No paid promotions here. Our experts test each app for an honest review. Learn more
Best Brainteaser and Puzzle Apps of 2022
Puzzles, logic games, brainteasers - call them what you will - they are always fun to play. We had a ball testing them - and quite a challenge picking the best of the best.

Table of Contents
The mystery within
It is as much of a puzzle as it is a proper adventure in the tradition of good old Myst. Immersive, deeply fascinating, and ever so slightly chilly - just the way we like it.
Why we chose The Room Three?
- Only $3.99 for a fantastic world full of all the escape room puzzles you could possibly need
- A superbly crafted atmosphere that will draw you into a somewhat spooky yet seductive world of mystery
- The combination of graphics and music is borderline perfect
- The gameplay promises great longevity and is something you will enjoy for months
- Brainteasers are sure to keep your little grey cells in shape
Despite not being a free game, we simply couldn't help but make this our winner. It's a 10/10 on every front. Well worth the price.
Read The Room Three's Full ReviewA magical adventure
Perhaps a total opposite to The Room Three, this one is light, airy, fragrant, and ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Why we chose Lily's Garden?
- A traditional match-3 puzzle game with a twist
- Colorful graphics and a cozy atmosphere set it apart from other, more somber titles
- It is extremely relaxing yet fun, always spicing up the storyline with new, zany adventures
- The game is totally free to play, something which we will always appreciate
If you're looking for an innocent, romantic, sweet, fantastical adventure - this is the one you should go for. You won't be disappointed.
Read Lily’s Garden's Full ReviewFeel the rhythm
Puzzle games and brainteasers have a natural tendency to blend into one another, becoming a huge amorphous mass of indistinct apps. It is truly amazing to find something way outside the box - something truly innovative and fun.
Why we chose ELOH?
- A refreshing, unusual, brand new approach to gaming
- A good selection of 98 musical puzzles
- An increasing level of difficulty that will keep you on your toes as you progress through this magical world
- Beautiful, hand-drawn graphics and quirky audio-visual effects
If you're in for something new - you simply cannot afford to skip ELOH. Just don't say we didn't warn you - it can be terribly addictive.
Read ELOH's Full ReviewEverything We Recommend
-
Our Pick“Probably the Best Mobile Game of 2015” - Vice
“With its rich atmosphere and clever puzzles, The Room Three is engrossing and hard to put down.” - Game Informer
“A triumph. We fully recommend immersing yourself in this atmospheric mystery” - Stuff
“Much bigger and longer than the previous titles, more of a full-blown adventure game” - Touch Arcade
“A brilliant, uniquely tactile experience packed with incredible puzzles. Just go and buy it.” - Pocket Gamer
___________________________________________________________________________________
The eagerly awaited sequel to the BAFTA award winning 'The Room' and 'The Room Two' is finally here.
Welcome to The Room Three, a physical puzzle game within a beautifully tactile world.
Lured to a remote island, you must draw upon all your puzzle-solving ability to navigate a series of trials devised by a mysterious figure known only as “The Craftsman”.
PICK-UP-AND-PLAY DESIGN
Easy to begin yet hard to put down, enjoy a unique mix of intriguing puzzles with a simple user interface.
INTUITIVE TOUCH CONTROLS
A tactile experience so natural you can almost feel the surface of each object.
EXPANDED LOCATIONS
Lose yourself in a variety of stunning new environments, each spanning multiple areas.
INTRICATE OBJECTS
Rotate, zoom and examine dozens of artifacts to discover their hidden secrets.
ATMOSPHERIC AUDIO
A haunting soundtrack coupled with dynamic sound effects create an unforgettable soundscape.
MAGNIFIED WORLDS
Use the new eyepiece ability to explore the world in miniature
ALTERNATE ENDINGS
Return to a persistent environment and change your fate
ENHANCED HINT SYSTEM
Re-read hints to get the full picture
CLOUD SAVING SUPPORTED
Share your progress between multiple devices, and unlock the all-new achievements.
MULTI LANGUAGE SUPPORT
Available in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish and Russian.
