- #1 The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
97% matchVery Positive88% of 464 reviews2010
Dev: The Odd GentlemenPub: 2K
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 1.7 hrs≥1hr: 36%
Enter a macabre and comical silent world filled with mischief, time travel and delicious pie. Includes Steam Achievements, Cloud, and Leaderboards!
Why similar: Time Manipulation 38% ★, Platformer 21.8%, Puzzle Platformer 20.2%, Puzzle 15.3%, 2D 3.4%
Why You'll Like It: Like Braid, this game centers entirely on manipulating time and recording your own actions to solve complex puzzles.
- #2 FEZ
96% matchVery Positive93% of 16,228 reviews2013
Dev: Polytron CorporationPub: Trapdoor
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.3 hrsMean: 4.4 hrs≥1hr: 57%
Gomez is a 2D creature living in a 2D world. Or is he? When the existence of a mysterious 3rd dimension is revealed to him, Gomez is sent out on a journey that will take him to the very end of time and space. Use your ability to navigate 3D structures from 4 distinct classic 2D perspectives.
Why similar: Platformer 45.6%, Puzzle 28.7%, Puzzle Platformer 17.5%, 2D 3%, Casual 2.7%
Why You'll Like It: It shares the same sense of wonder and perspective-shifting puzzle design that made Braid a genre-defining indie classic.
- #3 Baba Is You
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 24,514 reviews2019
Dev: Hempuli Oy
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 14.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Baba Is You is a puzzle game where the rules you have to follow are present as blocks you can interact with. By manipulating them, you can change how the game works, repurpose things you find in the levels and cause surprising interactions!
Why similar: Puzzle 44.3%, Logic 25.4%, Programming 20.6% ★, 2D 7.6%, Casual 1.3%
Why You'll Like It: This game offers the same level of deep, logic-based satisfaction that Braid players crave when solving its most difficult stages.
- #4 Viewfinder
94% matchVery Positive94% of 12,998 reviews2023
Dev: Sad Owl StudiosPub: Thunderful Publishing
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Challenge perception, redefine reality, and reshape the world around you with an instant camera. Viewfinder is a new single player game offering gamers hours of interesting and fun experiences while uncovering the mysteries left behind.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 39.5%, Puzzle 15.5%, Action-Adventure 14.4%, Platformer 13.8%, Colorful 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: The game features mind-bending perspective mechanics that challenge your reality in a way that feels spiritually aligned with Braid's time manipulation.
- #5 The Swapper
95% matchVery Positive94% of 7,578 reviews2013
Dev: Olli Harjola, Otto Hantula, Tom Jubert, Carlo CastellanoPub: Facepalm Games
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 74%
What if someone knew your mind better than you did? The Swapper is an award-winning, narrative driven puzzle game set in the furthest reaches of space.
Why similar: Puzzle 32.1%, Puzzle Platformer 31.3%, Platformer 22.3%, Atmospheric 8%, 2D 3.8%
Why You'll Like It: It features a similarly atmospheric, philosophical tone combined with unique mechanics that force you to rethink spatial puzzles.
- #6 Portal 2
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 465,820 reviews2011
Dev: Valve
Windows · Linux
Median: 9.1 hrsMean: 30.0 hrs≥1hr: 92%
The "Perpetual Testing Initiative" has been expanded to allow you to design co-op puzzles for you and your friends!
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 34.8%, Platformer 22.8%, Puzzle 15%, Action-Adventure 14.9%, Action 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: As the gold standard for puzzle-platformers, it offers the same tight integration of mechanics and narrative progression.
- #7 INSIDE
92% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 75,704 reviews2016
Dev: Playdead
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 8.4 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 30.7%, 2D Platformer 18.7%, Platformer 16.7%, Action-Adventure 12.3%, Puzzle 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: This game provides a haunting, atmospheric 2D platforming experience that relies on environmental storytelling much like Braid.
- #8 Induction
93% matchVery Positive90% of 191 reviews2017
Dev: Bryan Gale
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 42 minMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 43%
Induction is an abstract puzzle game about time travel and paradoxes. As you master its logic, Induction will rewire how you think about cause and effect.
Why similar: Time Travel 64.4% ★, Puzzle 35.6%
Why You'll Like It: A minimalist puzzle game that focuses heavily on time-travel paradoxes and causality, directly appealing to fans of Braid's core mechanic.
