Top 25 best puzzle games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

Like the original, Monument Valley warps reality and assaults your eyes with otherworldly landscapes. Rarely has a runaway mainstream hit felt so daringly experimental. With the problem-solving aspect falling somewhere in between 3D and mind-twisting, it is a great title to get you started.

The graphics are gorgeous, but while that's an aspect that deserves our appreciation in a different post, you'll find that this creation meets all the expectations. That's why it's one of the best puzzle games iPhone users can get their hands on, even years down the line.

Text Express: Word Adventure is an interesting puzzle game where you have to solve crosswords and a lot more. The gameplay is great, and the story and atmosphere are also remarkable. Text Express is a perfect choice for both children and adults if you want to relax and enjoy your time.

Text Express: Word Adventure was nominated for the best mobile puzzle game at the Pocket Gamer Awards 2022 and won it! The users of our website consider it to be the best puzzle of the year, and we definitely agree with them!

A rare masterpiece, Gorogoa combines a clever picture-shifting mechanic with a beautiful storybook art style. It's quite wonderful but challenging at the same time. We added it as one of our best iPad puzzle games since the bigger screen is going to make it a lot more enjoyable.

Also, Gorogoa is best served in one sitting though because the story is a mesmerizing one and you won't want to miss a thing! You'll find stunning hand-drawn illustrations, unexpected obstacles, and an alluring narrative. What else could you want?

One of the finest titles from the initial Apple Arcade offering - which is really saying something. Grindstone's tactile match-three battling is a real treat. It's nothing like you would expect from a classic match-3 game, and that is mainly thanks to its unique approach.

Players will have plenty of levels to grind their stones (if I may say that), and with such great-looking graphics, it's an absolute treat. Grindstone is a must-try for all the match-three enthusiasts. We even have some Grindstone beginner tips to help you out!

Puzzlers used to be functional looking and targeted at the logic centres rather than seeking any kind of emotional response. Prune turns all that on its head with its achingly beautiful grown-'em-up gameplay. It's not what one might expect at the start, but it's one of those unique approaches to the genre we mentioned in our introduction.

Prune has been, and still is, one of the most beautiful iPhone puzzle games out there - not only that, but it's also extremely relaxing, although it poses a challenge every now and again.

Even four entries in, the intricate locked-box puzzles within puzzles of The Room series continue to enthral. When it's as perfectly executed as The Room: Old Sins, we could happily take several more.

While it is a premium title, it's well worth its price. Not only do the graphics amaze us with their realism, but also the gameplay is spot on - it's everything one could want from a real mystery experience. Talk about unique-looking games executed well! We have a video review for The Room: Old Sins, so if you're curious about how it plays, make sure to check it out!

This fiendishly clever number-based title should have a place on every mobile device. Accept no imitations.

With plenty of spark that has (somewhat) cooled off over the years, Threes! is, and has been, a title that stood out. It's easy to understand why that is, especially when you have a title with so much potential playtime. And no, before you ask, you don't need to like maths to like Threes! - in fact, it could be quite the opposite. You might even start (slightly) liking maths after you've played it.

You've probably noticed that in our introduction we mentioned RPGs - well, here's one! It's not often that you find a title with a rollicking story, but that's precisely what Ticket to Earth provides. At heart, it's a block-matching title, but one that adds in compelling RPG elements and glorious comic book visuals.

The premium price is well-justified by its quality, so if that's what you're looking for in this genre, don't feel guilty about it. Ticket to Earth is one of the best iPhone puzzle games, and that won't change anytime soon.

At your disposal is the whole modern world, all the megacities that today have a subway. Will you be able to organize the transport system in such a way that everything functions without delays and other problems? You are given a complete list of tools for work, but to dispose of them correctly is the very puzzle that will test your skills as a manager and builder.

For those of you eager to try it, you can take a look at the tips for Mini Metro that might open up some new paths for you (no pun intended).

A highly challenging abstract puzzler from Kenny Sun that keeps drawing you back in. Rotating coloured triangles into place across its compact levels is a mind-bending delight. It might seem simple, but it's one of the best iOS puzzle games that does exactly what it's meant to do without much effort.

This hand-crafted gimmick of a game is ideal for testing your logical thinking in the direst situations. It could even be called a little psychedelic, if you may. It all depends on how you look at it.

The Witness might look and even feel like a first-person adventure, but its beautiful free-roaming hub world is underpinned by fiendishly clever line-drawing puzzles. It is the ideal title for kicking back and relaxing at the end of an exhausting day, because thanks to its beautiful atmosphere, it will fill you right up with energy!

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You thought you knew all about the most enjoyable iOS puzzle games? Think again. This enchanting experience takes the advanced match-and-evolve gameplay of Triple Town to the next level, with a hexagon-based grid and a beautiful 3D art style.

Evergarden feels like an enchanted title, where each move could give birth to something new and intriguing. And that's only part of the story. You should definitely give this one a try, it's as good as it gets!

To the uninitiated, Sudoku can feel like a foreign language. Zach Gage feels your sense of mystification and has made this comprehensive take on the popular pencil-and-paper intellect booster. Whether you're a Sudoku newbie or a veteran, Good Sudoku will more than live up to its name.

And no, you don't need to know the whats and hows of this popular title to ace it. You can start slow, and move your way up to more advanced sudokus.

