I recently began playing the highly touted puzzle game, Blue Prince; and while I’m not yet sure of its staying power in my library, it got me thinking about puzzle games with lasting effects that I have played. As much as I enjoy puzzle games, I have mixed feelings about their replay-ability. Often, once a puzzle games’ secrets are revealed, there’s not much use in revealing them again. But, there are lots of puzzle games that are “endless,” or have excellent stories that are worth revisiting. Returning once again to me “deserted island,” here are five puzzle games that I’d like to keep on-hand for those solitary days when I’m feeling more studious, and ambitious, than less.

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Tetris

I wouldn’t doubt that Tetris tops many a list of favorite puzzle games; and indeed, I can hear the game’s first-level music just thinking about those falling tiles. Tetris is so classic, so timeless, and so addictive, it’d be hard to toss this title aside for anything else. Of course, I would specifically want the most classic version of the game – the Gameboy title with an original, chunky Gameboy. To make that happen, I do hope that an infinite supply for double-A batteries washes ashore!

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Klax

Before playing Klax on the Midway Arcade Treasures compilation, I’d never heard of it before. After just sampling it, I became a fan! Straight out of the “nineties,” Klax offers a different take on the premise of a falling tiles puzzle game. Almost rhythm game-like in spirit, in Klax, tiles flip along a conveyor belt onto a paddle moved by the player. The player must then flip any captured tiles onto a board below, matching colors whenever possible to clear the board. Just like in Tetris, the tiles keep coming, which means Klax can become chaotic quickly! Still, the chaos is fun, and equally enjoyable is the challenge the game offers.

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Portal

I’ve replayed many games over the years, but none as much as the original Portal. Honestly, if I could only rescue one puzzle game from a burning building, it’d be this one. Its design, simplicity, mechanics, and characters (or really, just GlaDOS) all work together in perfect harmony in a such a small package. The bonus of its excellent credits song (“Still Alive”) is like icing on the world’s most delicious cake…which is a lie. …or, is it?

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World of Goo

I was never one for construction puzzle games, that is, until the World of Goo came along! Alongside a kooky story rests a singular goal – players must shepherd a group of gooey, squishy balls out of the depths and into the light. Using various properties bestowed upon whatever types of balls are present, players build upwards to save a requisite number of the little fellows from each stage. Higher stages bring on the difficulty, and players must make towering constructions for the goo balls to reach their targets. If it’s all a little hard to explain, that’s because the World of Goo is best played rather than talked about.

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The Talos Principle

In making this list, I knew that the phrase “Talos Principle” would be on it; the question was which game to choose, the original or its sequel? After loads of internal debate, I had to choose the original one as my forever-friend on my island. While I eagerly sung the praises of The Talos Principle II, it’s much more of a “game” than was the original. (A similar comparison is easily drawn between Portal and Portal II – the first game is more of an experience than the second.) The Talos Principle set forth a mystery within a puzzle game, a mystery that kept players guessing until the very end. Between that and the perfection of the puzzles themselves, I’d want to keep The Talos Principle around for good.

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Lede image captured by author during Gamecube gameplay of Klax from Midway Arcade Treasures (©Backbone Entertainment, Digital Eclipse, Midway).