Puzzle Games with Unique Mechanics

Puzzle games that have a unique mechanic, or are the first to use the mechanic in an interesting way.

Portal
Portal
Mechanic: Portals
Animal Well
Animal Well
Unpacking
Unpacking
Mechanic: Tidying Your Room
Superliminal
Superliminal
Mechanic: Perspective = Reality
The Witness
The Witness
Mechanic: Environmental Perspective-based Line-drawing
Twelve Minutes
Twelve Minutes
Mechanic: Time travel while keeping memories
Baba is You
Baba is You
Mechanic: Changing/writing game code while playing
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Mechanic: Clue Investigation & Cross Examinations
The Case of the Golden Idol
The Case of the Golden Idol
Mechanic: Observational Detective Work
Fez
Fez
Mechanic: 2D in 3D
Catherine
Catherine
Mechanic: Time Pressure Stair-building
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
Mechanic: Bringing pictures into reality
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Mechanic: Riddles
Braid
Braid
Mechanic: Character movement linked to timeline
Her Story
Her Story
Mechanic: Examining Random Video Clips to Uncover Story
A Little to the Left
A Little to the Left
Mechanic: Satisfaction
Storyteller
Storyteller
Mechanic: Put fairytale stories back together using imagery
Gorogoa
Gorogoa
Mechanic: Perspective Panel Artwork
Hue
Hue
Mechanic: Changing the world's colors
Teardown
Teardown
Mechanic: Destructible Environment & Physics-based Speedrun Heists
Little Inferno
Little Inferno
Mechanic: Burning Toys
Potion Craft
Potion Craft
Mechanic: Potion Brewing
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Mechanic: Janky Physics & Army Formations
Scribblenauts
Scribblenauts
Mechanic: Things you write become real
Antichamber
Antichamber
Mechanic: Non-euclidean Escape Rooms
LEGO Builder's Journey
LEGO Builder's Journey
Mechanic: Building Lego
The Entropy Centre
The Entropy Centre
Mechanic: Reversing Entropy
Snake Pass
Snake Pass
Mechanic: Simulated Snake Body
Opus Magnum
Opus Magnum
Mechanic: Precision Alchemical Machine Optimization
Besiege
Besiege
Mechanic: Create siege machines to destroy forts
Poly Bridge
Poly Bridge
Mechanic: Build Physics-based Bridges
Carto
Carto
Mechanic: Changing the world by drawing maps
Stephen's Sausage Roll
Stephen's Sausage Roll
Mechanic: Cooking Sausages & Fork Manipulation
Snakebird
Snakebird
Mechanic: Sideview "Snake" Puzzles
The Devil's Calculator
The Devil's Calculator
Mechanic: Math Discovery
Patrick's Parabox
Patrick's Parabox
Mechanic: Recursion
N Step Steve: Part 2
N Step Steve: Part 2
Mechanic: Limited Moves
Veggie Quest: The Puzzle Game
Veggie Quest: The Puzzle Game
Mechanic: Create the hardest puzzle for AI to solve
Linelith
Linelith
Mechanic: Draw Lines & Solve Everything
Room to Grow
Room to Grow
Mechanic: Grow a Stationary Cactus
He Who Watches
He Who Watches
Mechanic: Gravity Manipulation + Archery
A Good Snowman is Hard to Build
A Good Snowman is Hard to Build
Mechanic: Rolling Snowballs
Echochrome
Echochrome
Mechanic: No Object Permanence
Can of Wormholes
Can of Wormholes
Mechanic: Various worm&can-based physics
Engare
Engare
Islands of Insight
Islands of Insight
Mechanic: Many + MMO
ElecHead
ElecHead
Mechanic: Electrical Conductivity
Tametsi
Tametsi
Mechanic: Better Minesweeper
Puzzling Places
Puzzling Places
Mechanic: 3D VR Jigsaws
Cosmic Express
Cosmic Express
Mechanic: Train Track Design
UDLR_Modify
Bots Are Stupid
Bots Are Stupid
Mechanic: Programming Speedrunning Robots
SquishCraft
SquishCraft
Mechanic: Squish objects into new objects
Taiji
Taiji
Mechanic: Environmental Perception Puzzles & Simple Inputs
Projekt
Projekt
Mechanic: Dual Silhouetted Sculptures
Tandis
Tandis
Mechanic: Altering & Creating Geometric Shapes

Comments




Last updated: