When you think about popular video game genres, action games will surely pop up in your mind. However, puzzle games are not trailing far behind. The main point is that puzzle video games are not exactly a genre. It can be an action, adventure, and role-playing game as well. And puzzle games may be more popular than you think. In the United States and the United Kingdom, they contribute 27% and 24%, respectively, of gaming revenue.
Here are the main reasons why puzzle games are so popular among players:
- Passing time
- Relieving stress
- Immersing into another world or character
- Exhilaration from completing challenging tasks
- Learning something useful outside of gaming
Despite all the hysteria about the dangers of video games, which have been popping up here and there over the past two decades, video games really help develop critical thinking. Just like writing an essay does. However, the latter is often considered to be too dull by students tasked with it.
If you don’t feel like developing critical thinking today by doing your writing assignments, you can
order custom essay from one of the online services. While professionals are writing your perfect essay, you can use your Xbox to improve critical thinking while playing puzzle games. And here are some game suggestions for you.
Limbo
Limbo is a puzzle-platform game, released on July 21, 2010, by the Danish independent video game developer Playdead. Limbo is frequently named as an example of a video game that’s also an art form. It was met with critical praise and commercial success upon its release, selling over 350,000 units within a month of its release. The game continues to sell steadily, with global sales of approximately 5 million units, and is frequently listed among the greatest video games of all time.
The title pretty much reveals what the game is about. Limbo follows the nameless boy stuck in limbo, a place on the border between hell and heaven. There, while looking for his sister, he encountered various dangers, including a giant spider and demented humanoids who tried to kill him. Aside from that, he must go through several elaborate traps. Finally, if the player succeeds in the mission, the boy leaves limbo.
The Turing Test
The Turing Test is a first-person puzzle game developed by Bulkhead Interactive. Square Enix Collective published the game on August 30, 2016. Upon its release, The Turing Test was met with favorable reviews and achieved good sales, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it sold over 200,000 pieces by January 2017.
The narrative unfolds on Europe, one of Jupiter’s moons. The game follows Ava Turning, an engineer sent to Europa by the International Space Agency to conduct certain studies. After waking up from the cryogenic sleep, she finds half of her crew dead and the other half missing. She needs to find out what happened to the crew, prevent deadly viruses from getting to Earth, and figure out whether she should trust T.O.M., the AI that aids her.
Thimbleweed Park
If you enjoy video games with a retro feel and TV shows like “The X-Files'' and “Twin Peaks,” you will surely enjoy Thimbleweed Park. The game was developed by renowned game designers Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick and released by Terrible Toybox. Aside from parodying “The X-Files,” “Twin Peaks,” and “True Detective,” Thimbleweed Park is a spiritual sequel to the Gilbert & Winnick duo’s previous releases Maniac Mansion (1987) and The Secret Adventure (1990).
Thimbleweed Park is also similar in design to the games of the late 1980s and early 1990s. So, players who enjoy the retro style will surely enjoy it. In addition, the game has an interesting release history. It was announced in 2014, together with the crowdfunding campaign. The goal was $375,000, but the campaign collected over $600,000. Released in 2017, Thimbleweed Park received several nominations, including the Golden Joystick Awards nomination for Best Indie Game.
Considering the shows that Thimbleweed Park is parodying, it comes as no surprise that the game follows two FBI agents who arrive in the small town of Thimbleweed Park to investigate a murder. Unfortunately, they soon find themselves trapped in the video game, and the only way to free themselves is to delete it. So naturally, players will have to use critical thinking to succeed in the game.
Tacoma
Tacoma is an adventure game developed and published by Fullbright. Upon its release on August 2, 2017, the game was met with critical praise but became a commercial failure compared to Fullbright’s previous release, Gone Home. Reviewers often speculated that Tacoma's potential was overshadowed by Gone Home’s success. While Tacoma ended 2017 with a minuscule 10,000, it went on to sell larger amounts in 2018.
Tacoma is set in 2088. Amy Ferrier, the main character, is sent to the eponymous abandoned space station. There, Amy needs to collect AI data from different sections of the station and, using augmented reality, figure out what has led to Tacoma’s demise. Mind that Tacoma was nominated for Best Storytelling at the 2017 Golden Joystick Awards for a reason. The successful completion of the mission will lead to a mind-blowing plot twist.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Valiant Hearts: The Great War was developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft on June 25, 2014. The game was met with critical praise and commercial success, selling over 1 million units by the end of 2014. It received multiple nominations at the 2014 Golden Joystick Awards. At the 11th British Academy Games Awards, it won in the Artistic Achievement and Original Property categories.
The plot of Valiant Hearts: The Great War follows a group of people, accompanied by the dog named Walt, as they struggle to survive during World War I. Unlike most war games, Valiant Hearts: The Great War is not a shooter. Instead, the game is more concerned with the conditions people find themselves in during the war. Players need to solve puzzles and collect various items, revealing various facts about the war, throughout the gameplay, which consists of four chapters.
Final Thoughts
Here you have five puzzle games that will surely help you improve your critical thinking and analytical skills. Depending on the game you choose, you’re going to have fun, relaxed, or a thrill ride of passing the time. The last one on the list can educate you on history while you’re completing challenging tasks. Have fun!
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