Best puzzle games for PC: from gentle to brain-melting

If you're looking for puzzle games that make you think, first work out what kind of thinking you fancy: testing things out with the physics of a room, working out rules nobody explains, deducing who is who, or designing an elegant solution. They're not the same, and choosing wrong is the quickest way to drop a good game.

We've ordered them from least to most demanding, with a note on the kind of challenge each one offers.

Accessible puzzles, to ease in

If you want the pleasure of solving something without getting stuck for an hour, start here.

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  SuperliminalPuzzle · Perspective · First personFor a quiet afternoon with a few moments of wonder: you can finish it in a few hours.When to play it and when not to
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  Lara Croft GOPuzzle · Turn-based · ShortWhen you want unhurried puzzles you solve by thinking a few turns ahead, with no rush and no reflexes needed.When to play it and when not to

Superliminal plays with perspective: if you pick up an object and drop it far away, it becomes huge; bring it closer and it shrinks. According to its game details, it's short and surprising, and takes a few hours to finish. Its strength is in its ideas, not its difficulty, so don't expect a long challenge.

Lara Croft GO is turn-based puzzling: every time you move Lara one square, enemies and traps move too. You solve it by thinking a few turns ahead, with no rush and no reflexes, and on Steam it comes with unlimited hints if you get stuck. It's short and not very replayable.

Space and physics puzzles: try, fail, understand

The genre's first-person classic. Each room is a closed problem with all the pieces in view, and the satisfaction comes from seeing how they fit together.

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  Portal 2Puzzle · First person · Co-opWhen you want to think a bit and have a laugh. Each chamber takes minutes and the campaign moves at a good pace.When to play it and when not to
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  The Talos PrinciplePuzzle · Philosophy · First personWhen you want to think calmly through well-designed puzzles and reflect a little along the way.When to play it and when not to

Portal 2 mixes physics puzzles with a portal gun and very good humour. Each room takes minutes to solve and the campaign moves along at a good pace. It's accessible, and its co-op campaign, separate from the single-player one, is built for two. Once solved it's finished: don't expect replay value.

The Talos Principle is for anyone who wants more of a challenge with the same idea: puzzles with lasers, jammers and boxes, with a philosophical layer in hidden terminals. It takes its time and, if you liked Portal, it's the natural next step.

Pure logic puzzles: waiting for the click

There's no physics to help here: just rules and your head. They're the ones most likely to frustrate and the ones that reward you most.

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  Baba Is YouPuzzle · Logic · IndieWhen you want a pure mental challenge. A level can take five minutes or an hour of staring at the screen.When to play it and when not to
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  Opus MagnumPuzzle · Programming · OptimisationWhen you want to think deeply and build something elegant: each puzzle is a small engineering project.When to play it and when not to

Baba Is You writes each level's rules with blocks you can push: change ‘WALL IS STOP’ to ‘WALL IS YOU’ and you control the walls. A level can fall in five minutes or leave you staring at the screen for an hour; some are very hard.

Opus Magnum is a different beast: you design alchemical machines that turn ingredients into products. Any solution works, but when you finish you see histograms of cost, cycles and area compared with other players', and optimising becomes addictive. It's for people who enjoy engineering and optimisation.

Deduction puzzles: feel like a detective or a linguist

Here the puzzle is understanding a world, not moving pieces. They ask for attention, memory and a notebook.

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  Chants of SennaarPuzzle · Languages · AdventureWhen you want to think calmly and feel like a linguist: every word you decipher is a small victory.When to play it and when not to
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  Return of the Obra DinnDetective · Puzzle · MysteryWhen you fancy feeling like a real detective and your mind is sharp. Every confirmed deduction is a small victory.When to play it and when not to

Chants of Sennaar has you climb a tower inhabited by peoples with different languages, deciphering their tongues from symbols and context. Every word you understand is a small victory, and it has Spanish text.

Return of the Obra Dinn puts you in the shoes of an insurance inspector on a ghost ship: with a watch that shows the moment of each death, you must deduce the name and fate of all 60 crew members. There are no free hints. If you like mysteries, it is for you.

How to choose for your day

• I'm tired today: Superliminal or Lara Croft GO. The rest of the list needs a clear head, and their own game details say so.
• I want something funny: Portal 2.
• I want a serious challenge: Baba Is You, Opus Magnum or Return of the Obra Dinn.
• I want to play with someone: Portal 2 has its own co-op campaign. For more ideas, see the couch co-op games.
• I only have a short while: see also the games for 30 minutes.

One tip for all of them: if you've been stuck on a puzzle for more than half an hour, step away and come back another day. It's almost always easier to solve with a rested head.

If you're torn between several, the recommender will narrow it down by your mood and the time you have.