for a challenge, Tangle Master 3D is for you. The puzzle has countless tangled-up pieces of different colored ropes that you have to undo. And while that might seem like a piece of cake to figure out, don’t get ahead of yourself. Each level gets more difficult as extra tangled ropes are added to the mess you have to untangle. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

2. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles

Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles is perfect for all ages. It’s not only fun, but it’s a great way to exercise your mind. And with loads of riddles to solve, you’ll be addicted to figuring them out in no time. No puzzle will be too hard for you to solve once you complete these. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

3. Match 3D

With cute combinations of animals, food, emojis and more to pair up, what’s not to like about the Match 3D app? It’s a puzzle-matching game everyone in your family can enjoy playing. Each level gets harder and harder as the objects become more difficult to find as a timer counts down so you really have to pay attention and focus to solve all the puzzles. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

4. Block! Hexa Puzzle Game

Do you like games where you have to perfectly fit pieces together? If so, Block! Hexa Puzzle is calling your name. In each level, you’ll be given different shaped blocks that you have to carefully place into a board without rotating them. See if you can solve all 300 of the game’s puzzles. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

5. Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure

If you think you’re an expert puzzle solver, put your skills to the test with Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure. In the game, you’ll find yourself locked up in an old city prison in Alcatraz. In order to escape the prison and get off the remote island in general, you must correctly figure out all the puzzles you’re faced with. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

6. Water Sort Puzzle

This Water Sort Puzzle is like a colorful science experiment. Each test tube is filled with different colors—some will even have multiple shades in them. To play, you have to tap a test tube for it to start pouring its colored water into another test tube with that same color. The goal of the puzzle each round is to sort all of the colors into their correct test tubes without them mixing up or filling up. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

7. Jigsaw Puzzles—Epic

No longer are jigsaw puzzles something you can only do at home. Thanks to the Jigsaw Puzzle—Epic app, you can work on one from basically anywhere you are. The app gives you over 10,000 jigsaw puzzle pictures to choose from, or you can even create one from a picture you have. And if that’s not cool enough, there are 11 different levels of puzzles on the app and some have up to 625 pieces in them, so you’re sure to be challenged. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

8. The Birdcage

This puzzle is unlike any others. The Birdcage app has a mystical storyline about a heartbroken King who has locked away all of the ocean -colored birds that populate his kingdom because they remind him of the son he lost. However, in doing so he stole the wind from the sky, which can only be brought back when the birds are released. It’s your job to solve the puzzles and riddles in each level to help all the birds escape so the wind can blow in the kingdom again. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

9. Polysphere—Art Of Puzzle

This is the most beautiful puzzle app you’ll ever play. In fact, Polysphere — Art Of Puzzle will make you feel like you’re an artist trying to complete a picture as you swipe and rotate the shattered 3D illustration until it’s whole again. You’ll smile every time you complete one of the puzzles. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

10. Puzzledom

If you’re a puzzle fanatic and are looking for an app that has a ton of different puzzles in one place, Puzzledom is for you! It not only has a variety of puzzles, but the best part is you can play on the app without having WIFI and it doesn’t give you a time limit. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

11. Block Puzzle—Brain Games

Block Puzzle is a wood-style block game that challenges you to fit blocks of all shapes and sizes into a 10x10 grid. Whenever you successfully drag and drop the blocks and make a row or column, it’s then eliminated. See how many rows and columns you can make! (Free, App Store)

12. Diggy’s Adventure Puzzle Games

You’ll be off on an adventure in this 2D puzzle mine maze. Along your journey you’ll have Diggy, the Professor, Linda and Rusty to explore the mines with as you all try to acquire various items to help you figure out the jigsaw puzzles. There are also over 1000 riddles for you to solve, 500+ mazes for you to escape from and four different locations you can choose from when you play Diggy’s Adventure Puzzle Games. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

13. Escape Room: Mystery Word

Are you missing going to escape rooms with your friends because of the pandemic? If so, you’re going to become obsessed with Escape Room: Mystery Word. It puts you in an escape room and gives you three hints for you to solve the puzzle in order to for you to get out. Once you make it out, you can continue playing the 300+ levels. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

14. Mansion of Puzzles—Escape

Put your detective hat on, you’ll need it for this game. In Mansion of Puzzles—Escape, it’s up to you to solve mini puzzles, riddles and other challenges in order to open the mansion’s 100 doors and solve the mystery of each level. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

15. Candy Crush Saga

You can’t have a puzzle app roundup without including one of the most popular puzzle games out there: Candy Crush Saga. This game is loved by millions and features thousands of levels where your quick thinking will be rewarded with candy combos. See how many matches of three or more candies you can get in a row to move on to higher levels. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

16. Parking Jam 3D

In Parking Jam 3D, you have to figure out how to get everyone’s cars out of the way so you can get out without running into any of the traffic. However, there’s a catch: you have to get them out in order, which makes this puzzle so much harder to solve than you’d think. Who knows? This puzzle game may even help you out IRL if you ever find yourself in a tricky parking situation and need to come up with a strategy. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

17. Pack Master

You’ll want to remember how you packed all of this puzzle's items into a suitcase when you’re packing for your next trip. Pack Master puts your organizational skills to the test as you have to perfectly place each object into your bag. And we’re not talking about just finding space for clothes in there, oh no, you’ll have to get everything from plants to shoes to snorkels and even items like crowns and bowling balls to fit. Good luck! (Free, Google Play and App Store)

18. Numpuz: Number Puzzle Games

Prove you’re a numbers whiz with Numpuz! Each game has a square that’s filled with numbered tiles, with one empty space. The goal is to find a way to slide all of the tiles into the correct order. There are six different puzzle levels of difficulty you can choose from, so have fun trying to conquer them all. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

If you’re searching for a puzzle game that will give your mind a workout, try Sudoku. There are over 5,0000 logical number puzzle games to choose from and four difficulty levels you can attempt. All you have to do is place the digits 1-9 into a grid so that each number only appears once in each row, each column and each mini-grid. (Free, App Store)

20. Toon Blast

This puzzle is the cutest! Why? It lets you enter a cartoon world that includes Cooper Cat, Wally Wolf and Bruno Bear as you try to solve tons of whacky and challenging puzzles so that the toon gang can travel. It’s no wonder kids and adults both can enjoy Toon Blast. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

21. Picture Cross

What do you get when you combine puzzle-solving with art? Picture Cross! You can start off on the easiest level and work your way up to the expert level as you solve each puzzle to reveal the mystery artwork. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

22. Puzzle Page—Daily Puzzles!

Think of this app as a nonstop puzzle service! Each day, there are brand new puzzles you can choose from so you never have to try to solve the same one twice. You can even use the app’s calendar to browse through any puzzles you missed from earlier in the week or to discover more of your favorite types of puzzles to do on the app. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

23. Word Connect

Word Connect is the ultimate spelling puzzle game! It challenges you to think fast and combine the letters you see into as many words as you can so that you can collect coins. And with 12,700 levels, you never have to worry about finding another app to spend your time on. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

24. Mr. Bullet—Spy Puzzles

Mr. Bullet—Spy Puzzles is a unique puzzle game you won’t want to skip out on! It sends you on a secret mission to take down your enemies and rescue hostages by doing what? Using your mind and solving puzzles! (Free, Google Play and App Store)

25. Unblock Me

Want endless hours of fun? Then, download Unblock Me! The puzzle game has over 18,000 puzzles for you to solve. Plus, it lets you choose from four challenging modes: relax, challenge, multi-player or daily. (Free, Google Play and App Store)

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The Best Puzzle Game of 2022

Puzzles have been giving us so much joy for so many years, but which one made us smile the most in 2022.

Puzzles are universal. Even from our youngest days, we love solving problems and even the most simplest of puzzles. This love grows as we do, and game developers have harnessed that into some truly special games.

2022 had a great range of puzzle games, and a lot of them came packaged with a great story like Immortality, Return to Monkey Island, and The Case of the Golden Idol. There were also some wonderful puzzle games that have you solving levels in the most efficient and fun way possible like Teardown and Escape Academy.

Our winner for the Best Puzzle Game of 2022 is...

Return to Monkey Island

It took over three decades to happen, but Monkey Island co-creators Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman finally returned to their old grog-drenched shores this year for a long-awaited sequel. Return to Monkey Island is both a retro-styled throwback and a thoroughly modern puzzle game; all the graphic adventure stylings and witty dialogue of the 1990s, but this time packed with puzzles that demand real-world logic rather than whatever voodoo thinking was used for the duo’s original games. A fantastic hint book helps gently nudge you in the right direction for any conundrums you may be stuck on, but it’s rarely needed; these puzzles are so well designed that their solutions often naturally manifest in your mind. But, for long-term fans, it’s the structure that really cements it as a wonderful send-off for the series. This is a story that celebrates almost every idea Monkey Island has ever had, from assembling a (terrible) crew, to completing three trials, to solving challenges across multiple islands. Plus, of course, the greatest puzzle of them all: finally discovering the secret of Monkey Island.

These are our nominees for the best Puzzle Game of 2022...

The Best Puzzle Games of 2022

Escape Academy

Escape Academy blends the excitement and intrigue of escape rooms with the wacky and wonderful world of video games, presenting players with twelve unique puzzle rooms to, well, escape from. The player will feel like a master escape artist as they work through each room, uncovering hidden doors in libraries, slipping through lasers, defusing bombs with secret codes, and so on. Escape Academy feels inspired by the best spy thrillers and heist films of all time, and it makes the player feel like the hero at the centre of each one.

Immortality

Immortality is a puzzle made up of motion picture pieces but, unlike every other jigsaw you’ve ever started, this one is far too compelling to be left half-completed on your coffee table. Its simple video editing interface means you can easily scrub forwards and backwards through a scattered archive of movie clips while leaving one hand free to untangle the knots that its complex, non-linear narrative ties your brain in. Solving Immortality’s central mystery is a puzzle that evolves as it unfolds – first you must figure out how to reveal new fragments, then why they’re all connected, and finally who the main players in the story really are. Above all, Immortality is a puzzle that endures well beyond its runtime – it only took a matter of hours to uncover and arrange all of its pieces on screen, but we continued to turn them over in our minds in the days and weeks that followed in an effort to properly decipher their meaning.

Rules, much like walls, are meant to be broken – crushed, destroyed, and eliminated in the quickest way possible. Teardown pits players against tasks ranging from destroying buildings, stealing cars, and flipping switches within a given timeframe. The methodical pacing of planning the perfect getaway easily becomes a mad dash to the finish line. Every swing of the sledgehammer represents a new path or the destruction of a walkway necessary for your quick getaway. Tearaway requires balance between brute forcing your way to a solution with explosives and keeping a crumbling structure intact long enough to hit a switch. It's a puzzle game that often asks you to perform delicate surgery with dynamite.

The Case of the Golden Idol

Though perhaps simple at first glance thanks to its pixel art aesthetic, The Case of the Golden Idol is a wonderfully complicated game. Players must solve murders by looking deep into each scene, analysing what they find, and stitching together clues bit by bit. This gameplay loop is a refreshing take on the murder mystery genre, and slowly but surely solving each case, both individually and as part of a larger mystery, is incredibly satisfying.

What's the best puzzle game of all time?

All ign best of games 2022 categories.

Best Game of 2022
Best Action Game of 2022
Best Action-Adventure Game of 2022
Best Video Game Music of 2022
Best Video Game Art of 2022
Best Console Exclusive of 2022
Best Ongoing Game of 2022
Best Performance in a Game in 2022
Best Puzzle Game of 2022
Best Racing Game of 2022
Best RPG Game of 2022
Best Shooter Game of 2022
Best Game Story of 2022
Best Strategy Game of 2022
Noteworthy Advancement in Game Accessibility in 2022
Best Gaming Hardware of 2022

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The 6 Best Apps to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Want to improve your problem-solving skills and become more solution-oriented in your daily routine? Here are some apps to try.

