Ben grew up on a healthy diet of Nintendo, Xbox, and PC Games. He founded High Ground Gaming in 2014.
I’ll be honest — I’m only recently getting into the genre of puzzle games. Although I’ve always enjoyed the environmental puzzles in my favorite adventure games, I never actively looked for games built around their puzzles. It wasn’t until I played the beautiful and engaging game, The Sojourn, that I began to appreciate what puzzle games could bring to the table. I’m a little bit addicted now, as there’s something so satisfying about finally finding a solution I’ve been struggling with.
It’s no secret that puzzle games thrive on mobile platforms, and there’s a wonderful range of options out there. Whether you’re a fan of spatial challenges, number matching, or any other type of puzzle, there’s a game out there for you.
Since I’ve been spending some time on mobile games, I’ve decided to do a roundup for the best puzzle games on iOS. If you’re looking for a few new brain-teasers to keep your mind sharp, read on!
Top 10 Best Puzzle Games for iOS
Beginning with #10, let’s work our way down the list to our favorite puzzle game for iOS.
10. Photographs — Puzzle Stories
- Publisher: EightyEight Games LTD
- Release Date: 2019
- File Size: 174.6 MB
As the name suggests, Photographs — Puzzle Stories entwines its puzzle-solving elements with piece-by-piece narrative. As players solve a series of small challenges, they unlock new parts of the story through small photographs and accompanying text.
Each new setting in Photographs employs new gameplay mechanics that fit into the story. This adds a lot of variety into an otherwise simplistic game. Players can’t become too comfortable with specific patterns, and have to think outside the box to proceed and unlock the next beat.
Puzzle Stories uses a delightful soundtrack and beautiful pixel art. Overall, it’s a playful puzzle game you don’t want to miss.
9. Causality
- Publisher: Loju LTD
- Release Date: 2017
- File Size: 165.7 MB
When it comes to solving problems, they say two heads are better than one. But what happens when those heads belong to your past selves?
In Causality, players solve puzzles by manipulating time to alter the levels themselves. Changing the course of time creates past selves and paradoxes, which players can use to find solutions to unique and challenging puzzles as they strive to help a group of astronauts find safety in a strange, alien world.
Each puzzle presents its own dangers, and gameplay involves guiding each astronaut in the group to a color-corresponding door within a given time frame. With 60 levels to complete and time-manipulating powers literally at your fingertips, players can expect a fun and brain-teasing experience for several hours.
8. Achromatic!
- Publisher: Nick Carney
- Release Date: 2018
- File Size: 103.6 MB
Achromatic! is a spatial game whose minimalist design belies its challenging potential. The premise is simple enough — players must connect two dots of the same color with a straight line, which changes the color of all dots between them accordingly. The catch arises in that players can only change one color at a time, forcing them to plan ahead to avoid painting themselves into a corner.
As the levels gradually increase in difficulty, the game introduces particular types of dots that offer bonus mechanics. Square dots, for example, can change the direction of the line, and triangle dots are synchronized to all change colors in tandem. These dots can make or break the puzzle’s solution, so players should always keep the “undo” button handy (at least at first).
Achromatic! features 60 handcrafted levels and ten bonus levels, as well as a colorblind mode to keep the puzzle-solving fun accessible to all players.
7. Threes!
- Publisher: Sirvo LLC
- Release Date: 2014
- File Size: 105.2 MB
Threes! has the bragging rights of being the original number-matching game, a puzzling phenomenon that spawned a series of better-known clones like 1024 and 2048. Although these free-to-play clones largely stole the game’s thunder, Sirvo delivers a simple-yet-challenging experience with Threes!.
The main allure to Threes! is its comparative challenge — the coveted 6144 tile is more difficult to reach, and the game can’t be beaten quite so easily. This makes for a fun and long-lasting gameplay experience that can be repeated time and time again. Threes! also features a charming cast and soundtrack, making it well worth the price tag. Players who enjoyed 2048 during its initial popularity should definitely look into Threes!