Fireproof Games is an independent studio from Guildford, United Kingdom.
Find out more at fireproofgames.com
Follow us @Fireproof_Games
Find us on FacebookCost3.993.99In-App PurchasesNoNo -
Runner Up
Lily’s Garden - Design & Relax
4.6 Ratings 2M+ Reviews 50M+ DownloadsRomance? Garden? Puzzles? YES! Lily’s Garden is all this and so much more.
Renovate the garden and solve challenging puzzles with this relaxing and romantic free match-3 blast game!
Help Lily renovate her great-aunt’s garden to its former glory and match flowers to solve challenging blast puzzles. Dig into a romantic love story full of twists and turns as Lily interacts with a cast of colorful characters. Match flowers & start your garden makeover – play with themed boosters & renovate the areas with dozens of customization options!
Discover hidden areas and choose among hundreds of flowers for your garden decoration project! Sit down, relax and enjoy this puzzle game enriched with a beautiful romantic story! Start your makeover now!
Game Features:
- RENOVATE, decorate and expand your garden with unique locations that tie into the story!
Get ready to redesign, rebuild and customize things the way you want. In Lily’s Garden, you will manage the renovation of several parts of your estate: the facade of your home, the fountains, the old lake, beehives and dog houses and much more! Complete the makeover of the whole garden and receive tons of awards!
- MATCH flowers and solve hundreds of addictive blast puzzle levels!
To accomplish your design ideas, you will have to use stars. And for that you’ll need to play matching games of which there are hundreds available in Lily’s Garden. Some of them can be challenging, but luckily, you will earn rewards throughout the game (like boosters!) which can help you overcome those fun but tricky match 3 blast puzzles!
- ENJOY plot twists in the story and uncover hidden secrets and mysteries along the way!
Lily’s Garden is not just a decorating and matching game, what makes it unique is its exciting story! You’ll meet many characters and interact with them, prepare yourself for the most amazing encounters: from a strange (but cute!) neighbor, to new family members and even some four legged friends!
- EXPLORE the garden with its hidden objects, dozens of flowers and unlock secret areas
The garden you will be remodelling is large and abounds with secrets and mysteries! As you advance in the game, you will get to explore new areas, come across many surprises and be tasked with solving several enigmas!
- RELAX and live a romantic story with funny and heartfelt dialogue!
Besides being a fun and beautifully designed game, Lily’s Garden is also an excellent way to relax! Take a break from your stressful activities and spend some time diving into a calming world of landscaping and yard decorating. Not only will it be satisfying to revive your old family garden, you will love working alongside Lily and her many human and animal friends. You will also experience a real love story with your neighbor(s) and meet so many quirky characters along the way!
- SPECIAL EVENTS and REWARDS: Participate in daily special events and earn great rewards! Join tournaments for even bigger wins.
- MAKE FRIENDS: Join a family to interact and chat with other players and exchange lives and game boosters!
Flowers are blossoming and Lily’s garden is ready for its makeover! Are you ready to decorate and renovate this beautiful garden?
Lily’s Garden will be updated with more blast puzzles to solve and more romantic chapters regularly! Stay tuned for updates and drop us a review!
Facebook: facebook.com/lilysgardengame
Instagram: instagram.com/lilysgardengameCostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $99.99 per item$0.99 - $19.99 per item -
Also GroovyA chilled out puzzle game to help you relax and find your groove.
From the creators of the Google Play Award winning Old Man's Journey, a new musical puzzle game about feeling the rhythm to find the solution.
=======
“I can not recommend it enough to anyone”
- TouchArcade
“A thoroughly charming,delightfully percussive puzzler”
- PocketGamer
“One of those rare games that shines in every aspect”
- AppUnwrapper
“A smart, beautifully designed puzzler”
- Stuff
“The whole puzzle springs to life”
- Eurogamer
=======
Slow down, start listening and let the groove guide you through 98 levels.
No ticking clock, no ads, no paywalls.
Just satisfying gesture controls designed for touch, with a smooth learning-curve and pressure-free attitude.