Your ability to solve problems is a valuable skill you cannot do without if you want to succeed in your career, business, and life. While most people learn to solve problems primarily through exposure to challenging situations and having to find solutions almost immediately, others don't.

As such, not everyone is skilled at effective problem-solving. However, there is an easy way to improve your problem-solving skills using technology. Today, there are several fun ways to do so, including playing brain games on your mobile. Here are six game apps you can use to develop problem-solving skills while having fun.

1. Lumosity

Lumosity is a web app that helps you improve your mental skills. It is programmed with activities that help people improve their memory, flexibility, rate of processing information, and concentration levels. Thus, Lumosity is a great tool to help you develop problem-solving capabilities.

Lumosity was launched in 2007 and had over 70 million users as of January 2015. The app is available in English, French, Spanish, and German.

Download : Lumosity for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Happify is a company that works to enhance personal, organizational, and healthcare effectiveness by improving the emotional health of its users.

The Happify app incorporates scientific experiments into gaming activities designed to improve resilience and mindfulness and tackle health conditions like mood disorders, depression, anxiety, severe pain, and insomnia. Thus, it is a great healthcare software platform for improving your mental and physical conditions.

Download : Happify for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Launched by Elevate Labs in 2014, Elevate is a brain game app that focuses on improving its users' reading, writing, speaking, listening, and math skills. It is also one of the best android apps to help you solve math problems .

Seeing you already possess the skills mentioned above, you may wonder, is the Elevate brain training app worth your time ? The truth is, there is always room for improvement, hence, the need for you to keep developing these skills. And, as you pass each assessment in the training sessions, the difficulty level increases. This way, you can test whether your abilities are basic or strong.

Download : Elevate for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

4. Neuronation

Neuronation is a cognitive training site and app that was made public in 2011. Since then, over 10 million people have used the app. The Neuronation app focuses on improving users' cognitive abilities, such as thinking, learning, understanding, and remembering, through its specialized training activities in the program.

Although native to Germany, the app is available in over eight languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, and German. Additionally, the app enjoys widespread use, especially among German healthcare practitioners.

Download: Neuronation for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

The Peak brain training app is designed to correct cognitive disorders with the help of short, interactive games. To get started on the Peak brain game app, you will be required to set goals on areas you want to improve, like mental processing, emotional strength, linguistic skills, recollection, concentration levels, and problem-solving.

Once you complete this stage, a virtual coach will be assigned to guide you through the program, and you will be given an assessment. Immediately after you finish each assessment, you will receive feedback based on your result.

You can start using the app for free with the basic version, but it has a limited number of daily exercises that are randomly selected. On the other hand, with the paid version, Peak Pro, you enjoy unlimited access to over 40+ exercises, alongside detailed feedback and personalized training sessions.

Download : Peak for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. New York Times Crossword

The New York Times Crossword is a daily puzzle published by the renowned New York Times magazine on their website and mobile apps. The New York Times Crossword puzzle dates back to 1942. The first puzzle was published on Sunday, 15 February 1942.

Several freelance puzzle developers generate the puzzle. The puzzle gets tougher as each day goes by in a week, so the simplest puzzles are on Mondays, and the hardest are on Saturdays. Sunday's crossword puzzle is a 21×21 square matrix, whereas the daily crossword puzzle is a 15×15 square matrix. The crossword and other free puzzle games greatly improve critical thinking, learning, and reasoning abilities.

Download : New York Times Crossword for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

Have Fun While Improving Your Problem-solving Skills

Developing cognitive abilities, emotional well-being, and problem-solving skills are no longer challenging. Thanks to these brain game apps, you can develop and improve your mental and emotional abilities more easily, faster, and while having fun.

Best Puzzle Games for iPhone and iPad in 2022

Puzzle games are the chameleons of the gaming world. They can adopt the flair of an RPG, disguise themselves as an adventure game, and even hide in plain sight as a minimalist game. Puzzle games are always different, and they can vary from extremely complex to super simple.

A great puzzle game will keep you entertained for hours as you try (and a lot of times fail) to progress in the game. You may get frustrated, you may put down your iPhone or iPad in anger, but the game will keep you coming back for more because you sure as hell aren't going to let a game get the best of you. The sheer force of will required to continue you in a well-crafted puzzle game is something a lot of gamers have a love-hate relationship with, but there's no denying its power. Here are my top picks for the best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad.

Red's Kingdom

Monument valley.

Slayaway Camp

Ultra Flow 2

You must build a boat.

Photographs

Donut County

Lumino city.

Red's Kingdom is a perfectly crafted adventure puzzle game that has a lot of depth. The goofy but heartwarming story with its colorful characters is bound to grab your attention, and the incredibly fun gameplay never seems to go stale as the game layers in plenty of elements to surprise you at every turn.

Red's Kingdom opens the doors to its world and allows you to take non-linear paths giving you the opportunity to explore different areas and find alternate routes to hidden treasures. Although it's a puzzle game at its core, the game feels more like an action-adventure game than anything else. I can't recommend Red's Kingdom enough .

$3 - Download Now

I couldn't make a list of best puzzle games without including the super creepy puzzler The Room 3. The entire Room series is worth a download, but The Room 3 is especially fun If you enjoyed playing Myst back in the day.

The Room offers complex box-related puzzles along with an atmospheric storyline and unsettling clues to the reality behind the madness. The visuals are outstanding, and the soundtrack is just as spooky as everything else, playing The Room 3 is a full experience.

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$4 - Download Now

Another puzzler with eerie visuals and a compelling tale, Monument Valley offers a variety of 3D maps to conquer — all while transporting you into a strange world of crows, block creatures, and breathtaking Escher-style landscapes.

Monument Valley has been praised by critics and player alike, earning accolades such as Apple's Game of the Year 2014 and the Apple Design Award 2014. Plus, the game has over 20,000 ratings and holds a 4.5 rating overall.

Once you're done with the original, don't miss out on the critically-acclaimed follow-up, Monument Valley 2 ($5) .

Slayaway Camp (17+)

Slayaway Camp is a morbidly funny take on the puzzle genre that tasks you with going on a killing spree, and no one you meet is safe!

You'll need to slide around each scene and murder your victims in a particular order to reach the portal to advance to the next area. With plenty of obstacles such as fire pits, open water, and cops, you'll need to be smart during your rampage.

Taking its inspiration from classic 80s horror films, the violence in this game is over-the-top, extremely fake, and incredibly funny.

A film-noir inspired comic book adventure, FRAMED is a unique puzzle game with great visuals to boot and compelling story to boot!

The story is told in comic book form with panels, but they are all jumbled up, and you'll need to put them in the right order to progress forward.

The comic book art is stunning, and all hand-crafted, and the mysterious storyline will keep you glued to the game for hours.

Once you're done with FRAMED, make sure to grab the sequel, FRAMED 2 ($5) for even more graphic novel panel puzzle solving.

The matching game that started a 2048-clone phenomenon, Threes brought smarts (and some great background music) to the puzzling genre.

Threes may be a game comprised of numbers, but you need no real mathematical skill to excel at this game — just an open mind and a penchant for thinking ahead.

Best of all, you can always find new paths to pursue, new tricks to test, and new methods for matching; the game is always different, though the numbers remain the same.

$6 - Download Now

Ultra Flow 2's simplicity is probably its greatest strength. The game has a fun and engaging soundtrack and focuses more on hand-eye coordination than serious brainpower.

That being said, it's still not easy. It's in the sweet spot: challenging enough that your mind gets a workout, but easy enough that you're never stuck on the same level for longer than a handful of cracks at it.

Free - Download Now

From Square Enix popular GO series, comes the mobile addition to the Deus Ex franchise that has everything you could want in a puzzle game.

Deus Ex GO never gets boring, as the game layers in complex systems to solve each puzzle. Defeating enemies, hacking computers, and sneaking your way around the map are just a few of the techniques you'll need to apply to be successful.

If you're a fan of Deus EX or the other games in the GO series, downloading Deus Ex GO is a no-brainer.

$5 - Download Now

If you need a game to help you relax after a long day, Prune may be the perfect puzzler for you.

Prune tasks you with cutting trees in different patterns to reach the sunlight, all while avoiding the dangers of the world around. Its minimalist design and very limited color scheme allow you to focus in on the game in a very relaxing way, making it perfect to help you unwind.

Do you ever look at your city's public transportation and think you could design it better? Well, Mini Metro will let you try to create your own subway system.

Minimalist in design but complex in its mind-boggling puzzles, Mini Metro provides hours of fun — even if for some of those hours you will be scratching your head.

You Must Build A Boat takes the classic formula of match-three and combines it with a challenging and frantic RPG, with a dash of endless runner and building.

Embark on a journey of battling monsters and getting them to join your ranks as you recruit them for your boat, which grows bigger and bigger with every conquest. Battle by matching blocks in groups of three or more to attack, defend, cast magic spells, unlock chests, and more. Watch as your boat continues to grow, and as more creatures join your ranks and offer valuable services and upgrades. And since your matches can be chained, the possibilities for huge combos can be done.

You Must Build A Boat is one of my favorite match-three RPGs ever, and it's well worth picking up. You won't regret it.

Photographs - Puzzle Stories

From the same guy who brought you YMBAB, comes a new puzzle game that focuses on the narrative. Say hello to Photographs.

Photographs is an interesting one because you'll be searching around and solving puzzles, but as you do, you'll uncover and hear a story to go along with each scene. And not only will you be immersed by the captivating stories, but the beautiful pixel art and music pair along with the narratives so perfectly.

Each story takes place in a different setting and will feature unique gameplay mechanics. And while the game is fairly short (only takes about three hours to complete), it's an experience that you need to try out.

If you like the panel puzzle concept like FRAMED, then you'll get a kick out of Gorogoa as well.

The gameplay of Gorogoa is interesting and fairly unique. You'll have several hand-drawn panels that you need to arrange and combine in order to solve the puzzles they contain. It's simple but complex at the same time. The art is also beautiful, and everything becomes animated once you figure it out. The entire concept of Gorogoa is something you've not seen before in other puzzle games, so it's definitely an experience you should check out if you're a puzzle fan.

Donut County is one of the most quirky and interesting puzzle gams you'll come across. Think of reverse Katamari Damacy.

Meet BK, the raccoon. He has a device that creates donut holes in the ground, which basically helps him steal trash in order to win stupid prizes. One day, he ends up falling into one of his own holes and finds his best friend, Mira, along with other Donut County residents, such 999 feet underground. They demand answers!

The gameplay of Donut County involves exploring the home of each character, who also have their own distinctive stories to tell. You'll move the hole around to swallow up their stuff, and the hole grows as you get more trash in it. You can combine items for fun effects, and catapult things out of the hole if needed. Sometimes you'll have to in order to solve the puzzles that await you.

It's a puzzle game, though it doesn't always feel that way. After all, you are controlling a big old hole in the ground and devouring everything that's in the way. Honestly, what else do you need in a game?

This puzzle game will help you find your groove and relax at the same time.

ELOH is a musical puzzle game that's all about finding the right position for the blocks to help guide the balls into the correct holes. As you progress through the game, the puzzles get a bit harder, but they all have one thing in common: rhythm. The blocks that you'll need to move also take on more creative shapes and forms and some can only move in a certain way. The game looks beautiful, has over 90 stages, and there's no time limits or other stress factors. Just find your rhythm and solve the puzzles. No stress or in-app purchases!

If you're into beautiful games that look as good as they play, then you must get Lumino City. It was painstakingly hand-crafted from real-life paper, cardboard, miniature lights, and motors to create a wonderful little world that we can all interact with.

Lumi's grandfather has been kidnapped from Lumino City, and it's up to you to help Lumi explore the city to find out what happened to her grandfather. The city is full of realistic puzzles that are all connected and intertwined together, and you can interact with everything through simple touch controls.

The game is a bit long in the tooth at this point, but it's still a must-have in our book.

What are your favorites?

