puzzles

AppWizard
July 27, 2025
The author played the game "Kaizen: A Factory Story" during a 45-minute subway ride, which involves optimizing product assembly lines set in 1980s Japan. The gameplay includes solving puzzles to create items like binoculars and camcorders by connecting various components using gadgets and automating their functions. The author faced challenges in assembling a camcorder, particularly in integrating a tape deck, and found inspiration for a solution while walking to a bar. The game emphasizes the decline of handcrafted goods in mass production and celebrates the creativity of engineers behind the scenes.
AppWizard
July 26, 2025
Steam has added two new games to its library that are currently available for free. One game, Oil Sheik, was released on July 24 and has an 88 percent approval rating, described as a turn-based strategic puzzle game about creating and expanding companies and trading stocks. The other game, Inverta, entered Early Access on July 18 and is a 2.5D puzzle-platformer with a focus on gravity manipulation, but has received only three positive user reviews. One game is marked as “Unsupported” on the Steam Deck, while the other has an “Unknown” compatibility status.
AppWizard
July 25, 2025
Éalú is a debut project by Beyond the Bark where players control a mechanical mouse navigating a wooden labyrinth animated through stop-motion techniques. The game features a unique presentation, with every scene recorded from physical sets located in a shed in Ireland. Players are reset to the beginning of the labyrinth upon failure, which may become monotonous without checkpoints. The gameplay involves taking notes or sketching maps, with puzzles reminiscent of challenges from games like Breath of the Wild and BioWare's Tower of Hanoi. The game has a wordless presentation, but an optional hint system could help players. Some players may find the controls sluggish, and enhancements to visual and audio feedback could improve the experience. Éalú is set to launch on October 2, and players can wishlist it on Steam.
AppWizard
July 25, 2025
In the realm of PC gaming, horror titles have a distinct presence, offering a wide variety of games that often surpass those on consoles. The text highlights several notable horror games exclusive to the PC platform, avoiding mainstream franchises. 1. DEAD LETTER DEPT. - A typing game where data entry leads to a chilling narrative involving junk mail and madness. 2. Mad Father - An RPG-maker horror game featuring complex puzzles and a narrative about a girl's dark family secrets. 3. The Midnight Scenes: The Nanny - A side-scrolling adventure inspired by The Twilight Zone, focusing on the mystery of a missing nanny. 4. Home Safety Hotline - Players act as a hotline operator, solving bizarre home infestation queries with a mix of mystery and humor. 5. Yume Nikki - A dreamlike exploration game with abstract imagery and no clear objectives, allowing for personal interpretation. 6. The Cat Lady - A high-contrast side-scroller exploring themes of vulnerability and darkness with a striking visual style. 7. IT STEALS - A horror game where players navigate a labyrinth while avoiding a relentless pursuer. 8. Fear & Hunger - A turn-based horror game known for its difficulty and grotesque imagery, where every choice matters. 9. Lost in Vivo - Players search for a lost dog in a terrifying sewer system filled with Lovecraftian creatures. 10. Cry of Fear - A survival horror game set in a disturbing world following a car accident, featuring immersive sound design. 11. Sanitarium - A point-and-click horror game where an amnesiac explores a surreal landscape to uncover their dark past. 12. I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - Based on a short story, players confront their fears in an existential nightmare controlled by a supercomputer. 13. Look Outside - An RPG where players survive cosmic horrors in an apartment building over 15 days, combining narrative and turn-based combat. 14. FAITH: The Unholy Trinity - A minimalist 8-bit horror game that creates despair through atmospheric sound and art design. 15. Imscared - Players solve puzzles while avoiding a lurking threat, utilizing the PC environment for immersion. 16. SCP: Containment Breach - A free horror game where players navigate a facility filled with monstrous entities, featuring multiple endings. 17. Penumbra: Black Plague - Players explore an abandoned research facility, combining puzzles with a gripping narrative. 18. Amnesia: The Bunker - A survival horror game where players manage limited resources while facing a relentless threat.
BetaBeacon
July 24, 2025
The game Pokémon Friends combines puzzles and plush collecting, with beloved Pokémon characters featured in engaging puzzles. The free version of the game has a paywall that limits gameplay, but making a one-time purchase unlocks more content and makes the game more enjoyable. The game avoids excessive microtransactions and offers periodic updates to introduce new plushies, providing a lighthearted and engaging experience for fans of Pokémon.
AppWizard
July 24, 2025
Abubakar Salim is the founder of Surgent Studios and the creative director of the upcoming live-action horror game, Dead Take, which will launch on Steam and the Epic Games Store on July 31. Surgent Studios, established in 2019, previously released the side-scrolling Metroidvania game Tales of Kenzara: Zau in April 2024, which did not achieve commercial success. Following funding issues for a project called Project Uso, the studio faced layoffs in July 2024. In January 2025, Surgent Studios secured funding from Pocketpair Publishing, allowing them to focus on Dead Take, inspired by Salim's experiences in the entertainment industry. Dead Take features a live-action film-like aesthetic created with Unreal Engine 5 and follows an actor named Chase Lowry, who searches for his missing friend in a mansion reminiscent of horror classics. The gameplay includes escape-room-style puzzles and fragmented video files revealing Hollywood's unsettling truths. The game explores themes of ambition and betrayal, with a cast that includes Neil Newbon, Ben Starr, Jane Perry, and Alanah Pearce, along with cameos from industry veterans. Salim emphasizes psychological horror over graphic violence, focusing on the emotional challenges within the industry. Players are encouraged to engage with the game using pen and paper and headphones for a richer experience.
BetaBeacon
July 23, 2025
Think Town is a place where players can solve over 1,200 puzzles with Pokémon Friends on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. By completing puzzles, players can earn yarn to create their own Pokémon plush toys using the Plush-O-Matic. Additionally, players can share their plush toys with residents of Think Town or decorate their plush rooms. The game also offers DLC for additional puzzle challenges.
AppWizard
July 22, 2025
Monument Valley 3 is launching on Steam, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, expanding its audience beyond mobile platforms. The game features a new character, Noor, who explores a water-filled world and allows for navigation across open waters. A physical collection titled Monument Valley: The Trilogy will be available for Switch and PlayStation 5 on October 30, priced at .99, including all three games, six art cards, and soundtrack download cards. Developer ustwo games will donate 3% of profits to charitable causes, having raised over 0,000 for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for emergency flood relief. The series maintains an E rating for all ages.
BetaBeacon
July 22, 2025
The Pokemon Company has released a new mobile game called Pokemon Friends, a plush-themed puzzle game with over 1,200 puzzles and the ability to earn yarn to create plush Pokemon companions. The game is set in Think Town and focuses on personalization, allowing players to decorate plush rooms. Pokemon Friends supports up to five save files and is free to start with optional in-game purchases available.
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