Bart Bonte is renowned for his colour-coded abstract puzzlers, and Pink is the brightest yet. Each brain-teaser is a clever, meta delight that will challenge your rods and cones to the next level. While the levels might seem simple at the start, they'll quickly evolve into something a little more... fantastic.

If you're feeling up for the challenge, give it a shot! And while you're at it, you could also check out Green, Red, Yellow, or Blue! They're all equally amazing, so pick your colour and get to solving them!

Games with a cooking theme have been around for a while, but none quite seemed to integrate the "cooking" part as well as Campfire Cooking. The beauty in this title is not from the graphics alone, but from the gameplay too. It is one of the few iPhone puzzle games you can almost always find time to play!

A grid-based title with some of the most delicious presentations around. In place of blocks and tiles, here you're shuffling around marshmallows and cooking pots. Tasty.

A stylish casual puzzler that asks you to rotate a series of boldly decorated rooms through 360 degrees, matching up colour-coded items of furniture. Empty. is a minimalistic title, but with a massive appeal once you get the hang of it. In essence, it's quite simple. At a closer look, it requires more than just a couple of twists and turns.

You won't decorate in Empty, but instead, make things disappear. Now THAT'S a unique approach. Don't forget to read our Empty. review, since it'll give you all the details you need to get started on this stunning iPhone puzzle game.

You thought there could be a list without as much as a pixel graphic title? Wrong.

It is not at all what one might expect though. A narrative with a real heart, Photographs will tug your heartstrings just as much as it tickles your neurons with its block-sliding gameplay. It's one of the absolute most satisfying puzzle games on iOS we ever played, hands-down. Just read our Photographs review.

Each story is different, and each one is uniquely beautiful in its own sense. One aspect that cannot go overlooked though, is its cleverness. You actually need to pay attention to everything, because nothing is 'just there". Every feature of perplexity has a deeper meaning.

Have you ever dreamed of creating an interesting comic? While you might not be able to actually do that, you can control the action of the characters! In Framed 2, much like in Framed, you'll have to arrange panels in order to reveal a certain outcome to a story.

It's clever, it's unique, but most certainly it is fun. A challenging title that features mysteries, fun stories, and great-looking graphics.

You don't typically equate the puzzler genre with strong narratives, but Song of Bloom achieves that rare balance with some aplomb. It's the story of a search for meaning, told through a bunch of eclectic problems that require logical thinking, keen observation, and experimentation.

With ever-changing art styles and fitting music for each level, you'll have to figure out some rather... unique ways of solving the mysteries. Looking for one of the greatest iPhone puzzle games? Give this one a shot.

Another bright, minimalistic title from the developer of Zenge and Scalak. OXXO is essentially a 3D sliding puzzle, with plenty of clever flourishes.

What starts off as a simple one-dimensional title, will soon come to be a true 3D experience that will leave you scratching your head. It's challenging, despite its simple approach. A true masterpiece. Don't forget to read our OXXO review, since it'll tell you more about this challenging iOS puzzler - it might even make you want to try it for yourself!

A game that utilises the basic principles of coding doesn't exactly sound like a barrel of laughs, but 7 Billion Humans pulls the whole off with style and substance. It seems complicated at best, but you'll soon discover that it's all for good reason. When the world gets overtaken by robots, nothing will seem too simple after all.

However intricate it might look, if you just follow a few simple principles, you'll find yourself loving 7 Billion Humans more and more every second. We have a 7 Billion Humans review too - so, if you're not sure whether or not this puzzler is right for you, make sure to check it out.

It might look like dull isometric golf, but Golf Peaks is actually an ingenious card-based puzzler that has you laying down golf shots in the right sequence. The simple graphics make this (slightly) complex title more appealing, giving it a rather cartoonish look, even though the levels will soon prove to be straight out of hell.

Golf Peaks is a clever reminder that looks can be quite deceiving, especially when it comes to mobile games. It's a top-notch puzzle game for iPhone that will not disappoint you, golf fan or otherwise - you can read our review of Golf Peaks if you need further convincing!

You don't often get the'have to' phrase before premium games, but this one is a must. The Gardens Between is hand-down one of the best iPhone puzzle games out there, and for all the right reasons.

This side-scrolling puzzler ingeniously plays with time in various (clever but accessible) ways and marries its temporal manipulation with an utterly dreamy art style. It's absolutely stunning. We even have a review of The Gardens Between, so if you're curious how it actually feels while playing, make sure to read it.

You don't normally associate puzzlers with rhythm, but that's precisely what ELOH brings to the table. This charmer has you deflecting streams of pips, forming delightful percussive loops along the way. It's a most relaxing experience, where you get to solve various stages by enjoying a good beat.

Basically, it's related to basic geometry, and it's quite fun. After solving the most complex puzzles you'll have the true 'Eureka' moment. ELOH is going to bring you true Zen - what more could you ask for?

Baba is You has a quite unique approach to the whole puzzle genre. It got a few awards for it, and for a good reason, it's hard to think of a concept that's new in today's world. Namely, the game looks like the old Sokoban, where you need to move blocks in a certain order to finish a level. Baba is You has expanded this concept and went much further.

At each level, you have some fundamental rules written in blocks. Like 'Rock| is | Stop' means that you can't go through rocks. But you can move the block that says |stop| and guess what happens? You can move through obstacles! Breaking the basic rules set is much more fun than you think, basically, you can shift them however you want, and find different ways to complete the levels. Mindbreaking, isn't it?