Have a favorite puzzle game, I want to know about it! Leave a comment down below or hit me up on Twitter .

July 2019: Added more puzzle games to the list.

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.

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These 15 best problem solving game apps for kids will truly make them think.

I know I'm not the only one who feels just a tad less guilty about extra screen time for my kids when they're engaged with an app that is helping them learn. Having a folder of problem-solving game apps for kids lets them exercise their minds and stretch their imaginations instead of just zoning out like they do while watching endless unboxing videos. (Although, I admit, those videos are oddly fascinating.)

Educational apps for kids aren't necessarily hard to come by and your kids likely already have a few that they love. However, these games will help kids hone in on specific problem-solving skills in various forms to keep their minds sharp and give them the chance to learn new things. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends kids engage with apps that "require more than 'pushing and swiping,'" which these 15 problem-solving game apps certainly do.

Strategy and planning are key components to solving any problem, so it is no surprise that all of these games help to make these concepts come to life for kids in a way that is fun and engaging. STEM-forward games engage physics and engineering to help kids create and invent to solve mechanical and structural problems, while traditional puzzle games allow kids to use their strategical skills to put together digital riddles.

The problem-solving power of puzzles cannot be overstated, and apps like Tozzle bring practice of this skillset right to your toddler's digital-loving fingertips. Instead of tripping over a pile of puzzles in your child's floor and risking losing critical pieces, let them explore the 40+ puzzles available on Tozzle. Designed for kids from toddler through early elementary, Tozzle's puzzles range in complexity so there is truly something for every kid.

Cut The Rope

My own kids adore playing this game. The goal of the game Cut The Rope is to feed a cute little monster named Om Nom as much candy as you can. The trick though is that to feed him, you must strategically cut a rope that the candy is hanging from so that it drops in Om Nom's mouth, dodging obstacles along the way. It's actually harder than it looks and requires quite a bit of critical thinking. Best suited for kids ages 4 and up, I have played this one myself a time or two, and it is actually entertaining and engaging for adults as well.

What do you get when you combine the physics of water with puzzles? The problem-solving app Busy Water . Kids can use their critical thinking skills to use pipes, wheels, blocks, and paddles to help Archie the fish find his way out of the open water and back into his fish tank. Aimed at children ages 6 to 10, this app will help engage children's creativity, as well as stretch their cognitive ability and reasoning skills.

Laugh & Learn Shapes & Colors

These 15 best problem solving game apps for kids will engage their brains and help them learn.

Even babies and toddlers can learn through simplistic problem solving apps. Designed for babies ages 6 months and up, this app by Fisher Price features a baby and toddler-friendly design with bright colors and simple shapes to sort. Two levels of play allow babies and toddlers to learn through tapping or tilting the screen to move the shapes and hear their names.

Mystery Math Town

Older kids who could benefit from brushing up on their math skills can do exactly that while enjoying the problem-solving app Mystery Math Town . The app engages kids in a mission to help a friendly ghost rescue fireflies hidden within Mystery Math Town by using math skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to unlock passages and enter rooms. The app is customizable to fit your child's specific math needs, but recommended for kids aged 7 and up.

Savings Spree

As an adult, I can confidently say that money can sometimes causes big problems that must be solved. Let your kids learn how to mitigate money issues before they get their hands on the real thing with the Savings Spree app . Kids ages 7 and up can practice problem solving skills related to money by engaging in the game show-style format of this game, choosing when to spend, save, invest, or donate their virtual money.

Inventioneers

For kids who love to experiment and invent new things, the Inventioneers app allows them to do so in a digital way. Kids ages 4 and up can build with 50+ objects and tools that utilize physics and engineering to create inventions that solve problems for the three fun Inventioneers characters working within the app.

Where's My Water?

This Disney app allows your kids to practice their problem-solving skills while also bringing attention to the global issue of clean water access. In Where's My Water? players must cut through dirt and manipulate pipes to deliver clean water through a sewer system to Swampy the alligator. Additional scenarios to solve involve creating steam to power another alligator's musical instrument and clearing algae from a picky alligator's plate.

Winky Think Logic Puzzles

The logic puzzles included in the Winky Think app start out easy, but get increasingly harder as the levels progress. From matching shapes and colors, to twisting and switching objects to maneuver through puzzles, each game encourages players to use reasoning skills as they work through each level. The lower levels of the app are best suited for kids around age 5, but older kids and teens can work through the low levels quickly and be challenged through 180 levels.

Shiny Picnic

Kids can learn new skills with these 15 best problem solving game apps for kids.

The Shiny Picnic app provides engaging and fun game play for toddlers and preschoolers to practice their problem-solving skills. Kids can sort and match objects like fruits and vegetables by color, following along with the game's fun animal characters as they help the crew pack for and set up picnics.

'The Cat In The Hat' Builds That

If your kids love The Cat In The Hat , this PBS Kids app will help them hone in on problem-solving skills right alongside their favorite feisty feline. Kids can engineer their own creations to help solve dilemmas using physics and scientific concepts. Preschoolers will love this fun and easy-to-explore app set in a backyard where The Cat In the Hat and friends build tree houses, playgrounds, and more.

When you combine STEM concepts with traditional logic games, you get a game that kids can truly get lost in while learning about engineering, physics, and mechanics. Kids ages 3 to 8 can help the adorable monster creatures in the app Thinkrolls make their way through obstacle courses by manipulating objects to clear paths and trying different methods to finish the game.

Cyberchase 3D Builder

This app from PBS Kids uses geometry and three-dimensional shapes to help take traditional puzzle games to the next level. Kids ages 6 and up are tasked with using shapes to re-build the city of Botropolis after it is accidentally zapped by Delete and Buzz from the classic Cyberchase game .

The Zoombinis app is a recreation of the classic '90s computer game Logical Journey of the Zoombinis , which stars tiny blue creatures attempting to journey home. In this app, kids will solve logic puzzles that engage analyzation skills, pattern creation, and more within each level in order to unlock each additional level until the Zoombinis complete their travels and wind up back at home.

Tami's Tower

The Tami's Tower app allows kids to use their problem-solving skills to build towers that help Tami the tiger reach fruit to eat. Created by the Smithsonian Institute , the game takes basic engineering predicaments and allows kids to stretch their minds to create solutions to those problems by stacking and manipulating objects.

The best puzzle games on PC

Stump yourself with the best puzzle games from our list of favorites.

Best puzzle games - In Braid, the suited player character leaps over a waddling enemy.

Choosing the best puzzle games from decades of favorites seems like an impossible task, but it's one we've undertaken. Of all the revered PC game genres, puzzle games are among the most classic, but for this list of recommendations, we've haven't tried to rank the greatest puzzlers in the history of everything—just great, modern games we think you'll enjoy a lot right now.

2023 games : Upcoming releases Best PC games : All-time favorites Free PC games : Freebie fest Best FPSes : Finest gunplay Best MMOs : Massive worlds Best RPGs : Grand adventures

We've also narrowed our definition of 'puzzle game.' We hope you’ll find a game on this list that you haven’t played before, that’ll test your problem solving skills and ingenuity, and give you that fuzzy wave of relief and pride every time you have a breakthrough. And with that as our goal, we haven’t included games like Peggle, which aren't really puzzling , or Tetris, which wouldn’t be quite so challenging if time weren't an issue. We’re looking for more contemplative games here—you know, chin scratchers, brow furrowers, hair puller-outers, games that are going to stump you. We'll add to this list in the future, too, dropping in new games, or older ones if we revisit them and decide the ought to have a place here.

Best puzzle games - The player tentatively recolors a swath of virtual paper in Kami

Release date: 2014 | Developer: State of Play | Steam Kami’s rules are simple: click on any pattern of contiguous squares of the same color to change them to another color of your choosing, and try to make the whole sheet the same color in as few moves as possible. The basic technique is to start by unifying the largest shapes, surrounding any odd colored islands, and then swapping the large area to match those isolated squares. The principle is straightforward, but identifying the most efficient path requires seeing several moves ahead, and after the tutorial puzzles it can take a lot of thought. It feels great when it clicks, and the way Kami’s rough sheets of colored paper magically fold themselves away is mesmerizing. The colors schemes are gorgeous, too, and the music is sweet and relaxing—it feels to us like an excellent companion for a mid-afternoon cup of coffee.

The only problem we have with Kami is the baffling inclusion of a daily hint limit. On mobile, you could pay for extra hints, but on PC, there are no microtransactions. So, if you run out of hints for the day, that’s it. And the hints are important. If a puzzle has us stumped, getting just the first move is really welcome, as it sets us on the right path without removing the sense of accomplishment entirely.

Kami made this list despite some unnecessary mobile baggage, though, because there's a workaround: if you run out of hints and really want another one, you can just set your system clock to another day.

Best puzzle games — A partially-completed puzzle in Lyne.

Release date: 2014 | Developer: Thomas Bowker | Steam Lyne is another game we share with mobile, but worth a shout. It’s not the sort of game that stumps you, stopping you cold—it’s one for fiddling with until the solution appears. The basic problem is that you have a few shapes on the board which need to be connected. Your connective lines can’t intersect each other, and you can only connect shapes of the same type. You must connect every shape with its same-shape friends, and fill every ‘hub,’ each of which might need a different number of connections. The solutions are zig-zagging patterns of lines, perfectly avoiding each other and hitting all the notes they’re supposed to. It can be challenging, but never really frustrating, and it's a great way to zone out.

Best puzzles games — A subsection of a SpaceChem elemental circuit.

Release date: 2011 | Developer: Zachtronics | Steam SpaceChem is about making molecules, though you don’t need a graduate degree in chemistry to sort out its puzzles. That’s what’s so lovely about Zachtronics Industries’ games— TIS-100 , for instance, is about assembly language programming, but we’ve managed to get through a few puzzles and feel awfully clever without any experience in that area, either.

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Essentially, you’re creating an elemental circuit board, a set of instructions for building molecules. As in Infinifactory, the act of designing a system and then watching it work is the joy here. Eventually, though, SpaceChem does get hard, so approach it with patience and a willingness to learn.

The Swapper

Release date: 2013 | Developer: Facepalm Games | Steam The primary mechanic in The Swapper is the ability to create a few clones of your main character wherever your line of sight and clone-gun reach permits, which then allows you to ‘swap’ to that clone instantly. Clones mirror everything you do, regardless of where they’re located. Shoot one up to a high platform, take a few steps forward, and that clone will fall forty feet and hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Puzzles revolve around environmental obstacles (switches, light variables that prevent cloning or swapping, twitch clone-swapping) but your cloning tools never fundamentally change. What you’re allowed to do is there from the get go, and if you catch on early enough, there are huge sequences of the game you can skip earlier than normal.

Environments and objects themselves are based on actual clay models, so everything carries an uncanny, semi-realistic aesthetic, as if you could reach out and touch any of The Swapper’s decrepit space station environments. As if the gameplay wasn’t enough, the narrative wraps everything up in a mysterious and somewhat horrifying examination of what qualifies as a living person. Puzzle over life and death while you puzzle over puzzles.

Best puzzle games — In Braid, the suited protagonist leaps over a waddling enemy.

Release date: 2009 | Developer: Number None | Steam Every world in Braid opens with a slightly tweaked version of the same ‘tutorial’ level. There’s a pit and no way for your little Mario-esque avatar to jump across. Initially, it feels insulting, a silly commentary on 2D platforming conventions and level design—nothing you typically see in those games is ever impossible. Otherwise, how would you finish the game? But Braid turns one genre into something else entirely by layering abstract rules and mechanics.

Each world operates by its own set of rules based on the passage of time. In one, you can just hold a button to reverse the flow. In another, whatever direction you walk in progresses or reverses the flow of that level’s timeline. They don’t necessarily get more complex, but more unique. Actual difficulty comes from the level designs themselves. Some puzzles will take hours from you, maybe days. They require time away, the solutions coming to you with a slap of the forehead, possibly while you're brushing your teeth or mid-conversation about the last ball game.

