Puzzle games

Computer puzzle game is a genre of computer games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles involved can involve logic, strategy, pattern recognition, sequence solving, word completion or, in some cases, just pure luck. more...

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Before there ever were video games (as we would recognise them) there were jigsaw puzzles and the Rubik's Cube, today's puzzle game forefathers. The genre can be difficult to describe: the gameplay is usually abstract (but not always) often involving arranging geometric shapes to fulfill some goal or constraint. Often edge matching or colour matching plays an important role. Puzzle games usually strive to have a pick-up-and-play accessibility to them and to have an addictive quality.

Some puzzle games feed the player a random assortment of blocks or pieces that they must organize in the correct manner (Tetris, Klax, Lumines), where others present a preset game board and/or pieces and challenge the player to solve the puzzle by achieving a goal (Bomberman, The Incredible Machine). Some of the games in the former category have a mode that plays like the latter. For example, in both Tetrisphere and Tetris Attack, there is an actual \"puzzle mode\" in which the player must clear a pre-defined board within a certain amount of moves.

Some games are not puzzle games, yet contain many puzzle elements, such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and the Legend of Zelda series.

Because puzzle games are often so abstract, the term is sometimes used (be it correctly or not) as a blanket term for games with unique and otherwise indescribable gameplay. Every Extend Extra is a fine example of this.

Puzzle games are relatively easy to develop and to take from dedicated arcade units, to home video game consoles, to personal digital assistants and mobile phones.

Tetris

Tetris is widely regarded as the pinnacle of this genre, despite not having any real advertising nor a cute character to garner attention. Minesweeper is worth mentioning because of the huge installed user base (the game comes bundled with the Microsoft Windows operating system).

Tetris is also believed to have spawned the versus-puzzle genre. The screen is typically split vertically in two separate play areas, and two (or sometimes more) players compete against each other. When one player performs a well-played move or a chain or combo, the other player is obstructed with extra blocks or blockades. Examples include Puyo Puyo, Puzzle Bobble and Tetris Attack.

Read more at Wikipedia.org