10. The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition (PS4)

The Talos Principle may seem derivative at first glance, but this first-person puzzler manages to stand out. You'll mostly be completing short environmental puzzles using tech jammers and lasers, and these are cleverly designed in themselves. However, intelligent writing and a slowly unraveling mystery will stay with you much longer.

9. Fez (PS4)

Fez has been around longer than the PS4, but Phil Fish's puzzle platformer has stood the test of time. It remains a brilliantly unique game, with its dimension-flipping core mechanic leading to some astonishing twists and turns. As you run and jump through the (seemingly) 2D world, the game unfolds a grander mystery that's a joy to discover. It's a poster child for indie games for a reason.

8. Limbo (PS4)

Before Inside, developer Playdead made Limbo. This game arrived just as the indie boom was really starting to take off, and with its unique presentation and minimalist storytelling, it was a big success. You play as a young boy in this 2D puzzle platformer, tasking you with moving from screen to screen by overcoming environmental obstacles. It's all very eerie, with its black-and-white visuals and haunting music. Inside is generally considered the better game overall, but it wouldn't exist without Limbo.

7. Catherine: Full Body (PS4)

Half interactive story, half cube-based puzzler, Catherine: Full Body is the expanded remaster of Atlus' brilliantly weird take on love. You play as Vincent, a 32-year-old bachelor who can't quite decide if he wants to commit to his long-term girlfriend. His potential infidelity gives way to suspiciously vivid nightmares where he's forced to scramble up towers made of blocks, lest he wake up dead. It's as mental as it sounds, but the tactile puzzles are addictive, and the storytelling is gripping at its best.

6. Trine 2: Complete Story (PS4)

Trine 2: Complete Story released all the way back at PS4's launch, and it remains a favourite among fans of puzzle platformers. Featuring optional co-op for up to three players, this is a fantastical adventure with gorgeous presentation and, yes, some well-designed puzzles. This particular edition also packs in some additional content, making this the best way to play what is a fantastic side-scrolling adventure.

5. Return of the Obra Dinn (PS4)

Return of the Obra Dinn is a truly excellent puzzle adventure game. Stepping aboard the mysterious ship, you're charged with working out how every person aboard perished. At your disposal is a time-rewinding pocket watch that can give you clues to what was happening moments before each death, and a book in which to record who everyone is and what their fates were. The way the game slowly gives you snippets of information, the static death scenes, the story that unfolds as you figure out what occurred — it's all so wonderfully delivered.

4. Outer Wilds (PS4)

Outer Wilds is a fascinating indie puzzle game. The universe is trapped in a time loop right before disaster strikes, and it's up to you to figure out what's going on and how to put a stop to it. The mind-boggling bit is that the miniature star system is simulated with physics, meaning the planets are following their orbits, and all have varying gravity depending on their mass. You're tasked with traveling (seamlessly) to each place, finding their secrets, and putting all the pieces together to uncover one big mystery. It's great.

3. Tetris Effect (PS4)

Tetris is a timeless title that’s appeared on virtually every console to date. For such a ubiquitous game to appear on the list of best PS4 games is perhaps indication of just how special Tetris Effect is. Evocative environments are paired with an ever-changing soundtrack, which stirs emotions ranging from sadness to suspense to sheer euphoria. Played with PSVR this is a revelatory experience, and its underlying gameplay is as addictive as it’s ever been.

2. Inside (PS4)

Inside is 2D platforming perfection, but it’s the ending that we all remember it for. After two or so hours of impressive puzzle-solving and hints that something isn’t quite right, the game goes off the rails with a 20-minute sequence that is perhaps one of the most memorable of the PS4 generation. An incredible game that has cemented Playdead’s position among the gaming greats.

1. It Takes Two (PS4)

From the makers of A Way Out comes a more family-friendly adventure in It Takes Two, and it's a real winner. Only playable in co-op, you play the bickering parents of a young girl as they're turned into dolls. Exploring a strange fantasy spin on the real world, you must work together to return to normal. It's the sheer variety of gameplay — and how consistently good it all is — that impresses, with the game constantly reinventing itself with new ideas. The story and characters are a little hit and miss, but they shouldn't put you off an overall fantastic experience.


What do you think are the best PS4 puzzle games? Is your favourite missing? Do you agree with this list? Remember to rate your favourite games yourself, and then level up in the comments below.