So, the pit and gap are no longer an impossibility. A ‘broken’ platforming level transforms into a simple puzzle, and opens up new avenues of thinking in a familiar framework.

The Incredible Machine 2

Release date: 1994 | Developer: Jeff Tunnell Productions | GOG In the opening sequence of Pee-wee Herman’s Big Adventure, the titular weirdo makes breakfast via an elaborate Rube Goldberg machine. A sequence of bizarre, otherwise unrelated objects are made one—a candle burns a rope that drops an anvil and sends a ferris wheel spinning which—you get the idea. All this, just to crack an egg.

The Incredible Machine 2 (not to discount the first) harnessed both the absurdity and ingenuity of Goldberg machines, tasking the player with completing a fairly simple objective by very complex means. And there were plenty of means. You might just have to ‘get the tennis ball into the waste bin’ but you’re given a few treadmills, gears, a hamster on a wheel, a trampoline or two, and maybe a boxing glove to do it. There were ideal solutions each puzzle, but as the game opened up and allowed for use of more tools, the solutions became less prescribed and more up to player creativity. And even though the puzzles got hard very quick, failure was usually funny instead frustrating. It’s this, the open-ended and experimental nature of The Incredible Machine that makes it such a timeless puzzle game.

The Talos Principle

$Best puzzle games — In The Talos Principle, a robotic drone surveys a deployed refractor that's directing a series of light beams.$

Release date: 2014 | Developer: Croteam | Steam Without the narrative dressing, The Talos Principle is still an amazing puzzle game. The majority of what you do is navigate a series of puzzle rooms, picking up and moving objects (boxes on switches, prisms that connect lasers and open doors, fans, and so on) in order to unlock doors or skirt by defenses in order to grab a tetromino piece, aka, the win condition. While the game introduces the varying tools over time, the whole of what you can accomplish with them is there from the start. As more tools are thrown into increasingly complex puzzles, it becomes a matter of experimentation and order of operations. What can a fan lift? When should the fan lift? How do I power the fan? Each puzzle feels impossible at first, but by the end, the machinations you discover and execute as a player feel so robust, complex, and smart that it’s hard not to feel like the last two hours of brickwalling were actually a breeze.

That The Talos Principle shares a writer with another game on the list, The Swapper, isn’t a surprise. They both deal with similar themes–consciousness, humanity, moral ambiguity—and wrap them around the gameplay in a way that doesn’t feel convoluted or forced. The Talos Principle’s plot is also really well written. It carries the same slow sense of growing uncertainty that Portal pulled off so well at first, and takes it to another level with genuinely smart philosophical, human, and breezy narrative tidbits. So, while you solve individual puzzles, you’re also puzzling out the nature of what you’re doing, and whether or not pursuing certain paths will have any effect at all on the game’s ending. It’s as mind-bendy as mind-benders get.

Best puzzle games — In Fez, player character Gomez earns a compliment on his headware from a fellow 2D being.

Release date: 2013 | Developer: Polytron Corporation | Steam Fez is a charming and oddly sad puzzle platformer, but at first glance not a particularly challenging one. Tasked with navigating a peaceful 2D world harried by the arrival of 3D, protagonist Gomez (he wears a Fez) must navigate 3D worlds from a 2D perspective. Sounds confusing! It is, but the simple act of playing the main game through to completion never gets too taxing. The real puzzles in Fez aren’t really required to finish the game, but their impenetrable, mysterious nature invites speculation. They’re puzzles of course, but the way they’re presented feels like archeology: deciphering the meaning in obtuse hieroglyphs and mysterious QR codes. It took the community months to understand how to solve some of these puzzles, and I’m fairly certain some remain uncracked. Play Fez for the beautiful world and breezy tone, stay for one of the toughest challenges hidden in a purportedly ‘easy’ game.

Hexcells Infinite

Release date: 2014 | Developer: Matthew Brown | Steam Hexcells is a slow, methodical game, because you’re penalized for wrong moves—sort of like advanced Minesweeper. The board is made up of, as you’d expect, hexagons. Some are part of the pattern you’re trying to create, and turn blue when you left click them. The rest are not, and when you reveal them as imposters by right-clicking, they show you how many adjacent hexes are part of the pattern. Some also give you extra information, such as whether or not the adjacent blue hexes are adjacent to each other or separated.

Hexcells is about considering simple bits of information and determining what hidden information they reveal. For instance, if an uncovered cell is adjacent to one blue cell, and a blue cell is already uncovered next to it, you can safely count out all the other cells touching it. Pretty simple for simple patterns, but it very quickly becomes tricky, like advanced Sudoku. The feeling when you clear a puzzle with no errors is one of relief more than victory, but it is really satisfying to sweep the board without a single misclick. This one isn’t for those who like to fiddle with a problem until they find a solution—Lyne or Infinifactory come to mind—but for those who like to make deliberate moves for a precision puzzling strike.

Antichamber

Release date: 2013 | Developer: Alexander Bruce | Steam Explaining Antichamber to people is difficult. It’s a stone cold first-person puzzle game, no doubt. There are definite rules in its stripped down corridors and cryptic rooms, they just take an entirely different perspective—sometimes literally—to understand. There’s no invasive narrative precedence to speak of, so the gameplay is reduced to exploration that hinges entirely on the player’s curiosity. You spend the majority of the game encountering strange architecture or tools attempting to decipher if they can be used to traverse through an environment or to clue you in on other rules in Antichamber’s world. Most conventions of how we understand physical space through the first-person perspective are twisted in subtle ways or thrown out completely. To explain how is to ruin the game completely.

Most surfaces, including objects, are white with black lines defining their features, but color gradients sway in and out of certain halls and rooms as if to evoke the intimate, troubling psychosis of our dear friend, MS Paint. The thing is, all the color has meaning. It, and nearly every visual, auditory, and tactile component feed into the game’s psychedelic logic. Learning this logic is only half the battle, the remainder is applying that logic to even more mind-bending puzzles. So, for example, once you learn that certain doors can only be opened if they cannot be seen, applying the same line of thinking to an increasingly complex series of puzzles turns from mental exercise to an exercise in integrity. The more you understand in Antichamber, the less you trust yourself.

World of Goo

Release date: 2008 | Developer: 2D BOY | Steam Like all the best puzzle games, World of Goo's core concept is simple: Use elastic, adhesive (and sentient) balls of goo to build structures that will enable them to climb up to a pipe, where they can be sucked up and delivered to the World of Goo corporate headquarters. It's easygoing at the start—build a tower, construct a bridge, nothing too complex—but quickly grows more difficult, and bizarre, in equal measures. Obstacles like whirling blades, spikes, and fire make life nasty and short for many a Goo Ball, and after awhile different species of Balls with unique characteristics will begin to appear. Balloon Goo floats, for instance, while Green Goo can be detached and reused, and Beauty Goo is huge, aggravating, and generally useless. And because everything is made of goo, everything you create is inherently unstable: The trick isn't to build solid structures, but to figure out how to let them sag and sway—because they're going to—without breaking into pieces.

But what elevates World of Goo from a good puzzler to a great game are the detail and flourishes that aren't necessary to the puzzles, but are absolutely indispensable to creating the marvelous world in which they exist. The squealing, bug-eyed Goo Balls are endearingly cute, and the light-hearted, sometimes cryptic messages left by the Sign Painter are entertaining in their own right. There's a story here too, believe it or not, and it actually gets a little dark, although it never entirely lets go of its inherent goofiness. Even the soundtrack, at the risk of overselling it, is sublime, and somehow a perfect match for a game about stretching sticky globs of grease into weird shapes. World of Goo is one of those games that belongs on just about every "games you should play" list, and it’s baffling that, years after its release, there's still no sign of a sequel.

Infinifactory

Release date: 2015 | Developer: Zachtronics | Steam Infinifactory is one of our highest-scored games of 2015, with Chris calling it his favorite puzzle game in years. Like SpaceChem, Infinifactory is a creative factory design game, though a bit more accessible. To please your alien captors, you’ve got to jetpack around a factory dropping blocks—conveyor belt blocks, for instance—to build a machine that will complete a set of goals. The simplest is to transport a component from a dispenser to the correct exit point, but as your tasks get more complicated, logic devices are introduced to increase the complexity of your designs along with them.

Infinifactory is all about satisfaction of building the most beautiful, efficient machine you can and watching it do its work. As Chris put it, “It's the videogame equivalent of those incredibly compulsive looping gifs of factory processes.” There’s also a dark, slapstick story threaded in, and some wonderful environments in later puzzles.

Portal and Portal 2

Release date: 2007, 2011 | Developer: Valve | Steam Portal was a success—a huge one—for a number of reasons. The writing, the humor, and the story that unexpectedly began to drip through the cracks of Aperture Science while we played Valve’s 2007 first-person puzzler. Thing is, it would still be a great game without any of that because the puzzle-solving is so damn great on its own. Escaping a series of test-chambers armed only with a gun that shoots space-warping portals is fun and rewarding. At the time it was also completely different from just about anything we’d seen in an FPS.

The basics are simple to grasp. After placing two portals in two different spots, walking into one portal lets you exit the other, no matter where it is. Each new puzzle chamber is more complex than the last, and soon you’re using portals to avoid turrets, fling yourself over floors of acid, activate buttons and redirect lasers. There are even some reflex and momentum-based puzzles which challenge you to place your portals as you’re sailing through the air. It culminates in an escape of sorts, a fascinating crawl behind the scenes of the facility where we get to put into practice everything we’ve learned. The difficulty increases gradually, getting more complex at just the right pace, so we never feel frustrated and yet it never seems too easy. There’s even a puzzle-based boss fight, and a charming little song when you win. While Portal 2 upped the ante in just about every department, the original is still a wonderful, funny, and rewarding way to spend a few hours. (And, to be clear, we also recommend Portal 2, especially for its co-op puzzles.)

Baba is You

Release date: 2019 | Developer: Hempuli Oy | Steam Baba Is You gets away with being so infuriatingly mind-bending by also being so dang cute. Baba (you) pushes around blocks of words to change the level environment and the conditions of the game itself.

In one level you start as a rabbit in a walled room. Inside the room with you are three text blocks—“Wall”, “is”, and “stop”. They’re connected in a straight line so the walls currently stop your character from passing through them. If you nudge any of the blocks out of line the walls no longer stop you and you can walk through them.

The blocks which make a win condition for the level aren’t yet connected in a line. The simplest solution to that is to push the blocks marked “flag”, “is” and “win” into a line. After that, walking to the flag will complete the level.

But there are other solutions which immediately start to show you how many possibilities the system involves. You could mix blocks from the first and second room to write “Wall is win”. That lets you finish the level by touching any of the walls.

Although the difficulty curve between levels can feel a bit off-kilter depending on how you personally think about each puzzle, Baba Is You is incredibly versatile, allowing for a number of unorthodox solutions to each level.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

Shaun Prescott
Christopher Livingston Senior Editor

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Today's Wordle answer for Friday, June 7

11 Best Brain Training Apps to Boost Your Mind for Mental Agility

It’s a well-known fact that our brain strength starts to decline over age, whether in cognitive skills or structure.

So just like your physical self, you should train your brain too.

The decline in brain strength is inevitable, but the brain can keep growing and learning. Therefore, if you regularly train your brain with new skills and problem-solving exercises, you may be able to slow down this decline.

Now, if you are wondering how to train your brain?

Don’t worry; you don’t need a dedicated gym for it. Your smartphone is all you need to get good brain exercise every day.

Best Brain Training Apps

There are many brain training apps for Android and iOS that will challenge your brain with different exercises to improve brain skills like memory, focus, response, multi-tasking, problem-solving, etc.

If you are ready to train your brain, keep reading, and I’ll introduce some of the best brain-training apps for Android and iOS.

