Puzzle-Based Games
Probably the weakest category overall but all worth a spin if you like puzzle-based stuff and (according to the science) want to stave off the onset of Alzheimers. Well, that's the reason I give for playing them anyway:
--------------------------
Clones is a Lemmings type game where you control little blobby creatures by clicking icons of different commands (like dig, build, explode etc) in order for them to negotiate a landscape full of traps and pitfalls. You complete different levels and different worlds which get more difficult as you go along. Their are enough stats to shake a stick at, as they say, to keep the OCD guys happy but the time you complete a level doesn't always record properly and the best times and high scores are a bit of a mess. Just play the game to complete levels and it'll keep you occupied for hours.
Drawn: The Painted Tower is a delicate hidden object/adventure game hybrid that works very well to pass away a few gentle hours. Hidden object games, where you just stare at a screen for hours to find objects, can be the most insidious time-wasters ever and adventure games likewise can baffle beyond all that is tolerable in this life but Drawn does have a certain logic to it that makes the pacing just right. It did stump me on occasions, true, and a couple of visits to YouTube were necessary but overall it was a very satisfying experience.
Farm Frenzy 1 & 2 is a crazy/madcap resource management game where farm animals roam around a field while being threatened by bears. You click madly on the raw materials they drop in order to make diary/meat based products which you have to then sell at the market in an allotted time. Every time you complete a level, which get more difficult as you proceed, a medal (according to the efficiency with which you completed it) is placed along a path on the main screen to show your progress.
Unwell Mel is a match-em up game which no puzzle-based list of games should be without. There are LOADS of this type of game out there where the simple mechanic of matching three of the same symbol is what it's all about. Jewel Quest is probably the most popular of these - and a worthy game it is too but I chose Unwell Mel because it's the most satisfying in my experience. The pops, bangs, squelches and squishes are just so absorbing, along with the interesting power-ups, that you just want to keep ploughing through the levels. It's very simple and a tad easy but one of the best stress-busters out there.
The World of Goo is one of those hard-to-categorise little numbers that has gradually become nothing less than a cult-classic in the indie gaming world. Admittedly I've not got past the first world as yet (after owning the game for years) but that's not because the game is too difficult but because I want to savour it and just haven't got round to continuing it yet. You manipulate small globules of tar which form structures that stretch out to reach your goal. The game only runs on low-resolution but with its simplicity, you don't really need higher
Honourable Mentions:
Mole Control - A fun, glorified Minesweeper with moles on a lawn instead of bombs on a plain square grid. Good to fire up and play the odd level from time to time.
Spirits - Another, simplified, Lemmings type game where you control little white cloudy mushroom-shaped sprites.Good for giving the ol' grey-matter a bit of a work-out.
Tiny Bang Story - Hidden Object/Adventure Game hybrid that actually makes you want to complete it from beginning to end. Just a couple of visits to YouTube may be required.
------------
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love to play games online and mostly puzzle games. I tried one of these games which you have suggested in this article. I will try the rest one.
ReplyDeletepuzzle games for kids