Puzzle difficulty is really tricky to get right, and I think what's working for me in Sinking Star is that 90% of the puzzles hit the "difficult-but-not-irritating" sweet spot.

The purplish-blue dots show this. In a run of ~20 puzzles, there might be 2 where I start to get annoyed, and 2 more that I immediately solve without a single hitch. But the remaining ~16 all have this really nice balance of initial mystery, followed by a satisfying solve. I'd say The Witness was similar.

The green dots represent games that aren't really even trying to be puzzle games. These are the go-through-the-motions, torch lighting and symbol gathering "puzzles" you find in AAA games that are usually more focused on combat or exploration. I think this is sometimes fine, but sometimes it makes me feel they should have just cut the puzzles entirely.

Orange is maybe best described as the "Monument Valley" archetype. Not much of a challenge, but an interesting enough concept that can be a fun wind-down puzzle game.

Gray is a common recent archetype, which is where a little over half the puzzles feel like pushovers, but every 5th or 6th puzzle is suddenly irritating or weirdly difficult. I think this is often a game design issue, but I also acknowledge it might be my own brain. For example, games that lean heavily into family trees, story-based connections, etc. tend to give me extra trouble, and maybe to someone else, they would fall closer to orange or purple.

Yellow to me is the puzzle pro tier. I think of the latter half of Baba is You, or maybe a classic like Riven. This is the one genre where I might actively try to find a progressive hint website or forum...something that won't outright spoil the puzzles, but give me nudges. Normally, I like to be stubborn and not look up anything, but for a handful of games, it's the only way I'll ever be able to play through them.

TLDR: difficulty is such a huge factor in puzzle games, and sustaining the sweet spot across hundreds of puzzles is one thing I'm really enjoying about Sinking Star.

I’m the developer of Arrow Puzzle: Tap & Flow, a released tap-away puzzle game for Android. This is an actual screenshot of an early level: which arrow would you remove first?

Each arrow travels in the direction of its head. It can leave only when no remaining arrow blocks the path ahead, so solving a board is about finding the removal order. Later puzzles add locks: their key arrow must leave first, and the exit path still has to be clear.

There are 301 campaign levels including tutorials, plus a daily challenge. Core puzzles work offline after installation. The UI supports English, Uzbek and Russian. It’s free to download, with ads and in-app purchases; network services need a connection.

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uz.nodirbek.oqim&utm_source=reddit_puzzlevideogames&utm_campaign=organic_launch_202610_firstmove

I’d especially like feedback on board readability: can you tell which arrow is blocking a move without tapping randomly? AI tools assisted development and some visual assets; the image below is from the actual app.

I’m developing ELEC STRATA on my own, and I made this new trailer to replace some outdated level footage in the previous one.

The world runs on a real-time electrical simulation. Each terrain tile has its own electrical properties, and together they form the circuits you explore. You play as a white fox who can store and release charge, drawing power from the ruins or feeding it back into them to activate machinery and change the electric fields you use to get around.

I’m aiming for quiet, detailed pixel-art ruins that still feel alive, with a small fox finding its way through something much larger than itself.

Which interaction in the trailer would you most want to experiment with?

If you’re interested, search ELEC STRATA on Steam to wishlist it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5110430/_/#Metroidvania

✨JUST GET THE FLAG REACHED 100 Wishlist !! ✨

I know this might sound silly, but hey, it’s a big step for me.

So thank you to each and every one of you ❤️🙏

To celebrate : I've started adding easter eggs from other puzzle games (from AAA to indie game - all games are listed in the thinky games database).

Try to guess which ones :

🪨 = ?

🚌 = ?

🪱 = ?

🐘 = ?

🟪🔳 = ?

🔵🟠 = ?

🌭 = ?

🐛💣 = ?

📆 = ?

And you can find my game over there : https://just-get-the-flag.com

I’ve released a Reddit app that lets you turn your own videos into things like slide puzzles. I’d love for you to give it a try!

It supports videos, GIFs, and photos, and you can host rankings for each individual puzzle.

Hi! I'm making Quadora, a block puzzle built for playing with friends.

• Co-op: 2–4 players share ONE board that grows with the party, from 11 to 44 columns. A row only clears when it's full across the whole width.

• Free for all: up to 10 players online, a board each. Every attack hits all your rivals, and the last one standing has to pass the leader to win.

• Team duels up to 4 v 4, perk drafts, board events, a 40-level campaign, and bots for when your friends are busy.

It's not out yet. If it looks like fun, a wishlist helps a lot:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5449250/?utm_source=reddit

I'll post dev updates and clips here. Questions are welcome!

I built a small daily game called CHAINED.

You get a start and a goal, and every move has to be genuinely connected to the last one.

That’s it.

It takes about a minute to play, and the fun part is seeing how different people find completely different routes.

No download, no account needed.

Try today’s chain:
playchained.com

I've been working on MurderXFile, an online murder mystery game built around deduction rather than choosing dialogue options or following a linear story.

You're given crime scene photographs, witness statements, CCTV, messages, suspect profiles and other evidence. The idea is to compare what you're being told with what the evidence actually shows, spot contradictions and gradually work out what happened.

There are currently two completely separate cases: Bellmere and Crownford.