Being over a decade old, Lumosity is one of the first few apps to provide brain training exercises. Unlike Elevate, Lumosity has actual mini-games instead of quiz-like games. There are over 50+ games to help you improve skills like speed, memory, attention, flexibility, language, math, and problem-solving.

The app will first ask which skills you are interested in exercising (you can select all, too), and then you will go through a 3-game test to check your skills. The tests are definitely very challenging, and even after multiple tries, I could not get a perfect score on any of them. The test score will be shown in comparison to other people of the same age as you.

The free version has a limited number of games and only shows basic stats. You can get a pro subscription to access all the 50+ games with personalized stats and challenges. In both free and pro versions, you’ll have to complete different challenges to unlock more games.

Elevate is among the most popular brain training apps that offer over 35 interactive games to help you exercise skills like memory, processing, math, reading, focus, and more.

When you launch the app for the first time, it will make you go through a few quick tests to judge your current skills. They will give a score from 0-5000 to measure your skills, and this same score will be used for all the games inside Elevate.

The app has both free and paid versions. You can unlock up to 21 games in the free version and exercise 3 of them every day. The pro version unlocks all brain training games and lets you practice 5 different games every day with advanced statistics.

Most of these games are questions/answers but sufficiently interactive to keep you busy. I also really liked their tutorial for each game, making it a snap to understand how to play each game.

NeuroNation

Like other apps here, NeuroNation also makes you go through a test to check your skills and score. The app offers 27 different exercises with over 250 levels that become tougher as you move forward. You can create a custom schedule, and the app will notify you when it’s time to train your brain.

Most of the exercises are simply “choosing the right item” depending on the situation. However, it’s tough to score high as each mistake sets you a level back, and each correct answer introduces a harder challenge.

I am sure you will really like that many of the games NeuroNation provides have multiple aspects that could change the outcome. For example, you can climb levels faster using bonuses or choose a more optimal option when two correct answers are available.

The app also doesn’t restrict you to a specific set of games to play every day. You can keep playing any of the games you like and however you like. However, some of the games are only available in the pro subscription.

I should add that I really disliked their tutorials. The tutorials give instructions while the real game is running, and the instructions are mostly just hints rather than accurate steps. So it can be a little frustrating to play a game for the first time, but it should work out fine once you understand the game.

Another great brain training app with exciting games can even help you control emotions and challenge your creativity. Peak offers over 45 brain training games that are personalized to your profile. The app’s free version is minimal and only gives access to 2 random games every day, so I recommend you get the pro subscription if you are serious about using Peak.

After the initial tests, you will be given a score, and a personalized list of games will be shown to improve on skills you lack based on the tests. There is also an option to set up reminders to exercise your brain. Interestingly, Peak’s statistics feature in the free version is much better than other apps. You can see stats repeatedly and compare them with other people without needing to upgrade to the pro version.

As far as the games are concerned, they are more advanced than “choose the right answer”. You need to have good math and language skills to play some of the Peak games. I would say Peak is best for advanced users who want something that could challenge their knowledge.

Brain Training

If you are looking for a rather simple app, then Brain Training might intrigue you. This app is quite a barebone with a simple list of brain training exercises, and that’s it. Each game has 15-20 levels that increase in difficulty every time you level up. You won’t find any fancy features like reminders or a stats page in it.

This doesn’t mean it is any less useful than the rest. The exercises it offers are actually straightforward to pick up yet very impactful. Some of the brain skills you can exercise include concentration, search, multitasking, left and right brain balance, memory, and math. Each skill has a dedicated game that can become extremely difficult at higher levels.

Best of all, Brain Training is completely free to use (contains non-intrusive ads), and games can be unlocked by medals earned via leveling up.

Einstein’s Riddle

This is actually a logic puzzle game where you need to solve a riddle using clues. If you really want to hone your problem-solving skills, then this game can give you a good workout. The puzzle’s basic gist is to use the given clues and adjust the items’ position to solve the riddle. You need to jump between different clues and even need to go back to previous clues to understand the riddle.

There are over 5000 puzzles available distributed over multiple difficulties. You can increase grid sizes to make it more difficult. Of course, each puzzle will take quite some time to finish, so the app offers the ability to save data mid-game and even save it in the cloud. The game is free with ad support, but you can remove ads with the pro upgrade.

Left vs. Right

Another all-around good brain training app that offers 51 total games with the ability to track your stats. Unlike other similar apps in this list, Left vs. Right has a bit different category of games. These 51 games come under the categories of adaptability, reflex, reasoning, precision, patience, and awareness.

Here, games under patience, precision, and awareness are completely different from games found in other apps.

If these distinct categories appeal to you, then this app won’t disappoint you. In the free version, you can play games from 3 categories every day. Users who get the paid subscription have access to all the games and unlock the stats tab to view progress. Interestingly, you can temporarily (1 day) unlock pro features by watching video ads. It’s a nice option to have if you are not ready to pay but want to try pro features.

If you particularly want to train your memory and get a better vocabulary, then Mnemonist is a dedicated app for this. Mnemonist offers a simple words-based game where you need to memorize a list of words in a sequence and then write them in the same sequence. This enables you to train your memory and, at the same time, possibly learn new words.

The game has 29 built-in levels with varying difficulties that you can unlock with stars earned. When you are done with these levels, you can move to the custom level section to create your own levels with whatever difficulty you like. However, the custom level requires a premium account purchase (also removes ads), or you can watch a video ad to create a single custom level.

Sudoku has long been one of the most popular puzzle games. Its simple yet elegant gameplay mechanics make it a delight for everyone, regardless of age. And, if you’re really looking to challenge your thinking capacity, Easybrain’s Sudoku.com could be the perfect brain training app for you.

First of all, the app is free to use. Secondly, you’ll find over 10,000 puzzles here to solve. Moreover, you don’t need to worry if you’re a complete beginner. The app features 6 difficulty levels, ranging from fast and easy to “giant”, which is meant for Sudoku veterans. Furthermore, with features like hints and auto-checks, you’ll learn how to play the game faster than you can say “Sudoku”.

Finally, with Daily Events, Seasonal Challenges, and even statistics of your progress, you’re bound to dive into the app for a couple of hours every day.

CogniFit-Test-Brain-Games-Apps-on-Google-Play

“Your brain is your greatest possession!” And what can be better than training it to perform tasks more efficiently in life? CogniFit makes it easier to strengthen your memory game and edify your brain cells through a variety of exercises. Using the cognitive training platform CogniFit, honing your mental skills becomes an exciting journey.

The platform combines gamification and neuroscience to create a wide variety of brain games that improve memory, focus, and problem-solving abilities. It offers a customized cognitive training experience based on individual demands. Users set off on an adventure via engaging tasks, monitoring their progress, and earning new levels along the way.

Pros	Cons
✅ Makes brain training fun, engaging, and successful.	❌ Mandala exercise is quite glitchy.
✅ Perfect for anybody looking to improve their academic performance or gain mental agility.	❌ Cognitive exercise lasts for only a mere 2 minutes.
✅ Can manage to train certain sections that one may not even know it lacked.

There’s a 7-day free trial, which unlocks a multitude of exercises, mindfulness audios, brain games, etc. After this period, you can continue to take premium services of CogniFit, paying either monthly or yearly. The pricing of each of these packages ranges between $10 and $70.

Brain-Exercises-Brain-Training-Brain-Health-–-BrainHQ-from-Posit-Science

BrainHQ is your gateway to mental clarity! This dynamic platform provides an exciting cognitive-enhancement experience with a variety of enjoyable and demanding activities. Enjoy an exciting and dynamic workout that is tailored to your needs and targets memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.

This app, created by neuroscientists, is a virtual brain gym that provides activities that are supported by research and change based on your ability. BrainHQ is the secret to maximizing your cognitive capacity, whether your goal is to maintain your wits or to get mental exercise. Take part in the brain fitness movement to become a more intelligent and intelligent version of yourself!

Pros	Cons
✅ Contains numerous planned exercises for the best cognitive effects.	❌ May showcase inaccurate exercise results occasionally.
✅ Simple and easy-to-use interface.	❌ Repeated execution of certain exercises can cause boringness and irritation.
✅ Boasts an excellent development and customer support team.

There are both monthly and yearly modes of subscription, each billed annually at a rate ranging between $10 and $80.

Although this isn’t actually a brain training app, it can help improve your brain strength. Duolingo lets you learn a new language using fun and interactive methods, just like a game. Many scientific researchers conclude that learning a new language helps in brain development . It has been observed that people who know more than one language have better cognitive skills.

Besides, knowing different languages is very useful in many other ways; it’s the gate to different cultures. For example, when you learn sign language , you open up your horizons and your social life to plenty of new people!

Wrapping up

Elevate and Lumosity are definitely the best all-around apps to train your brain and keep track of your progress. It’s best to subscribe for the pro subscription as it gives full control, but even the free version offers sufficient content to keep your brain busy.

If you are new to this whole-brain training concept, I will recommend starting with the Brain Training app instead. It immediately gives you access to the exercises and won’t confuse you with complicating stats and tests.

Best Math Problem Solving Android apps – updated November 2022

There are all sorts of apps available in the market these days, and some of them are immensely useful. Like the apps we’ll talk about in these articles. These apps allow you to solve math problems by simply taking pictures. Seems simple, doesn’t it? Well, it is. This functionality was kicked off by Photomath a long time ago, and that app remains the most popular solution for solving math problems in this was.

Best Android apps for solving math problems 2022

Below is a quick overview of the best 9 Android apps for solving math problems 2022, including any download and in-app purchase costs.


Photomath	✕	$0.99-$299.99
Google Lens	✕	✕
Snapchat	✕	$0.99-$399.99
Microsoft Math Solver	✕	✕
Mathway	✕	$9.99-$149.99
Gauthmath	✕	$0.49-$369.99
Camera Math	✕	$8.99-$59.99
Cymath	✕	$3.99-$4.99
Math Scanner	✕	$1.99-$48.99

Best Android apps for solving math problems 2022 Downloads

Below is a little more information on each app, and a direct link for easy downloading.

All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.

Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: $0.99-$299.99
Size: Varies with device
Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

The app also features how-to animations, and you can scroll through multiple solving methods per problem (if there is more than one). There is a multi-functional scientific calculator built into the app, and the same goes for interactive graphs. This app can solve basically any type of math problem, as it covers basic math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, and more.

Download Photomath

Google Lens

In-app purchases: No
Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to this feature, you can take a picture of a math problem, and Google Lens will do the best it can to provide you with a solution. The thing is, you won’t get nearly as detailed of an answer as Photomath would offer, or many other apps on the list. As already mentioned, this is not Google Lens’ primary function, and it offers only the basics, though that is to be expected.

Download Google Lens

In-app purchases: $0.99-$399.99
Google Play rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars

It does a good job, but not even close to Photomath, and some other apps on the list. Snapchat is far from being a math-focused app, this is only a side feature for it, so… that is to be expected, similar to Google Lens. Still, if you need a quick solution for something, and you don’t want to install some other app, this feature can come in handy.

Download Snapchat

Microsoft Math Solver

$Microsoft Math Solver app grid image 2022$

Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

This app can also help you solve a problem by taking a picture of it, or you can use your finger to draw on the screen, just to give the app something to solve. This app will show you the steps it took in order to solve that problem, unlike some other applications on the list. The app’s design is also quite nice. The UI is great, and the app is easy to use, not to mention that it works really well.

Download Microsoft Math Solver

In-app purchases: $9.99-$149.99

The performance is really good, and the app does cover a lot of math dimensions. Regardless of whether you need help with basic math. algebra, trigonometry, calculus, or statistics, Mathaway has you covered. This app is being used by a lot of people on a daily basis, and it already has over 300,000 reviews in the Play Store, most of which are extremely positive. This one is worth checking out, for sure.

Download Mathway

In-app purchases: $0.49-$369.99
Google Play rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The app is free to use, you don’t need to pay up in order to talk to a tutor. The design is very simple, as it should be, and you’ll be provided with answers really fast. This app can help you solve even the most complicated math problems. The app is not as popular as some others on the list, but it sure is worth using, considering how good it is. If you’re looking for a math problem solver, try this app out.

