Top 25 best puzzle games for Android phones and tablets in 2024
Sharpening your mind is desirable even in the later stages of our lives. Here are some Android puzzle games that will keep your grey matter involved.
Updated by Ivan Spasojevic on April 23, 2024 - added trailers for each title, edited the rest a bit
What would you say is the quintessential mobile genre? For us, it's got to be the puzzlers. Therefore we decided to make you the list of the best puzzle games for Android that will wake those sleeping synapses.
No other genre fits your phone better. Your typical title in the said genre is simple to look at, uncomplicated to play, flexible with its time commitment, and yet capable of holding your attention for the long haul.
Suffice it to say, you can scarcely move for good puzzler games on the Google Play Store.
Don't let that fool you though - the genre is as open to innovation and variety as any other. Yes, there are loads of match-three-block shufflers out there (which we love). But there are also some left-field delights, as well as a fair few critical darlings.
Exceptional puzzle games to play on the go
Thanks to this rich variety, we have to accept that we've left some absolute gems off the following Android puzzle games list. That's just how it has to be, unfortunately.What you can do is share your own favourites in the comments section below.
1
Monument Valley 2
Like the original, Monument Valley warps reality and assaults your eyes with otherworldly landscapes. Rarely has a runaway mainstream hit felt so daringly experimental. The visually stunning gameplay comes together perfectly with the story, which is as good as you might expect it to be, if not better!
I think everyone will agree that it deserves a leading position on the list of best puzzle games for Android. Here is a complete Monument Valley 2 review if you'd like to know more before you buy it!
2
Gorogoa
A rare masterpiece, Gorogoa combines a clever picture-shifting mechanic with a beautiful storybook art style. The hand-drawn illustrations will almost make you forget that it's an actual puzzler (and a pretty complex one at that). It's quite wonderful.
If you thought that a gorgeous puzzle game for Android could only be played a certain way, Gorogoa is here to teach you otherwise. Yes, it is a premium, but the price is well worth its value. You will end up replaying it quite a few times once you get the hang of it.
3
Prune
Titles in this niche 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.
Prune's graphics beautifully twist and turn the realm of outstanding puzzle games for Android, elevating what could once be called a "simple" game to a whole new level. Levels that are not overly complex (but extremely satisfying to beat) and a design that pleases the eye make Prune a must-play.
4
.Projekt
Did you ever picture yourself playing an AR game? Projekt is one such title that will leave you in awe - it might even be one of the most excellent puzzle games for Android phones that we've played lately!
Projekt features clever mind-bending problems that require the player to look at things from a different perspective. Literally. You can check it out both on your device, or in augmented reality mode if your phone can support it. It's truly something else.
5
The Room: Old Sins
Even four entries in, the intricate locked-box puzzles within the perplexities of The Room series continue to enthral. When it's as perfectly executed as The Room: Old Sins, we could happily take several more. It's certainly one of our favourite puzzle games for Android.
The realistic graphics that we've seen in previous The Room titles seems even better now, and the details of each element are simply astonishing. If you've never tried any of the titles, worry not. You can still play The Room: Old Sins and enjoy a truly unique puzzle experience on your mobile. Better yet, try it on a tablet! The bigger the screen, the better. If you are interested, read the complete review of The Room: Old Sins!
6
Ticket to Earth
It's not often that you find a puzzler 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 compelling RPG elements and glorious comic book visuals.
Where the Ticket to Earth really stands out, however, is the narrative behind everything. If you want more than just a plain old Android puzzle game, you can delve into the mystery, thrill and adventure that is Ticket to Earth. It'll be worth the ride!
7
Linelight
An extremely challenging abstract puzzler that keeps drawing you back in. Mixing and matching beautiful minimalistic lines is a mind-bending delight. Each level feels like a beautiful piece of art, and once you've started, it will be difficult to stop.
The relaxing atmosphere you're met with the moment you start Linelight is spot-on, and each level feels more enchanting than the last. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Linelight is one of the finest puzzle games for Android tablets when it comes to minimalistic titles.