- #9 Clocker
91% matchVery Positive83% of 285 reviews2019
Dev: Wild Kid Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
The world has been swallowed into the grey void of time and space. The only key to the winding puzzle - a time-controling pocket-watch - lies in the hands of a clockmaker Father. The watch creates a mysterious barrier between the Father and his estranged Daughter.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 29.4% ★, Puzzle Platformer 18%, Time Travel 8.5% ★, Hand-drawn 8%, Cartoony 7.1%
Why You'll Like It: It utilizes a unique time-manipulation system where you control the flow of time for different characters to solve narrative-driven puzzles.
- #10 LIMBO
91% matchVery Positive92% of 61,975 reviews2011
Dev: Playdead
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 53.5%, Platformer 20.3%, Puzzle 13.7%, 2D 4.6%, Atmospheric 4.5%
Why You'll Like It: Its minimalist, high-contrast art style and focus on physics-based puzzles mirror the somber, thoughtful tone of Braid.
- #11 The Entropy Centre
90% matchVery Positive89% of 4,440 reviews2022
Dev: Stubby GamesPub: Playstack
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 8.5 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Think in reverse. Outsmart the impossible. A mind-bending first-person adventure where you solve ingenious and complex puzzles by rewinding objects through time.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 46.6% ★, Puzzle Platformer 20.9%, Puzzle 13.9%, Platformer 11.1%, Atmospheric 3.6%
Why You'll Like It: This title features a central time-rewind mechanic used to solve environmental puzzles, closely mimicking the gameplay loop of Braid.
- #12 Manifold Garden
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 8,512 reviews2020
Dev: William Chyr Studio
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Rediscover gravity and explore an Escher-esque world of impossible architecture. Witness infinity in first-person and master its rules to solve physics-defying puzzles. Cultivate a garden to open new paths forward, where an eternal expanse awaits.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 51.8%, Puzzle 28.6%, Colorful 10.4%, Atmospheric 7.6%, Adventure 1.6%
Why You'll Like It: This game offers a surreal, abstract puzzle experience that forces you to perceive space in entirely new ways.
- #13 Recursed
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 665 reviews2016
Dev: PortponkyPub: Shambles Software
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 5.7 hrs≥1hr: 80%
A puzzle game where the rooms are items and the items are rooms. Get to the goal by moving, rearranging and duplicating rooms and altering the structure of the world.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 55.7%, Puzzle 31.1%, 2D 11.3%, Adventure 1.9%
Why You'll Like It: A highly inventive logic puzzle game where you enter rooms within rooms, offering a depth of complexity that Braid fans will appreciate.
- #14 Gorogoa
87% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 20,667 reviews2017
Dev: Buried SignalPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre, told through a beautifully hand-drawn story designed and illustrated by Jason Roberts. Winner of Debut Game at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as Best Mobile Game and the Innovation Award at the GDC 2018 Choice Awards.
Why similar: Puzzle 42.6%, Hand-drawn 30.6%, Cartoony 6.9%, 2D 6.6%, Atmospheric 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: This is a beautiful, artistic puzzle game that requires you to manipulate panels to change the narrative, echoing Braid's artistic depth.
- #15 ElecHead
86% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,442 reviews2021
Dev: NamaTakahashi
Windows
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 77%
⚡＋🤖＋🧩
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 42.9%, Platformer 21.4%, Puzzle 15.1%, 2D Platformer 10.7%, Action 5.4%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant, compact puzzle-platformer that relies on clever mechanics and environmental interaction rather than complex controls.
- #16 Chronology
88% matchVery Positive87% of 1,003 reviews2014
Dev: Bedtime Digital Games
Windows
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
A platform-adventure game about time travelling, puzzle solving and a friendship between an Old Inventor and a Snail.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 37.6%, Time Manipulation 22.7% ★, Platformer 16.1%, Time Travel 10.3% ★, Puzzle 10%
Why You'll Like It: It features a time-manipulation mechanic that allows you to switch between past and future versions of the world to solve puzzles.
- #17 Evergate
86% matchVery Positive93% of 199 reviews2020
Dev: Stone Lantern GamesPub: PQube
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 41%
Evergate is a haunting 2D puzzle-platformer set in a stunning hand-drawn vision of the Afterlife with an original score recorded by a live orchestra. Navigate 85 challenging stages and unleash the extraordinary powers of the genre-defining 'Soulflame' to help a lost soul reincarnate on earth!
Why similar: Time Manipulation 26.4% ★, Puzzle Platformer 19.6%, 2D Platformer 12.6%, Platformer 11.5%, Hand-drawn 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a fluid, ethereal puzzle-platforming experience with a focus on precision and timing.