Download Gauthmath

Camera Math

In-app purchases: $8.99-$59.99
Google Play rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars

This app will also provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to solve a math problem. It can do that for various different math problems, whether they’re arithmetic, calculus, or algebra in nature. These are only some examples, the app can answer pretty much any type of math problem you may have. This app is nowhere near as popular as some other on the list, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it.

Download Camera Math

In-app purchases: $3.99-$4.99

This app covers a wide range of math content, ranging from various topics in algebra and calculus. Those topics include equation solving, factoring, logarithms, exponents, complex numbers, product rule, quotient rule, chain rule, u-substitution, and so on. Basically anything you can think of, this app should be able to solve. The app works really great, and it has a solid rating as well.

Download Cymath

Math Scanner

In-app purchases: $1.99-$48.99

Math Scanner is another app whose name is kind of self-explanatory. This app represents one of the best competitors to Photomath, no question about it. The app is also really simple to use. It tries to focus its design towards the problem at hand. All you need is to take a picture, and you’ll get your answer. You’ll also be provided by step-by-step instructions, of course.

The app is suitable for both simple and advanced math problems. It covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, diversion, algebra, percentage, EMI, interest, and so on. That’s basically it, there’s not much more to talk about. The app does have a solid score in the Play Store, similar to other apps on the list. If you don’t like your current option, this one is worth checking out.

Download Math Scanner

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Google Play’s best apps and games of 2022

Nov 30, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

The winners are in for Google Play’s Best of 2022 awards.

Every year we recognize the best apps and games on Google Play and the developers who bring them to life. Their bold ideas and creativity help us reach people across all kinds of devices — from phones and watches to Chromebooks and tablets.

Apps and games, and the way we use them, are always changing. So this year, we’ve added a new award for best apps and games for Chromebooks to celebrate great work from developers on one of the largest screens you can access Google Play. Our other new categories capture today’s many genres of games, including best story game, best ongoing (e.g. live service) game and best game available on Play Pass .

And like every year, 2022’s winners reflect what matters most to people right now — ranging from games that help us escape reality and enter a whole new world, to apps that help us stay grounded and present.

Below is the full list of winning apps and games in the U.S. across 20 categories selected by Google Play’s editorial team, plus the best-selling books and audiobooks. You can find your specific country’s winners in the Best of 2022 section of the Play Store .

Congratulations to this year’s winners and to our entire Google Play developer community! We can’t wait to see what you build next.

Best overall app and game

Best App: Dream by WOMBO

AI-generated art went viral this year. With Dream by WOMBO, you can create a beautiful piece of art from just a quick text description.

Best Game: Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile rose through the Esports ranks, regularly trending and appearing in top 10 download lists throughout the year. The game brings all the excitement of the Apex Legends series to mobile and tablets so you can easily play wherever you are.

Users’ choice

App: BeReal
Game: Apex Legends Mobile

An animated slideshow introduces best apps from each category by showing screenshots to demonstrate the app’s use alongside the name of each winner.

Best apps of 2022

Best for Fun: PetStar

Honorable mentions: DanceFitMe , noteIt widget

Best for Personal Growth: Breathwrk

Honorable mentions: Duolingo ABC , Gym Log & Workouts , Ukulele by Yousician

Best Everyday Essentials: Plant Parent

Honorable mentions: Book Morning Routine Waking Up , Daily Diary , Sleep Tracker

Best Hidden Gems: Recover Athletics

Honorable mentions: Linktree , Little Lunches , Wamble

Best Apps for Good: The STIGMA App

Honorable mentions: Sleep Fruits , Zario

Best for Wear: Todoist

Best for Tablets: Pocket

Best for Chromebooks (new category): BandLab

An animated slideshow introduces the best games from each category by showing example gameplay videos alongside the corresponding game titles.

Best games of 2022

Best Multiplayer: Dislyte

Honorable Mentions: Apex Legends Mobile , Catalyst Black , Diablo Immortal , Rocket League Sideswipe

Best Pick Up & Play: Angry Birds Journey

Honorable Mentions: Gun & Dungeons , HOOK 2 , Hyde and Seek , quadline

Best Indies: Dicey Dungeons

Honorable mentions: Dungeons of Dreadrock , Knotwords , One Hand Clapping , Phobies

Best Story (new category) : Papers, Please

Honorable Mentions: DEEMO II , Inua - A Story in Ice and Time , The Secret of Cat Island , Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

Best Ongoing (new category) : Genshin Impact

Honorable Mentions: Candy Crush Saga , Garena Free Fire , Pokémon GO , Roblox

Best on Play Pass (new category) : Very Little Nightmares

Honorable Mentions: Bridge Constructor , Final Fantasy VII , Linelight , Path of Giants

Best for Tablets: Tower of Fantasy

Honorable Mentions: Angry Birds Journey , Catalyst Black , Diablo Immortal , Papers, Please

Best for Chromebooks (new category) : Roblox

Top-selling books and audiobooks of 2022

Top-selling books

Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Top-selling audiobooks

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Google Play Points is leveling up the rewards game

4 new ways to enjoy reading with Google Play Books

5 Google Play features for poetry lovers to try

Find even more content celebrating women on Google Play

4 updates from the 2024 Google for Games Developer Summit

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When mobile gaming started as an experience for users, the puzzle genre offered the most definitive gaming experience. Years later, puzzle games continue to remain a fan favorite. The variety of puzzle games is astonishing, with superb visuals and complex tactics. Bearing this in mind, I have listed the best puzzle games for iPhone.

Build a Bridge!
Fun escape room
Project VOID
Monument Valley 2
Brain It On!

1. Brain Test: Tricky puzzles

Brain Test Tricky Puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

One of my biggest pet peeves with puzzle games is that they often become one-dimensional. The puzzles can become monotonous and stop presenting new challenges. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles does the exact opposite.

The game has numerous brain teasers that will force you to think outside the box. These puzzles can require the most basic common sense or could push you to think beyond the lines of just logical reasoning.

Another advantage of this game is that it is great for kids and families. If you want to get into brain teasers, this is the one.

There is a shortcoming, though. If you don’t pay for the premium package, you will have to deal with many ads.

Price : Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99)

2. Blackbox

Blackbox puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

Blackbox tries to do something different with the puzzle genre. You may have heard all the games to make this claim. However, Blackbox delivers on this.

The game uses the capabilities of your phone to the greatest extent possible. Apart from the usual tapping, scrolling, and swiping, Blackbox makes you think of other ways to solve puzzles. Some may require you to employ unconventional methods, such as calling your friends or taking cues from the game’s sounds and haptic feedback.

Besides, the game’s visual design is beautiful. Its design is minimalistic and does not hold your hand when you’re trying to solve puzzles.

The game might require using incompatible hardware (such as earphones) to solve some puzzles. So that’s an issue you’ll have to be wary of.

Price : Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)

3. Build a Bridge!

Build a Bridge puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

Do you think you’d be good at constructing bridges and general concepts of engineering? Build a Bridge! is your chance to test your mettle.

The objective is to build bridges for different vehicles, such as cars, buses, and trucks. To make the game more challenging, unconventional vehicles such as monster trucks are also available.

The game is physics-based and will require you to connect the dots for making the bridge. However, you also have to consider resources and materials at your disposal. Use the wrong materials or connect to the wrong point, and your bridge will collapse.

There’s also an easy mode for people new to this genre. It’s a great way to introduce them to physics-based games.

However, if you’re using the free version, you will have to deal with many ads.

4. Fun escape room: Logic puzzles

Fun Escape room puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

Escape rooms are a fun concept if executed properly. Many escape rooms tend to lack true, challenging puzzle elements, whether real or virtual. This game executes this concept to a much better extent.

The only way to win the game is to solve puzzles and move on to the next one. These puzzles get trickier and more difficult as you progress. There’s also plenty of in-game content, with over 100 doors to unlock.

Each room has unique puzzle elements, and no two rooms will have a similar puzzle to solve. This provides a healthy amount of brain-teasing and logical reasoning.

However, some puzzles may have no instructions at all. This can be frustrating.

5. Decipher: The Brain Game

Decipher puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

Decipher: The Brain Game is for people who want a bit of unpredictability in their puzzle games. This game isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth the challenge.

The game shows you different rings, which are part of an enigma. You have to align them in the correct order to solve the puzzle. However, each action on the rings could have a positive or negative effect. The game’s mechanics often employ something similar to the Butterfly effect.

This means that any action early into your game could have a much larger impact in the latter half of the playthrough. Its design is also beautiful, with soothing colors, visual effects, and a minimalist approach.

Decipher combines elements of both classic movies and the newer generation of sci-fi entertainment. It’s also got 250 different levels to try. I doubt you’ll ever get bored with this game.

A caveat with this game would be that the in-app purchases can be slightly expensive. This gets all the more troublesome when you’re stuck in a particular puzzle and may need something extra to solve the game. There are also a few bugs that may not break the game but can hamper your experience.

6. Project VOID – Mystery Puzzles

Project VOID puzzle game for iPhone and iPad

Detective games have often suffered from poor execution, bad puzzle mechanics, or too much focus on the novelty aspect of being a detective. Project VOID manages to blend just the right mix of detective novelty and challenging puzzles.

The puzzles have an added layer of depth as the game employs an alternate reality. Essentially, it combines in-game fiction with your reality and surroundings to create a mind-bending experience.

The puzzles are part of the mission stories, involving conspiracies and murder mysteries. You will have to think outside the box to solve them.

You might be disappointed as the game only has 5 missions.

Price : Free (In-app purchases start at $3.99)

Threes! is a relatively simple game at first. However, its single-game mode can get more enjoyable and difficult as you progress.

The goal is to merge numbers to create the biggest number possible. By merging the correct numbers in the right places, you will avoid blocking your progress.

The design is simple yet elegant, the music is entertaining, and there’s a layer of personality to the game with some appealing characters. This is one of the best games for iPhone , no doubt about it.

Recent updates have led to some scathing reviews of the game, surprisingly. With some pay-to-win mechanics being added, this game is something you have to watch out for.

Price : $5.99

8. Monument Valley 2

monument-valley-2-iphone-and-ipad-puzzle-game-screenshot

I’ve mentioned Monument Valley 2 before, and it remains one of my favorite puzzle games. The best part? You don’t need to play the first game to enjoy the sequel.

The game’s objective is to help Ro teach her child about the mysteries of their world and its Sacred Geometry. The puzzles involve illusions and architecture to create something truly beautiful and unique.

There’s also a dash of meditative aspects, giving you a relaxed feeling when playing it. The audio adds to this mode of relaxation. While the puzzles are difficult, you will never feel stressed when trying to solve them.

However, there have been complaints about the game from long-term fans, with many of them stating that the sequel fails to live up to the expectations created from the first game. So if you’ve played Monument Valley 1, there’s a chance that you may not like the sequel as much.

Price : $4.99

9. The Room

the room three iphone and ipad puzzle game screenshot

If you want to combine a puzzle game with a story-driven element, The Room is the blueprint that you should follow. This game has been the App Store Editor’s Choice in over 140 countries for a good reason.

The game puts you in a beautifully rendered 3D world. You have to solve the mystery by interacting with different objects in the world, and each action you take has a wonderful tactile feel.

Each clue leads you deeper into a mystery that you’ll be dying to unfold. The suspense aspects of the game also make it a nail-biter and a game that’s going to stretch your imaginations and ideas about thrill much further than an action game.

Further, the music adds to the atmosphere and often drives the suspense a notch higher. Everyone will find something to like in this puzzler.

Be wary that this game can become addictive. I recommend keeping it away from impressionable children.

Price : $0.99

10. Brain It On!

brain it on! iphone and ipad puzzle game screenshot

I’ve been playing Brain It On! for years, and I still haven’t gotten bored of it. This game is a genuine puzzler and will both tickle your funny bones and tease your gray cells.