- Find your groove in 98 musical puzzles
- Experiment with the positions of good spirits to solve the levels
- Each spirit comes with its individual jam and lets you build your personal groove
- Satisfying, intuitive gesture controls designed for touch
- Beautiful hand painted visuals and joyful animations
- Original and catchy soundtrack by SCNTFC and youCost0.992.99In-App PurchasesNoNo
The 411 from our Appventurer
How we tested?
Boy, did we have fun trying out these apps! Each was more entertaining than the last and this was, in essence, the main criteria we focused on. The more fun a game was, the better it would fare on our list.
Since a lot of such apps today are very much story-driven, we also made sure that the tale the game tells was engaging and immersive.
Obviously, we couldn't complete the test without making sure that the platform was easy to use by all sorts of players. Puzzles, after all, cast a very wide net - from very young children to the elderly. This is why a simple and straightforward interface is crucial for success.
Last but not least, we also made sure that no annoying ads will disrupt your play or that their presence will, at least, be at a tolerable level.
Why get the app?
Naturally, the main reason why anyone would want to play any game - be it one on their computer, smartphone, tabletop board, or out in the field - is to have fun. Chasing away boredom is a priority for many, especially since our time seems to be marked by a pretty big pandemic. Staying at home is thus an excellent opportunity to indulge in some virtual entertainment.
Some may say that this sounds like a perfect waste of time but we, as experts in apps, beg to differ. Scientists from various fields have confirmed the beneficial effects of games on the mental well-being of young and old. In fact, in the case of the latter, puzzle games can easily ward off the early signs of cognitive decline and leave one sharp as a tack in the years to come.
More About The Room Three: Our Pick
This is not a new game. In fact, it was created in 2015 as the third installment of an award-winning series spanning almost a decade. We're talking about a proper veteran here. You would think that, after all this time, it would lose some of its luster but, fortunately for us, it definitely hasn't. This atmospheric mystery had had more than a few updates and facelifts that have kept it fresh and exciting.
You will begin your journey conveniently enough, in a train carriage. What will follow will be a series of unexplained events that will lure you to a remote island. You will need to rely on your intelligence, perception, wit, and, naturally, puzzle-solving skills to find your way through this peculiar yet mesmerizing world. A number of trials will await you, all devised by a rather mysterious figure - "The Craftsman".
Sounds intriguing? It's even better than you think. Once you start playing, you won't be able to put your phone down for hours. A series of hints will walk you through the first few segments of the game, after which you will be more than equipped to continue the adventure on your own. If needed, help will still be available but we have discovered that the best way to do it is to keep an open eye and an attentive ear.
You will get a chance to explore different environments, each spread over more than a couple of levels. The mysterious atmosphere is weaved into a seamless whole, creating a long and engaging story - at times, a proper cinematic masterpiece.
As you progress, you will encounter puzzles and artifacts, explore subterranean dungeons as well as breathtaking open spaces. Throughout, a light sense of unease characteristic of the best horror games will bring some chill into your room. The music will heighten this feeling in an unobtrusive, almost imperceptible way. You will never feel compelled to turn it off - instead, you will enjoy it as an integral part of this gaming masterpiece.
The game itself offers more than a couple of paths you can take - with several alternate endings to boot. This means that you will be able to play it more than once, each time experiencing something completely different.
From a purely technical point of view, there is pretty much nothing we can possibly complain about. In fact, there are a couple of features that were a genuine surprise to us - like the option to share your progress between multiple devices. Not a common one for an adventure game but still a welcome addition to it. The app is available in no less than eight different languages and, as of April 2021, holds a 4.9-star rating. Are we surprised? Not in the least. The Room Three deserves ten stars, as far as we are concerned.
Snags but not drags:
Playing a game that has been around for some 6 years comes with a certain risk. Even if you love it - will the updates live up to the expectations? Will there be any in a year's time? A title such as this could potentially suffer from creative fatigue. None of this is apparent at the moment and the game is absolutely brilliant but we do fear that, after a while, it could get a bit old.