- #18 Hue
85% matchVery Positive93% of 11,340 reviews2016
Dev: Fiddlesticks GamesPub: Curve Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.0 hrsMean: 10.5 hrs≥1hr: 50%
Hue is a vibrant, award-winning puzzle-adventure, where you alter the world by changing its background colour.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 36.8%, Platformer 22.3%, Puzzle 19.6%, Colorful 7.5%, 2D 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: This game uses color-shifting mechanics to alter the environment, providing a similar puzzle-platforming challenge to Braid.
- #19 Outer Wilds
83% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 106,959 reviews2020
Dev: Mobius DigitalPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 16.9 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
Why similar: Puzzle 62.5%, Atmospheric 24.3%, Adventure 6.7%, Action 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: While a different genre, its core loop of time-based discovery and uncovering a deep, hidden mystery resonates with Braid's narrative structure.
- #20 Teslagrad Remastered
84% matchMostly Positive78% of 273 reviews2023
Dev: Rain GamesPub: Maximum Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 42 minMean: 8.3 hrs≥1hr: 45%
Return to the indie classic Teslagrad, recharged to provide the ultimate electromagnetic experience! Escape a tyrant king, master the art of Teslamancy, and uncover the secrets buried deep within the Tesla Tower in this puzzle-platforming adventure!
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 24.9%, Platformer 17%, 2D Platformer 13.5%, Action-Adventure 12%, Puzzle 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: This game blends puzzle-solving with platforming using magnetism mechanics, providing a similar sense of discovery.
- #21 Out of Line
84% matchVery Positive90% of 241 reviews2021
Dev: Nerd MonkeysPub: Hatinh Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 22.2 hrs≥1hr: 63%
A unique adventure game filled with beautiful puzzles all hand-drawn in an original 2D style . Out of Line follows the adventures of San in a quest to escape the Factory that was once home. Dive into a story set in a mysterious world that is revealed through multiple chapters.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 25.3%, 2D Platformer 16.1%, Platformer 12.5%, Hand-drawn 11.8%, Puzzle 9%
Why You'll Like It: A hand-drawn, atmospheric puzzle-platformer that emphasizes visual storytelling and clever environmental interaction.
- #22 It's a Wrap!
82% matchVery Positive84% of 75 reviews2023
Dev: Chanko StudiosPub: AMC Games
Windows
It's a Wrap! is a challenging puzzle game about making movies in 1980s Hollywood. Figure out the perfect timing of props, actors, and special effects as the Director. Then jump into the scene as the movie's star in a traditional 2D platformer.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 29.9% ★, Puzzle Platformer 18.3%, 2D Platformer 10.4%, Platformer 9.5%, Logic 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: A puzzle-platformer that incorporates time-manipulation as a core mechanic to synchronize events on a film set.
- #23 The Talos Principle
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 33,014 reviews2014
Dev: CroteamPub: Devolver Digital
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 14.9 hrs≥1hr: 87%
The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).
Why similar: Puzzle 80%, Atmospheric 14.2%, Action 3.6%, Adventure 2.1%
Why You'll Like It: It combines complex, logic-heavy puzzles with deep philosophical questions about existence and humanity.
- #24 Thomas Was Alone
81% matchVery Positive94% of 9,385 reviews2012
Dev: Bithell Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 3.1 hrs≥1hr: 57%
Guide a group of rectangles through 120 levels, using their different skills together to overcome a series of obstacles in each environment. Discover the human-made story of the first sentient artificial intelligences with Danny Wallace’s BAFTA-winning narration.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 31.5%, Platformer 22.2%, 2D Platformer 21.7%, Colorful 6.4%, 2D 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: It uses simple platforming mechanics to tell a surprisingly deep and emotional story, much like the narrative layers found in Braid.
- #25 Unravel
80% matchVery Positive91% of 5,568 reviews2020
Dev: Coldwood InteractivePub: Electronic Arts
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Unravel is a physics-based puzzle platformer. Yarny, a character made from a single thread of yarn, must embark on a larger than life adventure.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 24%, Puzzle 22%, Platformer 21%, Action 9.7%, Colorful 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on physics-based puzzles and emotional storytelling, capturing a similar sense of melancholy and wonder.
- #26 Contrast
81% matchVery Positive91% of 5,694 reviews2013
Dev: Compulsion Games
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
CONTRAST is a puzzle/platform game where you can move between a fantastic 3D world and a mysterious shadowy universe in 2D in the blink of an eye. Delve into a dreamlike and surreal 1920s world, inspired by the performance art world of vaudeville and film noir, and cradled by a smooth and sultry jazz ambiance.