This is another physics-based puzzle requiring you to draw the solution. While it sounds easy, it isn’t by any stretch of the imagination. There are multiple ways to solve each puzzle, and each requires you to think hard.

From placing objects inside a tumbler to stopping objects from falling over by drawing the appropriate shape, there’s a variety of puzzles to check out. You can play the game at the party to see which of your friends can solve puzzles.

Each person will likely have a different way of solving a particular puzzle, making it more interesting. However, if you’re playing the free version, you might find the constant ads annoying.

Video: Best Puzzle Games for iPhone

That’s it!

This is my list of the best puzzle games for iPhone. The puzzle game genre has come a long way. More and more developers are stepping in to see what they can bring to the table. This is one of those genres that will never get stagnant.

Which is your favorite? Share in the comments below.

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Anirban is a literature post-grad who delves in philosophy and postmodern novels when not writing on tech and gaming. His love for research is only trumped by his love for chai and heavy metal.

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iPhone Apps

Play Store won't open, load, or download apps? Here's how to fix common Play Store app problems

Unable to load the Google Play Store or download your favorite apps? Try these fixes to get it up and running again.

The Google Play Store is a simple application that comes pre-installed on your Android phone. It lets you access a marketplace with millions of apps and games that you can download on your device with just a few taps. The app itself works reliably well for the most part, but there are times when it starts to go wonky. You may notice occasional hiccups during which the Play Store takes forever to download or even load listings. It's particularly annoying when you're trying to download something important, and it keeps loading or throws an error message.

These occasional Play Store crashes and problems aren't exclusive to a particular make or model of smartphone, though. They can happen even on the best phones out there, so I'd say it's just as big of a problem on the best Android phones as it is on a budget Android device . If you find yourself in a situation in which the Play Store bugs out, and you don't know how to fix it, then you can try some of the fixes I've highlighted below to fix the common Google Play Store problems.

I used a Google Pixel 7 running Android 13 to capture the screenshots and highlight the steps in this tutorial. You may find some of these options and menu items in slightly different locations depending on your phone and the Android version it's running.

It's probably not you, it's the Play Store

The first thing you need to do is check if the Google Play Store itself is causing issues for everyone across the globe or in your region. It's always good to ensure that, so you don't end up wasting all your time and energy trying to fix a problem that you can't fix from your end. I recommend looking up websites like Down Detector to see if others are reporting issues too. If you see a spike in reports in your region, then it's better to wait until they're resolved. The folks over at Google are usually quick to respond and fix server-side issues, so you're probably not going to face a huge downtime.

Check your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection

It's also important to ensure that you're connected to a strong and reliable network with access to the internet. If you are on Wi-Fi, you can see your connection strength in your device’s settings or by looking at the top status bar. You can also try loading websites using your preferred browser or test your internet speed.

Here's how you can check the strength of your Wi-Fi connection:

Open Settings .
Go to Network & Internet .
Select the Internet menu and see if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network.
If you are connected, you can tap on the Wi-Fi name and see the signal strength.adasd

You can also use your mobile data to download applications from the Play Store but keep in mind this will likely count toward your monthly data allowance. Once you have confirmed that your data connection is active and that you've allowed downloads over mobile data, try downloading again.

Here's how to allow the Google Play Store to download and update apps over mobile data:

Open the Play Store and open the menu by tapping on your profile image at the top right.
Go to Settings > Network preferences > App download preference.
Select Over any network.
Try downloading again and see if it resumes.

Restart your device

If you continue to have issues with a stable and reliable connection, then you may have to restart your device. As cliché as it sounds, a simple restart often fixes most issues, so I'd say it’s worth giving a try.

Clear the Play Store application cache and data

If none of the above steps help solve your problem, you can try clearing the cache and app data. This is known to solve most problems, especially if it’s related to downloading and loading large files or multiple contents. Here's how you can do it:

Head to Settings and select Apps .
Now, locate the Google Play Store option on this page and select it to open the app info page.
Select Storage & cache, and tap on Clear storage and Clear cache options.
Go back to the Play Store and try downloading again.

Uninstall and reinstall Play Store and Play Service updates

If none of the options have worked up to this point, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the Google Play Store itself.

Now, locate Google Play Store on this page and tap on it open the App info page
Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select Uninstall updates .
Select OK when prompted to replace the app with the factory version.
Repeat the same steps for Google Play Services , and try downloading the apps again.

For good measure, it is recommended that you restart your phone at this point and install any and all updates after booting the device.

Check for Android system updates

If you're still not able to download anything, then you should check if your device has any updates or security patches available. Updates and security patches can sometimes help solve the most common problems, so it's worth giving a shot. Here's how to check for updates:

Go to Settings > System > System update .
Click the Check for update button to double-check for any updates.

Remove and add your Google Account again

Another step is to remove and add your Google account to the device again. It is, however, recommended that you back up your account before trying this fix to ensure everything is saved to the cloud. This will prevent any accidental data loss during the process.

Here's how to remove your Google account:

Head to Settings and select Passwords & accounts .
Select the account that you want to remove, and tap Remove account .
If required, enter your device’s PIN or password.

Here's how you can add your Google account:

Head to Settings .
Tap on Passwords & accounts and scroll down till you see the option to add a new account.
Select that and hit Google .
Follow the instructions.
Open the Google Play Store and select your account in the top right corner.

You can now try downloading or updating an app from the Google Play Store once again to see if it works.

Common Play Store problems: Final thoughts

I hope you are able to get the Google Play Store up and running using one of the fixes mentioned above. Alternatively, you can also try some other easier fixes like force closing the Play Store, turning off VPN, and more. The Play Store, as I mentioned earlier, works very well for the most part, and the occasional bugs are mostly due to some connectivity hiccups.

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2022 Global Winners

Meet the 2022 NASA Space Apps Challenge Global Winners

Graphic of 10 rounded squares 5 by 5 that include images of each of the winning Global Winner teams

Space Apps is excited to introduce the 2022 Global Winners ! In celebration of this year's theme, "Make Space," each team creatively used open NASA data to develop projects available to the global community that solve real problems on Earth and space. Their diverse projects include machine-learning pipelines, web applications, interactive games, and more! Keep reading to explore what makes each of this year's winning projects worthy of recognition.

Want to learn more about the global winners stay tuned for the 2022 global winners video to hear about their nasa space apps experience and the impact their projects are having., the ten winning projects (pictured left to right above), team what's new (taipei, taiwan), winning the best use of science award, what’s new competed in the save the earth from another carrington event challenge. members of this team are currently working on their graduate theses in machine-based learning and worked with the artificial intelligence center at national taiwan university. this team’s project proposed a machine-learning pipeline to predict the probability of a solar storm event., team starflock (cleveland, ohio, usa), team starflock, winner of the best use of data award, participated in the take flight: making the most of nasa’s airborne data challenge. the team looked at whether the chemistry of wildfire smoke differs based on its location. the goal was to better predict wildfires and the damage they cause and improve future fire prevention efforts., team taming particles (vilnius, lithuania), the winning team of the best use of technology award, taming particles, includes 3d-printing enthusiasts who work in the space industry designing cubesats (very small satellites built from 10x10x10 cm units). competing in the outfitting a mars habitat: a 3d print challenge , they developed a set of interchangeable parts that would enable assembly of the needed systems on mars. the team considered a wide variety of factors when developing their solution, such as waste removal systems, crew morale, and mechanical tools lost during landing., team selene (jamshedpur, india), the winner of the galactic impact award, selene, competed in the make a moonquake map challenge. team members created their first 3d project–a responsive web application that plots an animated seismic wave on a 3d globe of the moon, based on a date provided by users. when a user inputs a day and year, the application fetches and displays details about moonquakes that occurred on that date., team mars 3d home (mendoza, argentina), awarded the best mission concept, mars 3d home team developed a solution for the outfitting a mars habitat: a 3d print challenge . the team members, who reside in different cities in argentina, analyzed the martian environment to determine the available resources and the basic requirements necessary for four astronauts to survive one year on mars. once their analysis was complete, the team designed the interior of the martian habitat and several multifunctional tools and gadgets that would enable the astronauts to live comfortably., team team diamonds (cumilla, bangladesh), receiving the most inspirational award, team diamonds competed in the twinkle, twinkle, little star challenge. to address this challenge, the team built an interactive game called diamond in the sky that helps kids ages 10-12 to learn about stellar variability and the dynamic nature of the night sky. more specifically, the game aims to help kids recognize a star’s patterns and learn about its color and brightness., team mimbi (asunción, paraguay), mimbi, winner of the best storytelling award, utilized literature, visuals, music, and public art to tackle the turning stem into steam challenge. mimbi utilizes qr codes to lead people to a web-based application. once at the application, users participate in an interactive experience incorporating aspects of paraguayan culture like woven texture, rhymes, music, and painting styles– all while learning about the first paraguayan satellite, a huge milestone for their country., team standard nctu cs student (taoyuan, taiwan), the standard national chiao tung university computer science student team won the global connection award for their project that addressed the track the space station in 3d challenge by providing an open-source web application to track the international space station (iss)., the main goal of their project is to provide an efficient yet vivid depiction of the orbiting iss to enable users around the world to learn and even immerse themselves in the beauty of space, team earth, wind & flare (boston, massachusetts, usa), team earth, wind, & flare, winner of the art & technology award, developed a solution to address the creative data display with the parker solar probe challenge. earth, wind, & flare built an internet of things device that explains space weather and its impact on earth in an interactive and creative way. the device’s key elements include an led matrix board to depict space weather, a variety of international space data sources, and a data display that incorporates visual and acoustic effects., team brute force (nicosia, cyprus), brute force, winner of the local impact award, competed in the make a moonquake map challenge. the team monitored the internal pulses of the moon to understand its internal structure. specifically, they analyzed data from the apollo passive seismic experiment and plotted seismic events. then, they created a model of the moon that included passive seismic experiment stations and ripples indicating shallow moonquakes., congratulations to these 10 global winners it is remarkable to see these ideas come to life and be developed into innovative and impactful projects that may help solve real-world challenges on earth and in space. to continue in the celebratory spirit, we look forward to inviting these global winners to a future winners trip, stay up to date on all things #spaceapps by following us on social media, twitter: @spaceapps, instagram: @nasa_spaceapps, facebook: @spaceappschallenge, youtube: @nasaspaceappschallenge.

Game Central

Reciprocals, related concepts.

Apple just named these 14 apps and games as the best of 2024

This year's Apple Design Award winners

WWDC 2024 doesn’t officially begin until June 10, but Apple is letting some news out a few days in advance, including its 2024 Apple Design Award winners , celebrating 14 apps and games that excel in design, innovation, and technical achievement.

The 14 titles were chosen from 42 finalists across seven categories : Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, Visuals, Graphics, and Spatial Computing – as you might imagine, that last category, which was a new addition for 2024, highlights an app for Apple Vision Pro . Each category highlights one app and one game as a winner.

Scoring an Apple Design Award is a high honor for developers, and the list of winners – and indeed the list of finalists – is a great place to start if you want to find new apps to try on your iPhone , iPad , MacBook or Mac , Apple Watch , or Vision Pro.

Delight and Fun winners

Within the Delight and Fun category, two winners delivering engaging and satisfying experiences beat out the seven finalists. First is Bears Gratitude , a journaling app focusing on self-reflection through daily prompts and routine building.

Second is an unsurprising winner, considering the highly active fanbase that plays Wordle . NYT Games is home to many addictive puzzles and word games, including the classic crossword and Connections, all designed to keep you coming back every day.

Inclusivity winners

Apple Design Award Winner 2024, Crayola Adventures

Apple has selected two Inclusivity category winners. Oko uses the onboard camera to help pedestrians with low to no vision navigate by indicating the signal of lights and other traffic signals through haptic and audio alerts. It’s even built using Apple’s VoiceOver and Dynamic Type technologies.

