Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Puzzle Games, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Helltaker and Helltaker: Artbook + Pancake Recipe lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 92/100, out of 130 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Puzzle Games (2026)”: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (96.0/100). Close behind: Helltaker and Helltaker: Artbook + Pancake Recipe.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 130 games catalogued
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It is the oldest game in the ranking (1991) and still here. That is why it tops the ranking.
Helltaker is carried by its players more than by its reviews. Enough for the podium: number 2.
Critics were lukewarm on Helltaker: Artbook + Pancake Recipe; players were not. Enough for the podium: number 3.
Critics were lukewarm on 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel; players were not. Number 4, inside the top 10.
No argument here: The Room 4: Old Sins wins over players and critics alike. That gets it into the top 10, at number 5.
No argument here: Dispatch wins over players and critics alike. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 174,146 Steam reviews. That gets it into the top 10, at number 6.
No argument here: The Room Two wins over players and critics alike. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 88/100. That gets it into the top 10, at number 7.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is here because of its players — they are who it won over. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
The Curse of Monkey Island is carried by its players more than by its reviews. That gets it into the top 10, at number 9.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D earns its place on presence rather than on a score. That gets it into the top 10, at number 10.
No argument here: A Building Full of Cats wins over players and critics alike. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 99%. It sits at 11 of 20.
Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It's Dark Outside is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It sits at 12 of 20.
Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 13 of 20.
No argument here: The Talos Principle wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 14 of 20.
I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It lands at 15 of 20.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It sits at 16 of 20.
No argument here: Gorogoa wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 17 of 20.
Machinarium is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It sits at 18 of 20.
Patrick's Parabox is one of the few Puzzle Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the newest on the list (2022), and has already earned its place. It sits at 19 of 20.
Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 20 of 20.