8
Portal
Portal is a famous game on PC, and it recently became available on Android and became one of the best Android puzzle games! The game is a hybrid of FPS and puzzles.
The game requires you to solve more and more difficult puzzles each time, opening portals, manoeuvring among different objects, and moving in unusual ways. So, before you get to the finish of the level, you will have to run over the level tens of times to find the solution.
9
Layton's Mystery Journey
The first in the prestigious Layton series to be made for mobile, as well as handheld, Layton's Mystery Journey is packed full of classic brain teasers and beautifully animated story snippets.
It almost feels nostalgic to play Layton's Mystery Journey, and it's a title with a lot of replay value - especially more so if you love the narrative behind it. While it might not be the most authentic experience, it is truly one that you won't forget - we promise you!
10
Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga is a match-3 game, but essentially they are all in the category of puzzle games. You need to find the best way to clear one of thousands of levels in the game. Instead of the regular colours, you'll have to match much sweeter candies, we have to say. So sweet, that the game has been downloaded over 1 billion times (yes, you read that correctly) from Google Play!
Note that there's a limit each day, and afterwards, you have to pay to enter another level, or...much popular option, wait a bit to be able to enter again.
11
The Gardens Between
The Gardens Between is a side-scrolling puzzler that plays with time in various clever but accessible ways and marries its temporal manipulation to an utterly dreamy art style.
Now when it comes to actual gameplay, it won't feel much like your typical title in the genre (until you get to the actual problems). Instead, it will make you feel like you're playing some high-quality story-driven adventure filled with cleverly integrated brain teasers. It's superb.
12
Empires & Puzzles
A solid combination of PVP and match-3 game reminds us of the one released on the original PlayStation - Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. In both titles, you need to match colours and make combos quicker than your opponent in order to gain leverage, or plainly, win the round.
However, in Empires & Puzzles, you'll also have kingdom management, you'll unlock new heroes, and this gives it much more depth than just being a regular match 3 puzzler. Empires & Puzzles is one of the top-earning Android puzzle games in a few countries, and it has a high average rating on Google Play, so it's a no-brainer.
13
Golf Peaks
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.
Don't worry if golf is not your first choice. You don't actually need to know much about it if you're in for the problems to solve. That's the best part about it. Golf Peaks is a super well-disguised Android puzzle game that could pass on as a sports title!
14
Two Dots
This beautiful and addictive puzzler enchants us not with one, two, a hundred, two hundred levels... but with over 3000! That's more than many of us have played in our utmost dedication to a title in this niche. What's even better though, all of these levels have a lovely design and a beautiful appeal that will never let the player get bored.
Two Dots is basically the epitome of an excellent puzzle game - one that does an excellent job of conveying a good brain challenge and combines it with clever minimalistic design.
15
Pink
Bart Bonte is renowned for his colour-coded abstract puzzlers, and Pink is the brightest yet. Each brain teaser is a clever, meta delight. This one, however, is especially good - mainly because it's pink.
The problems are all cleverly designed, and your goal is, just like in all of Bonte's previous creations, to make the screen a certain colour. In this case, pink. There is really nothing more satisfying than completing a level in a bright pink (maybe only black)!
16
Puzzles & Survival
For horror lovers, here we have an interesting title where you have to survive in a zombie apocalypse world. To kill zombies, you have to solve puzzles. And make sure to do it as fast as possible because you are always in danger. Currently, the game has an exciting collaboration with Resident Evil, therefore, do not waste any more time and meet your favourite characters here.
Need more information about the game? Check out our tips and tricks to learn the basics of the gameplay even faster. On top of that, here we have a list of all active codes for you!
17
OXXO
Another bright, minimalistic contestant from the developer of Zenge and Scalak. OXXO is essentially a 3D sliding problem-solver, with plenty of clever flourishes.
