What are your favorite puzzle games that aren't Tetris?

Title says it all I suppose. For me it would have to be Penguin Land for the Master System.

penguin-land-usa-europe

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The first game that came to mind when I read your title was Meteos. Swiping up frantically to remove blocks that keep falling makes some super satisfying gameplay. I spent quite a lot of time on it.

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Puyo puyo for sure.

And Puzzle Bobble/Bust a Move

Do puzzle platformers count? If so, Lemmings. Specifically Xmas Lemmings
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If not
Bust a Move
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Panel de Pon
Puzzle Bobble
Puzzle Fighter

Are objectively the best :wink: Followed by Puyo.

I wouldnā€™t call Penuin Land a puzzle game unqualified though, itā€™s a puzzle platformer, or action puzzler, which is a pretty set subgenre of platformer/action.

Of the action/platformer/puzzler genre, Eggerland/Lolo series, Meikyuu Jiin Dababa, Donkey Kong 94, Mario vs Donkey Kong

Oh I didnā€™t think of Lemmingsā€¦ I love those games, from all the way back in the Amiga days!

I actually really love Columns.

I dig the music mostly but I do actually enjoy the game itself too.

Fight me! :joy:

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It is a puzzle platformer hybrid but I think it leans pretty heavily towards the puzzle side, moreso than stuff like Solomonā€™s Key.

Besides ones mentioned like Penguin Land, Puzzle Bobble, Puyo, and Lemmings, I also love Picross 3D, Zenji, Soukoban, Suzuki Bakuhatsu, No One Can Stop Mr. Domino, Klax, Shanghai, and others Iā€™m sure Iā€™m forgetting.

Favourite genre OTT post alert

Meteos is really good, I agree. More action than puzzle IMHO?

For me my favourite is Polarium (GBA). Mitchell Corp took a break from developing it to do the DS version (launch title in PAL/JP regions) so the GBA version came out a fair bit afterwards. However it is better because of that - it feels more finished and has extra modes. For example the ā€œone puzzle a dayā€ calendar mode, which I managed to rush complete between August and New Yearā€™s Eve a few years ago. Just perfectly balanced and superb puzzling. Plus it can be played one handed on public transport.

Also, Magical Puzzle Popils (GG). Iā€™m currently on level 95 out of 100 and am working on a remake. My avatar is the player character.

MaBoShi (Wii/DS)
Great WiiWare game that has a version you can beam to your DS (and extract as a ROM if you google how). Three one-button twitch action puzzle games in one, but Circle game is GOAT level and my favourite gameā€¦ ever.

Circle game on DS:

Guru Logi Champ (GBA)
Crazy block push/pull game thatā€™s sort of Magical Drop meets Picross. Need to finish this one.

And I would argue Pang (DS), whose Tour mode involves some really tricky puzzle solving in the later levels. Figuring out the most efficient order to bust the balloons - in terms of reducing mayhem and maximising score - makes a man a King!

Chipā€™s Challenge (Lynx)
Peak Sokoban.

Pullblox trilogy (3DS)
Just so good!

Sheep, Dog ā€˜nā€™ Wolf (aka Sheep Raider, PSX)
3D platform puzzle adventure set in the Looney Tunes world. Very clever game.

Orbital/Orbient (GBA, Wii)
Superb two-button ā€œKatamari Damacy in spaceā€ star/planet collect em up. Only slight puzzle aspect to it, figuring out an order, itā€™s more of a skill game.

Even better on Wii.

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Yeah there are lots of blurred lines. It literally has platforms so is also literally a platformer. Iā€™d put it on the same level as Solomonsā€™s Key or Lode Runner, both have enemies with patterns that must be avoided, and typically have few or just one solution per level. Both frustrate the hell out of me in similar ways :wink:

I was/am a big fan of Lumines. Donā€™t know how it stacks up to other puzzle games since Iā€™m not too big into the genre other then the popular ones like Tetris and Puzzle Bobble type games.

I really like the Solomonā€™s Key trilogy of games.

Solomonā€™s Key
Solomonā€™s Club
Fire N Ice

What the hell Iā€™ve never hear of Fire N Ice?

Oh itā€™s just Solomonā€™s Key 2ā€™s American name.

Sorry. Iā€™ll try to add in a more world centric view in the future.

I cried all Christmas morning when my genesis came with columns instead of sonic. Iā€™ve still never forgiven it for that.

Puyo puyo tetris is my favorite puzzle game in years. If anyone wants to play on switch add me! Same name as here.

Yeah I just thought it was some sequel Iā€™d never heard of and immediately hit up ebay haha

Rofl thatā€™s hilarious

Amiga has a really great 3D Tetris-style game called Block Out.

It has the same 4-square block limitation, but because itā€™s 3D, there are new variations of blocks. Once you get into some of the harder game modes, you can play variations with much more complex block shapes, alter the field depth and size etc.

Great game once you get used to the controls, and a very fun challenge.

block_out_01
Amiga-02

Have you played Zipang on PC Engine? Itā€™s a strange (and awesome) Solomonā€™s Key game.

No I havenā€™t. Thanks! Iā€™ll see if I can get to it tonight. (Itā€™s supposed to snow heavily tonight)