Why similar: Platformer 40.4%, Puzzle 27.6%, Puzzle Platformer 20.7%, Atmospheric 7.4%, Adventure 2.8%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a unique shadow-shifting mechanic that creates a distinct, artistic puzzle-platforming experience.
- #27 Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince
79% matchVery Positive89% of 14,304 reviews2019
Dev: Frozenbyte
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 92%
The best-selling Trine series returns to the magic of 2.5D! Join three iconic heroes as they set off on a quest through fantastical fairytale landscapes to save the world from the Nightmare Prince’s shadows.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 43.9%, Platformer 18.5%, Action-Adventure 15.9%, Puzzle 12.2%, Action 4.4%
Why You'll Like It: A 2D puzzle-platformer that emphasizes physics-based problem solving and beautiful, vibrant art design.
- #28 Portal
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 198,523 reviews2007
Dev: Valve
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 18.9 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Portal™ is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 53.8%, Puzzle 28.9%, Platformer 9.1%, Action 3.1%, Physics 2.6%
Why You'll Like It: The original game that redefined the puzzle-platformer genre with its innovative spatial mechanics.
- #29 Toki Tori 2+
79% matchVery Positive85% of 1,100 reviews2013
Dev: Two Tribes
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.9 hrsMean: 4.9 hrs≥1hr: 72%
An epic open-world puzzle Metroidbrainia that respects your intelligence! Knowledge is your superpower. Use creatures as tools to determine your own path.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 41.8%, Platformer 23.3%, Puzzle 15%, 2D 7.4%, Colorful 7.3%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in puzzle-platformer design that teaches you mechanics through observation rather than explicit tutorials.
- #30 Super Puzzled Cat
76% matchVery Positive99% of 210 reviews2025
Dev: Penguin Mug Games
Windows
Help Puzzled Cat use jetpacks, portals, bombs, gum, and more to conquer treacherous platforming stages. Play your own way using save states to explore a world full of challenges and secrets - but can you find the way through? Travel through time and space and reach enlightenment.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 34.1% ★, Puzzle Platformer 21.9%, 2D Platformer 13%, Platformer 10%, Puzzle 6.6%
- #31 Timeworks
77% matchVery Positive100% of 52 reviews2024
Dev: Starworks Studios
Windows
Timeworks is a time-traveling 3D puzzle platformer with a bouncy cartoon style. Work along past versions of yourself to solve puzzles, create unique Items, and fill out your quotas for your mysterious employers.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 24.1% ★, Time Travel 21.9% ★, Puzzle Platformer 19.4%, Platformer 10.2%, Puzzle 7.5%
- #32 World of Goo
78% matchVery Positive94% of 6,586 reviews2008
Dev: 2D BOYPub: 2D BOY
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 13.7 hrs≥1hr: 67%
World of Goo is a multiple award winning physics based puzzle / construction game made entirely by two guys.
Why similar: Puzzle 61.2%, Physics 14.5%, 2D 11.6%, Casual 8.5%, Atmospheric 4.1%
Why You'll Like It: A classic indie puzzle game that relies on physics and creative problem-solving to progress through its charming world.
- #33 Leap Year
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 3,195 reviews2024
Dev: Daniel Linssen
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.3 hrs≥1hr: 78%
Leap Year is a clumsy platformer about knowledge and discovery. Explore a compact, hand drawn world filled with hidden paths. Understand the game’s secrets to reach new areas and collect all the pages of your calendar.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 27.8%, 2D Platformer 19.1%, Platformer 15%, Puzzle 10.1%, Hand-drawn 9.8%
- #34 Mind Over Magnet
75% matchVery Positive89% of 1,415 reviews2024
Dev: Game Maker's Toolkit
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 2.1 hrs≥1hr: 67%
An attractive puzzle platformer where you use magnetism to escape a factory. Meet a cast of magnet characters and work together to solve logical conundrums.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 30.7%, 2D Platformer 16.3%, Platformer 14.7%, Puzzle 11.3%, Logic 10.1%
- #35 Braid
77% matchVery Positive93% of 9,954 reviews2009
Dev: Number None
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 61%
This is the original version of Braid from 2009, which may not work well on newer systems. For an updated version of the game with nicer graphics, more levels and a large amount of developer commentary, see Braid, Anniversary Edition.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 33.5%, Time Manipulation 24.1% ★, 2D Platformer 13.8%, Platformer 11.8%, Puzzle 8.9%
- #36 Causal Loop
74% matchVery Positive93% of 69 reviews2026
Dev: Mirebound InteractivePub: Headup
Windows
Causal Loop is a narrative puzzler that blends mind-bending mechanics with a rich sci-fi story about time, consequence, and survival. Solve intricate puzzles by using the signature “echo” mechanic to record, replay, and interact with up to three versions of your past self. Can you break the loop?