There is really nothing else - just a true puzzler in the real sense of the world. With levels that are becoming more and more challenging with each passing one. If that's what you are looking for in an Android puzzle game, then chances are you'll find it in OXXO. Simple as that.
18
Causality
Causality's genius is in making brain-melting time loop manipulation feel like a casual mechanic. Your mind may get blown and you won't even know it.
There is more to it than first meets the eye. First, you have your normal levels. Then, you have the time-altering feature which will completely change the outcome of a certain level, and thus allow you to advance in a certain way. Finally, you have your past self. Of course, you can always read more about it in the Causality review we made.
Sounds simple? Well, what did you expect?! It's an Android puzzle game after all!
19
Empty.
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. Your goal is not exactly to decorate, but rather to un-decorate. I know, I know, it sounds like anti-fun, but just give it a try. It's actually a lot better than one might expect!
And believe it or not, there is something therapeutic about a solid-block-coloured space. It might not be Marie Kondo approved, but it is one satisfying and relaxing representative of the genre!
20
Tiny Bubbles
There are super-punishing puzzlers that make you work for your satisfaction, and then there's Tiny Bubbles - an impossibly welcoming, intuitive bubble popper that practically begs you to play around with its tactile mechanics.
The problems are increasingly more challenging, and the oddly satisfying bubble popping will keep you glued to the screen more than you'd probably like to admit. We know because we've been there too!
21
Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
Tiny Room Stories is a beautiful mystery with a lot more than meets the eye. This murder mystery is everything that you didn't know you needed, really. A fairly minimal story but with a clever design behind it, Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery could easily be called one of the finest Android puzzle games.
However, it's not exactly like your typical mystery title. Here, you will have to discover where all the city's inhabitants have disappeared by solving a series of mysterious 3D puzzles.
22
Baba is You
An outstanding and quite unique concept for a puzzle game comes in the form of Baba is You. This funny-named wonder will blast your head into a thousand pieces and have you collect them one by one, figuratively. If you played the Sokoban before, the basic concept is quite similar: there are blocks around the level, and you need to push them in the correct order to complete a certain level.
Now, in Baba is You rules for each level are written in words, that are coming in blocks of letters. One block will say 'wall', and the other will say 'stop', creating a sentence 'wall is stop', meaning you can't move through it.
Ready for a twist? you can move the 'stop' block, and now you can move through the wall! You can break the logic of every level, creating dozens of possible options.
23
Not Not - A Brain-Buster
This brain-buster, as the title cleverly suggests, is an Android puzzle game that seems fairly simple at first glance. It gives you challenges that you have to execute accordingly, but they come with a twist - they're not as straightforward as you might think. Or are they?
Some of the levels are simple enough that even a blindfolded toddler could pass them, while others might require you to be a rocket scientist. 'Not Not' is a title that will work wonders if you have nerves of steel, patience and incredible problem-solving skills. However, if you are not too keen on trying and failing the same stage over and over, it might not be the one for you.
24
Toon Blast
Toon Blast made a hilarious spin to hook the players! If you're unaware of what we are talking about, take a look at the trailer. Of course, instead of chopping the little cartoon animals, you can pick them as avatars. Shame, it would be much more interesting otherwise, as you'd have a direct goal and a sense of urgency.
It's a match-3 puzzle game for Android and iOS that will grab you as soon as you clear the first few levels. Our advice is to give your wallet to someone else while you play it, as you'll have a strong urge to use the credit card just to clear one more level. Otherwise, it's a great funny title that you can relax with.
25
Mini Metro
Puzzle games for Android don't come any more stylish than Mini Metro, which essentially turns the timeless London Tube map into an artfully animated management. The clean graphics in the post-level lobby make it oddly satisfying to everyone who loves a beautiful minimalistic approach.
Furthermore, you will get to explore some of the most popular metro lines in the world, without the crowds running you over! What is there not to like? Use the Mini Metro tips and hints to help you keep the road clear if you decide to play it!
With it, we're closing the list of best puzzle games on Android. Share your favourites in the comments below!