Of course, another downside that we will perpetually complain about is the price tag. Yes, we are suckers for free games and, once we see something along the lines of $4.99, we simply have to warn our frugal readers of it. Luckily, in the case of The Room Three, the quality justifies the price. If you can afford to splurge, do it. This is the real deal. We promise.
More About Lily’s Garden: Runner Up
Brainteasers are a bit of an anomaly in the gaming world. While many games will be free, most of them will inevitably come with a price tag. We're not talking about in-app purchases but, instead, of a straight-up "pay before you play" approach to it. This is why we were pleasantly surprised to wander into Lily's Garden. This free game instantly become our favorite.
The story is as simple as it gets. The main protagonist, Lily, is going through a rough patch - a breakup, a stressful job, the whole shebang. She better shake things up or she'll spiral into depression in no time. What better way to do this than to restore an old, once beautiful garden that belonged to her great aunt? Who knows what might happen...
The story will develop further to include a host of colorful characters, a hint of romance, and a sense of coziness you will cherish. So - how exactly do you play? It's simple. Each task that you ought to perform, each bit of the garden you have to work on, naturally, will cost you some coins. Sounds too much like real life? Well, in the case of Lily's Garden, the way of earning them is much more fun. You just have to solve some puzzles and get all the money you need.
This, in essence, is a traditional match-3 blast game. Quite different from the Myst-like adventure that is The Room Three, we must admit. The target audience is definitely separate but the levels of fun you can have are pretty much the same. It's especially good if you're trying to avoid the chilly atmosphere of our winner and, instead, tend to prefer something more lighthearted.
Another thing that sets this app apart from others is a very pronounced social component. You can easily connect with friends, ask them for lives, send them help, and even meet new people from across the globe. The rewards system is perhaps a bit limited and repetitive but, beyond this, we couldn't possibly find any other flaws.
The game is free to play and, despite the existence of in-app purchases, we guarantee that you will be able to manage quite well without ever paying for a thing. Lily's Garden is as fun, as engaging, and as whimsical as you'd want it to be.
More About ELOH: Also Groovy
When was the last time you tried something new - assumed a new perspective and really put your little grey cells to the test? Now's your chance. This is not your regular match-3 puzzle. No, it's not an eerie adventure either. It's nothing like you've ever seen (or heard) before. Heard? Yes, this puzzle will excite your ears as much as your eyes and stimulate your mental apparatus in a perfectly novel manner.
Advertised as "a new musical puzzle about feeling the rhythm to find the solution", this one introduces a new twist to the concept of mobile gaming. It brings together some pretty disparate variables to make your experience extra exciting.
No less than 98 musical puzzles arranged by the level of difficulty will offer great variety and a thorough sense of fun. Despite its novelty, the game doesn't take a lot of time to get used to. In fact, there are no instructions needed - not will you have to fiddle too much with the settings. You will figure everything out on the go - we guarantee it!
Just move the ancient spirits across the board to solve each level. Said spirits come with their own individual jam so you can use their tunes to build your personal groove. The first few levels are easy - perhaps too easy - but, as you progress through the game, you will start facing tougher challenges and really having to perk up your ears. Luckily, none of the puzzles are ever obnoxiously difficult and the developers have struck a fine balance between extremes.
Still, it is not only the functionality of the app that is stellar - the visuals are just as brilliant. The graphics are hand-painted and just as beautiful as the music. The whole concept will give you a serene yet joyful feel. ELOH is a potent cure for a bad mood.
In all this awesomeness, we have managed to discern only one flaw. Unlike Lily's Garden which is free, ELOH will set you back $3.99. This is pretty the only major disadvantage we could find. Ok, perhaps the number of levels could be greater but, overall, this is a stellar app that will keep you entertained in the coming weeks - if not months.
