Video games challenge players in a multitude of ways. In addition to enemies testing their skills and ability to strategise effectively, tricky platforming sections can be an exercise in quick reflexes and spatial awareness. However, games also frequently present players with puzzles that are designed to make them think.
Throughout the decades, developers have included puzzle elements that inject extra variety and difficulty into their games. Whether it’s navigating maze-like dungeons in The Legend Of Zelda, using the right items to overcome obstacles in Monkey Island, or cracking safe codes in Resident Evil, there’s no shortage of ways in which games can engage players’ minds.
While some video game puzzles are harder than others, with Silent Hill 3’s Shakespeare riddle being a notorious example, some titles take their puzzles to fascinating territory. These games won’t just have players scratching their heads over an area they’ve been stuck on for the past 20 minutes, but they often encourage players to approach solutions from unusual angles.
Although many of these puzzles will break players’ brains, they’re so ingeniously designed that it’s all too easy to become enthralled by their overarching mysteries.
There’s no feeling as satisfying as solving one of these puzzles without a walkthrough.
In roguelike puzzle game Blue Prince, protagonist Simon arrives at his family’s manor home after it’s left to him by his late great-uncle. Before he’s able to claim his inheritance, however, he’s tasked with discovering the estate’s secret 46th room.
On its surface, the premise of this game is simple. Players make their way through the house each day, drafting rooms as they go from a choice of three cards presented to them each time a door is opened. However, the more players uncover, the more complex the game becomes.
Blue Prince is a constantly unfolding puzzle box in which stumbling upon a new clue or solving one of its many puzzles only unveils more secrets about the house and its previous occupants. Even after players find their way into Room 46, there’s still so much that’s waiting to be discovered.
Underneath this title’s cryptic puzzles and cleverly hidden clues, there’s also a surprisingly moving narrative that touches upon poignant themes of censorship, family, and expression that resonates with players long after the credits roll.
Put all these pieces together, and it’s no surprise why Blue Prince is praised as one of the best games of the year so far.
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