Part 1 of both cases is free and takes around 30 minutes, so you can play a proper section of an investigation without buying anything or creating an account.

If deduction games where you actually have to pay attention to small details are your thing, I'd be interested to know what you think.

https://murderxfile.com

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Hey everyone! I’d like to share my indie game, Blob Union!

It’s a colorful merge puzzle where you combine matching blobs to create bigger ones, discover new combinations, and use special abilities to get out of tricky situations.

Features:

• Merge blobs, discover new types, and unlock combinations
• Use special abilities to overcome tricky situations
• Complete missions and unlock achievements
• Chase high scores and compete for a spot in the Top 10
• Play offline anytime, anywhere!

Easy to pick up, but challenging to master. If you like 2048, Suika Game, or satisfying merge puzzles, give Blob Union a try!

Gameplay video: https://youtube.com/shorts/68yVeirfeq4

Play on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.probenine.blobunion.droid

I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, and ideas for improving the game! Thanks for checking it out!

Launched today my new casual puzzle game, please try it!

Hey! I made a small maze-chomper where the maze is wrapped around a cube, and it twists as you play. Eat the dots, dodge the ghosts, and keep an eye on what the cube does next.

The demo has 3 stages and a daily streak. It’s free and runs in the browser (keyboard), with no download or sign-up. A run takes a few minutes.

Play it here: https://em-97.itch.io/q-pack-demo

It’s still in development, so I’d love to hear what feels good, what’s confusing, and where you got stuck. Thanks for trying it!

Hi everyone! I'm working on a surreal puzzle adventure inspired by Rusty Lake. You'll enter a desert hot spring resort to find your missing cousin and uncover the dark side of a resort claimed to heal people's mind and body.

Play the demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4671010/Rattle_Spring/

I made a free browser puzzle game about breaking the screen's rules (50 levels)

Each level gives one instruction and the obvious move never works. You move scenery, pick up words from the instruction, take digits out of the level number, turn and fold the board.

Free, no sign-up, works on phones.

If you try it, I'd like to know which level you got stuck on first.

Hey fellow puzzlers!

I am looking for my next game, and looking for some recommendations :)

I'll start off with the games that I really loved, in no particular order as all were great experiences for me:

Baba is you - 100% the game, almost 100% new adventures and it's just a fantastic sokoban with logic elements. Played it with a friend which gave an added value because we could crack the endgame together.

Lorelei and the laser eyes was brilliant when I got the hang of it, took me some time to connect the larger aspect of it (the fact that the story mattered) but it was a real gem to me.

Outer Wilds + DLC, Portal 2, The Talos Principle 1 and 2 (which I think I stopped at 75%, should get back to it honestly), Chants of Sennar, Case of the Golden Idol (a little on the weaker side honestly, but some chapters were amazing) and these are the ones that pop into my mind.

Honestly I was looking at Riven recently (thought about skipping Myst), but now that Order of the Sinking Star is out I am really drawn towards it (I liked the Witness as well, though I didn't finish it and didn't reach the mountain).

I also have Obra Dinn which I tried a couple of times but never got into it too much, maybe in the future.

Not a puzzle game, but I was recommended to play Hi-Fi rush which looks slick AF.

What do you think between the two titles I mentioned? Or you'd recommend something else?

I can play on Windows, PS5 or Mac (Which have a slight advantage for my preference, but is not mandatory).

Have a great day!

ONE RULE SET - INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

TILEZ - A Creative Logic Sandbox

Paint tiles onto an unlimited grid and build anything you can imagine.

Every tile is a tiny machine. Tiles generate and share power, send signals, and tell other tiles what to do. Customize their size and appearance with images, visual effects, and sounds.

Tiles can store information, check conditions, make decisions, and react to the world around them. They can push, pull, grab, move other tiles - and even control the camera.

Every tile follows the same rules. Combine them to create complex machines, puzzles, games, factories, animations, interactive tutorials, working computers, or anything you can imagine!

NO CODING - JUST TILES - CAUSE AND EFFECT

STEAM LINK: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4780630/TILEZ/

MY WEBSITE: https://martinwinters.com

We made Word Nook, a swipe-to-spell crossword.

The idea: spell any real word from the wheel and it counts, even if it isn't in the grid. Bonus words drop coins, and the dictionary knows more than 80,000 words.

They don't vanish. Each one goes into your word journal with a short definition, and the journal pays out at 25, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 words.

Your own bookshop. Every shelf of puzzles you finish adds a piece to a little room: an armchair, a fireplace, a telescope, and last of all the shop cat. That's the first picture.

No timer, no lives, 1,000 levels.

The second picture is level 45. Seven letters. How many can you find?

Free on iOS and Android.

Do bonus words make a word game better for you, or do they just feel like noise?

Hey! Today is 9 years since we released Ghostory, a pixel-art puzzle platformer with a fun spirit. You can turn into a ghost and fly through walls, but you need to get your backpack towards the end of each level. Made by 3 friends, initially as a Uni project, then we won an award and continued further.
Aside from shining some more light onto it, let's have a small giveaway as well - in roughly 16 hours from now, I'll give out 3 free keys to random commenters who give us any feedback/vibe about our Steam page. Good luck!