Other Apps Considered
This is a beautiful selection of match-3 puzzles. Each is focused on a different segment of an old, abandoned garden in dire need of restoration. It is your task to bring it back to its former glory and discover its secrets. Such a limiting premise does, however, offer a surprising amount of variety, and sets the foundation for some genuinely good problem-solving. However, what is supposed to be its biggest selling point ends up being a huge pain - namely the story. The animations can take forever, swallowing up the game to such an extent that you'll spend half of your time looking at cutesy clips rather than playing. The balance is off.
The impossible architecture of M.C. Escher has inspired countless artists, graphic designers, and game creators. Monument Valley is perhaps among the most successful, bringing together a fun and quirky visual aesthetic and a solid piece of code. However, for the price of $4.49, you will get a surprisingly tiny number of levels. The story is a sweet yet very short one - something you can go through in less than a day. We were hoping for something with greater longevity.
You would imagine that a horror puzzle game would be exclusively aimed at adults but the hilarious, cartoony graphics of this app made us think otherwise. Even if the violence and gore are there, they are presented in a manner that can only be described as ridiculous. We loved it. The gameplay itself is good enough - at least in the beginning - but, as you progress, the difficulty level gets ramped up to such an extent that it will easily suck out all the fun from this great game. It really boils down to how challenging you like your puzzles to be. For us, this was a tad too difficult.
A cross between a game and a comic book, this app is steeped in noir aesthetics and conjures up an atmosphere of mystery like no other. Your task is to arrange the panels of a comic book and move the story forward. The mechanics of the game are quite innovative and perfect for everyone who loves old-school detective stories. The creators really did their homework - up to a certain point, that is. For some reason, the exceptionally responsive interface can sometimes become too responsive. The app will move the pieces even when you're not touching the phone as if a ghost hand was tapping on your screen instead. We are pretty sure this is not a fun and quirky feature but a proper bug that needs to be corrected before we can consider this one as a fave.
The story is made up of old photographs and often bittersweet tales. It definitely has a "mood" attached to it. The nostalgic pixel art will put a smile on the faces of everyone who grew up in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The quality of the puzzles themselves, however, is quite uneven. Some are awesome, others straight up confusing or even dull. It is a beautiful game that, unfortunately, suffers from pretty uneven play.
Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations are the main selling point of this game. Engaging and meticulously detailed, they are coupled with original puzzle mechanics. However, the learning curve is rather steep, especially since, unlike other games, this one comes with little to no instructions. Such a manual or a walkthrough would be useful as the originality of the system makes it a bit of a challenge. Only after a good deal of practice will you be able to figure out what exactly is going on. If you're looking to just sit down and play - this is perhaps not the game for you.
Stefan Racic
My phone tends to be filled to the brim with apps I am either trying on for size of using on a regular basis. I use them for a variety of tasks, including sketching and creating art, keeping in touch with friends, being up to date with the latest news, learning about diverse spiritual practices and, of course, playing games!
With over 10 years of experience as a translator and writer, I channel my creativity into writing about things I enjoy. My education in business (I hold a bachelor's degree in operations management) is but one part of expertise. I have worked for art magazines, spiritual blogs, news and business sites, and now I explore the fascinating world of apps.
My previous work is as diverse as my interests. Fresh out of college, I was employed as a translator and interpreter at the fringes of the corporate world and the NGO sector. After switching to writing, I first focused on business news, then shifted to working for a series of art magazines (WideWalls perhaps being the most well known), and even wrote content for a couple of spirituality-focused apps for Labyrinthos Academy. Little did I know that I would eventually devote a good chunk of my time to writing about all sorts of interesting new apps out there.
Hey app lover! Want to save on your faves?
Sign up for FREE and get app deals and money-saving reviews delivered to your inbox daily.
"Diamonds are forever", goes the song and to this, we may add - so are puzzle games. Seriously, these things seem to be indestructible. They always have their fans, always draw a substantial crowd, and are favorites of people from all walks of life. Your preschooler as well as your grandma can just as easily fall in love with them - especially if the app also has a good story to boot.
Nowadays, there is such a huge number of these games, it seems borderline impossible to pick just one. Which platform should you go for? How much should you pay for it - if at all? To these questions - and a few others - we seem to have found the answer, starting with the game The Room Three.