6. The Room: Old Sins
- Publisher: Fireproof Games
- Release Date: 2018
- File Size: 1.1 GB
The Room is the perfect game for players who enjoy the concept of hidden keys and secret doors. The game’s combination of tactile exploration and puzzle-solving makes for a thrilling and unforgettable experience. Players will be left combing the walls of their own homes for switches and compartments that contain the next piece of a dark mystery.
Old Sins is the latest installment in Fireproof Games’s hit series, and follows the disappearance of an engineer and his wife. Clues can be found within a mysterious dollhouse in the couple’s attic, allowing players to uncover the secrets of Waldegrave Manor through the game’s intuitive touch controls and UI.
5. The Gardens Between
- Publisher: The Voxel Agents
- Release Date: 2018
- File Size: 756.9 MB
The Gardens Between is another time-manipulation puzzle game. This one focuses on the emotional story of two best friends exploring relics of their shared childhood. Lost on a series of bright and ethereal island gardens, Arina and Frendt must solve puzzles on their journey to discover what their friendship truly means to both of them.
Players unlock more of the story as they solve each new puzzle, using the power of time to manipulate cause-and-effect and uncover a new thread of Arina and Frendt’s bittersweet tale. The game’s atmospheric soundtrack and storybook-like art create an immersive experience that feels as personal as its story.
4. 7 Billion Humans
- Publisher: Experimental Gameplay Group
- Release Date: 2018
- File Size: 149.3 MB
The Tomorrow Corporation returns with yet another capitalist venture that exploits office workers as cogs in the corporate machine. In the sequel to the sensational Human Resource Machine, players can once again employ coding strategies to carry out orders using a computer made of people.
7 Billion People expands on the previous game by adding in a new coding language and many more humans to execute various tasks. Rather than focusing on assembly, the game introduces simultaneous sequences that allow code to run more smoothly. Players must puzzle their way through over 60 levels of programming-based challenges, and reach unique solutions by employing both simple and complex patterns.
3. Prune
- Publisher: Joel McDonald LLC
- Release Date: 2015
- File Size: 120.2 MB
Prune is a beautiful and peaceful game about cultivation and the delicate art crafted by nature and time. The game advertises itself as a “love letter to trees,” which is apparent in every second of Prune’s gameplay.
Players use the touch of a finger to shape their trees, helping them reach toward the sunlight while avoiding dangers that hinder their growth. Complete puzzles by successfully growing your trees, and unlock new parts of the story with each finished level. Completed trees can be shared with friends, which showcases unique growing patterns and the overall beauty of cultivation.
2. Monument Valley 2
- Publisher: ustwo games LTD
- Release Date: 2017
- File Size: 514.2 MB
Monument Valley 2 has players embark on an all-new adventure set in a world of towering monoliths and impossible edifices. Players must guide a mother named Ro and her child through these magical monuments’ complex spatial puzzles. The end goal? To explore beautiful environments and uncover illusory paths as they learn the secrets of the Sacred Geometry.
Each of the puzzles in Monument Valley 2 is uniquely suited to the characters and their story, with new mechanics and interactions introduced to reflect the changing dynamics between Ro and her child. The overall gameplay experience is meditative, combining beautiful cel-shaded art with interactive soundscapes for a fully immersive experience.
1. Scribblenauts Remix
- Publisher: Warner Bros.
- Release Date: 2011
- File Size: 213.9 MB
Topping our list is Scribblenauts Remix, an old classic that encourages players to get creative with unique artistic solutions to puzzles. The game features 40 remastered levels from Scribblenauts and Super Scribblenauts, plus an additional ten levels exclusive to Remix. Players also have the option to purchase a World Pass, which gives them access to over 90 levels as part of current and future world expansions.
Scribblenauts Remix offers players a selection of new avatars and achievements, as well as a Playground Mode that players can use as a sandbox to test their creativity. Creations and solutions can be shared on social media, allowing players to brag about their unique and out-of-the-box approaches to solving the game’s many challenges.
Related Reading
Thanks for checking out our list of the top puzzle games for iOS! If you have any thoughts or would like to recommend a few other games for the High Ground team, feel free to leave a comment — we’re always happy to hear from you.
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