Crayola Adventures is the other winner in the category and is designed for all ages with the ability to create and solve puzzles. You can adjust skin tone, body types, pronouns, and abilities within the character creation steps and get a full game narration.

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Innovation winners

Recently featured during Apple’s May 7, 2024, iPad-focused event , Procreate Dreams is walking away with an Apple Design Award. Described as a "marvelously designed tool" by Apple, it lets creatives design 2D animations from freehand, built-in templates, or even the Apple Pencil. Procreate even supports some of the more advanced features introduced with the Apple Pencil Pro , including haptic feedback and squeeze functionality.

Lost in Play is an exciting and visually impressive graphic novel-style adventure game for the iPhone. The graphics are all hand-drawn, and the gameplay focuses primarily on discovery through point-and-tap.

Interaction winners

As you might suspect, Interaction is all about a compelling, intuitive interface and application controls. Crouton is an app for recipe curation; it makes it easier to complete recipes by providing an ingredient list and step-by-step directions.

Rytmos is a puzzle game controlled through drag gestures, with each level upping the challenge. It also pairs it with vibrant, impressive visuals that get more complex based on the level.

Social Impact winners

Like the rest of the categories, the Social Impact category has two winners: Gentler Streak Fitness Tracker and The Wreck. The former is a fitness tracker designed for everyone, regardless of lifestyle or how much one might work out. It pairs physical fitness and mental wellbeing into one app and integrates with Apple Health. You can see TechRadar's report on Gentler Streak here .

The Wreck is a visual novel with a story focused on navigating and reflecting on stressful situations.

Visuals and Graphics winners

Visuals and Graphics had many terrific titles, including some AAA games, in the finalists, and Apple narrowed it down to two winners. Rooms lets you play in a 3D space with immersive and highly detailed visuals throughout the experience. You start with a blank space or room and can add from there and view other users' work.

Lies of P for the Mac is a highly immersive, well-reviewed game that plays on the idea of imagination. You play as the robot Geppetto on a quest to find the marker. Developer NEOWIZ utilized MetalFX for great visuals across a range of Mac models.

Spatial Computing winners

Apple Design Award Winner 2024, Djay Pro

Last but not least is the newest addition to Apple’s Design Awards, which spotlights the $3,500 (starting) Vision Pro . Spatial Computing first highlights djay pro , which places a DJ turntable directly in front of you in your reality or a highly immersive environment. I’ve used this one, and you can reach out to adjust volume levels, scratch the discs, adjust speed, and even mix two tracks together.

Second in Spatial Computing is Blackbox , a puzzle game that overlays the world around you. Puzzles of various elements and even words will appear all around you. It’s a fun experience.

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Jacob Krol is the US Managing Editor, News for TechRadar. He’s been writing about technology since he was 14 when he started his own tech blog. Since then Jacob has worked for a plethora of publications including CNN Underscored, TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Mashable, CNET, and CNBC among others.

He specializes in covering companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and going hands-on with mobile devices, smart home gadgets, TVs, and wearables. In his spare time, you can find Jacob listening to Bruce Springsteen, building a Lego set, or binge-watching the latest from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars.

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Best Problem Solving Game Apps
best problem solving game apps
Best Problem Solving Game Apps
best problem solving game apps
best problem solving game apps
best problem solving game apps

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Can you solve this problem#viral #math
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Best Puzzle and Problem-Solving Apps for Kids / 2022 Update
Shape Gurus: Preschooler Game. Price: $2.99 on iOS App Store; $1.99 on Google Play Store. iOS App Store / Google Play Store. This app uses shape and color puzzles to teach 2-5 year olds basic readiness skills such as matching, sorting, classifying and more.
15 Best Puzzle Games For Android And iOS In 2022
Skillz. Skillz is one of the mobile puzzle games that tease your brain and puts your brain to some good use. The app lets you decide if you want to play as a single-player or play a multi-player ...
Best puzzle games you can play on the go
6 PUSH. PUSH is a fun minimal puzzle game where your single objective is to push a bunch of buttons in the correct order. What is great about this setup is that there are no timers and no ...
30 Best Puzzle Apps & Games to Try in 2022
Best Puzzle Games & Apps: The Definitive List. 1. Match 3D. There's nothing to hate and everything to like about the Match 3D app with its adorable combinations of emojis, food, animals, and more to pair up. This puzzle matching is suitable for everyone in the household, so you can all play together.
Top 25 best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)
25 essential iOS puzzle games to start your collection. Updated on April 19, 2023 - re-checked the list. This genre is right at the heart of the mobile gaming experience. Therefore, we decided to create a list of the best iOS puzzle games for iPhones and iPads! It fits the environment perfectly - small, largely static (or at least slow-paced ...
Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults
4. Sudoku. Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board.
25 Best Puzzle Game Apps for Kids & Adults For Free
7. Jigsaw Puzzles—Epic. No longer are jigsaw puzzles something you can only do at home. Thanks to the Jigsaw Puzzle—Epic app, you can work on one from basically anywhere you are. The app gives ...
The Best Puzzle Game of 2022
This love grows as we do, and game developers have harnessed that into some truly special games. 2022 had a great range of puzzle games, and a lot of them came packaged with a great story like ...
The 6 Best Apps to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills
Here are six game apps you can use to develop problem-solving skills while having fun. 1. Lumosity. Lumosity is a web app that helps you improve your mental skills. It is programmed with activities that help people improve their memory, flexibility, rate of processing information, and concentration levels. Thus, Lumosity is a great tool to help ...
Best Puzzle Games for iPhone and iPad in 2022
The sheer force of will required to continue you in a well-crafted puzzle game is something a lot of gamers have a love-hate relationship with, but there's no denying its power. Here are my top picks for the best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad. Red's Kingdom. The Room 3. Monument Valley.
15 Best Problem-Solving Game Apps For Kids
The problem-solving app Busy Water. Kids can use their critical thinking skills to use pipes, wheels, blocks, and paddles to help Archie the fish find his way out of the open water and back into ...
The best puzzle games in 2023
Release date: 2008 | Developer: 2D BOY | Steam Like all the best puzzle games, World of Goo's core concept is simple: Use elastic, adhesive (and sentient) balls of goo to build structures that ...
11 Best Brain Training Apps to Boost Your Mind for Mental Agility
Elevate. Elevate is among the most popular brain training apps that offer over 35 interactive games to help you exercise skills like memory, processing, math, reading, focus, and more. When you launch the app for the first time, it will make you go through a few quick tests to judge your current skills.
Best Math Problem Solving Android apps
Price: Free to download. In-app purchases: $8.99-$59.99. Size: Varies with device. Google Play rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars. Camera Math app is kind of self-explanatory. The whole goal of this app ...
Google Play's best apps and games of 2022
Best apps of 2022. Best for Fun: PetStar. Honorable mentions: DanceFitMe, noteIt widget. Best for Personal Growth: Breathwrk. Honorable mentions: Duolingo ABC, Gym Log & Workouts, Ukulele by Yousician. Best Everyday Essentials: Plant Parent. Honorable mentions: Book Morning Routine Waking Up, Daily Diary, Sleep Tracker.
Symbolab: AI Math Solver
About this app. Math Made Easy with Symbolab! Type in or snap a picture of any math problem, including tricky word problems, and get easy-to-understand step-by-step solutions. From pre-algebra to calculus, trigonometry, and more. Let us help you solve any math problem with confidence & guide you along the way!
Best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad in 2024
Threes! Monument Valley 2. The Room. Brain It On! 1. Brain Test: Tricky puzzles. One of my biggest pet peeves with puzzle games is that they often become one-dimensional. The puzzles can become monotonous and stop presenting new challenges. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles does the exact opposite.
Play Store won't open, load, or download apps? Here's how to fix common
Head to Settings and select Apps . Now, locate the Google Play Store option on this page and select it to open the app info page. Select Storage & cache, and tap on Clear storage and Clear cache ...
Solve Math Word Problem Solver
It also has various mathematics problem solving games and math story problems to review what is learned in the most fun way. Money calculations will take your child to a day to day journey of sample problems like taking money from friends, counting money and the remaining amount left. Children in senior grades can directly move to it.
Math Games
Algebra Puzzles. Strategic Multiplication. Fraction Tasks. Problem Solving. 3rd Grade Math. Visual Math Tools. Model Word Problems. Free, online math games and more at MathPlayground.com! Problem solving, logic games and number puzzles kids love to play.
Problem Solver
An app that will solve your problems.
Art of Problem Solving
Art of Problem Solving offers two other multifaceted programs. Beast Academy is our comic-based online math curriculum for students ages 6-13. And AoPS Academy brings our methodology to students grades 2-12 through small, in-person classes at local campuses. Through our three programs, AoPS offers the most comprehensive honors math pathway ...
Solve
Integration. ∫ 01 xe−x2dx. Limits. x→−3lim x2 + 2x − 3x2 − 9. Online math solver with free step by step solutions to algebra, calculus, and other math problems. Get help on the web or with our math app.
2022 Global Winners
January 31st 2023 by Space Apps. Space Apps is excited to introduce the 2022 Global Winners! In celebration of this year's theme, "Make Space," each team creatively used open NASA data to develop projects available to the global community that solve real problems on Earth and space. Their diverse projects include machine-learning pipelines, web ...
Algebra Calculator
Polynomial. In mathematics, a polynomial is a mathematical expression consisting of indeterminates and coefficients, that involves only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and positive-integer powers of variables. An example of a polynomial of a single indeterminate x is x² − 4x + 7. An example with three indeterminates ...
Trigonometry Calculator
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics concerned with relationships between angles and side lengths of triangles. In particular, the trigonometric functions relate the angles of a right triangle with ratios of its side lengths. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical ...
Apple just named these 14 apps and games as the best of 2024
Crouton is an app for recipe curation; it makes it easier to complete recipes by providing an ingredient list and step-by-step directions. Rytmos is a puzzle game controlled through drag gestures ...

Best Puzzle and Problem-Solving Apps for Kids [Updated for 2022]

We Reviewed Dozens Of The Best Puzzle and Problem-Solving Apps for Kids So You Don’t Have To. Here Are Our Top Picks.

Wonderful Words

Kids Puzzles Games Puzzingo

Building Readiness Skills

Shape Gurus: Preschooler Game

Logic and Thinking Puzzles

Where’s My Water?

Cut the Rope: Experiments GOLD

Inventioneers

Jigsaw Puzzles

Baby Shark Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

Jigsaw Puzzles Real Jigsaws

Quick Links

15 Best Puzzle Games For Android And iOS In 2022

15 Best Puzzle Games For Android and iOS

Types Of Puzzles

F requently Asked Questions

Do puzzle games help with problem solving?

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The best puzzle games are easily installed from the Google Play Store

30 Best Puzzle Apps & Games to Try in 2022

Best Puzzle Games & Apps: The Definitive List

2. MPL (Mobile Premier League)

3. Brain Test: Tricky Puzzles

4. Tangle Master 3D

5. Prison Escape Puzzle Adventure

6. Block! Hexa Puzzle Game

7. Jigsaw Puzzles—Epic

8. Water Sort Puzzle

9. Polysphere—Art Of Puzzle

10. The Birdcage

11. Two Dots

12. Puzzledom

13. Diggy’s Adventure Puzzle Games

14. Mansion of Puzzles—Escape

15. Escape Room: Mystery Word

16. Parking Jam 3D

17. Candy Crush Saga

18. Numpuz: Number Puzzle Games

19. Pack Master

20. Toon Blast

22. Puzzle Page—Daily Puzzles!

23. Picture Cross

24. Mr. Bullet—Spy Puzzles

25. Word Connect

27. Unblock Me

28. Chess Light

Wrapping Up

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Top 25 best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

Best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad

1 Monument Valley 2

2 Text Express: Word Adventure

4 Grindstone

6 The Room: Old Sins

8 Ticket to Earth

9 Mini Metro