Why similar: Time Manipulation 25.2% ★, Puzzle Platformer 21.7%, Platformer 13.2%, Logic 9.5%, Action-Adventure 9.2%
- #37 Riven
71% matchVery Positive92% of 2,860 reviews2024
Dev: Cyan Worlds, Inc.
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 7.1 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997.
Why similar: Puzzle 35.8%, Logic 26.9%, Emotional 16.2%, Atmospheric 10.4%, Casual 7.2%
- #38 Redactem
76% matchMixed67% of 441 reviews2016
Dev: Elliott JonesPub: Conglomerate 5
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 16.5 hrs≥1hr: 74%
Rewind time and manipulate gravity in order to solve parkour puzzles in this exciting new 2D platformer.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 25.9%, Time Manipulation 24.6% ★, Platformer 13.9%, 2D Platformer 11.8%, Puzzle 9%
- #39 Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary
72% matchVery Positive91% of 185 reviews2022
Dev: Toxic Games
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Entirely rebuilt from the ground up, Q.U.B.E. 10th Anniversary is the ultimate celebration of the decade-old original, bringing refined visuals, completely redesigned and revised gameplay sections, and a whole new chapter to the award-winning, brain-twisting first-person puzzler.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 29.9%, Platformer 16.2%, Logic 14.5%, Action-Adventure 12.4%, Puzzle 12.2%
- #40 Colored Effects
72% matchVery Positive95% of 62 reviews2023
Dev: TACSOU
Windows · Linux
Colored Effects is a puzzle platformer game where you use different abilities to advance through levels. Each color grants a unique ability. Switch between the colors and their effects to collect gems, defeat bosses, and solve fun puzzles.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 26%, 2D Platformer 16.3%, Logic 12.4%, Platformer 11.8%, Action-Adventure 10.5%
- #41 Myst
71% matchVery Positive89% of 2,193 reviews2021
Dev: Cyan Worlds, Inc.
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 4.9 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.
Why similar: Puzzle 78.8%, Adventure 8.5%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Casual 6.2%
- #42 Evergate: Ki's Awakening
73% matchMostly Positive72% of 54 reviews2020
Dev: Stone Lantern GamesPub: PQube
Windows
Try this year’s must-play indie smash-hit for free, with Evergate Ki’s Awakening. Take on seven unique levels in this haunting precision puzzle-platformer, set in a stunning hand-drawn vision of the Afterlife, with an original score recorded by a live orchestra.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 27.8%, 2D Platformer 17.1%, Time Manipulation 11.5% ★, Hand-drawn 9.4%, Platformer 9%
- #43 Ary and the Secret of Seasons
73% matchMixed64% of 222 reviews2020
Dev: eXiinPub: Fishing Cactus
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 6.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Take control of the seasons and use them to solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and discover the beautiful world of Valdi in this award-winning indie adventure.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 28.3% ★, Puzzle Platformer 18%, Platformer 16.1%, Cartoony 8.8%, Action-Adventure 8.4%
- #44 Knytt Classic
68% matchVery Positive100% of 58 reviews2026
Dev: Bit Kid, Inc.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the indie freeware classic, rebuilt for modern machines! Explore a maze-like planet as the Knytt, a peaceful being abducted by aliens, find your missing ship parts, and get back home in this zen-like atmospheric platformer.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 36.4%, 2D Platformer 26.9%, Platformer 20.9%, 2D 6.4%, Colorful 5.8%
- #45 Playback Loop
69% matchVery Positive94% of 99 reviews2024
Dev: MapPack
Windows
Carefully capture tracks of your actions, then play them back to solve puzzles with the aid of your recorded ghosts. Immerse yourself in a cerebral first-person puzzle platformer, where strategically thinking several steps ahead is the key to success.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 46.8% ★, Puzzle Platformer 30%, Puzzle 8.5%, Platformer 5.7%, Action 3.5%
- #46 The Art of Reflection
67% matchVery Positive97% of 159 reviews2025
Dev: Hydrozoa
Windows
Traverse mirrors as if they were natural extensions of space to solve puzzles and uncover secrets. Reshape your perspective to perform gravity-shifting acrobatics as you jungle-gym through a sprawling environment. You'll never look in a mirror the same way again.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 47.3%, Puzzle 17.6%, Logic 15.6%, Platformer 7.3%, Colorful 7.1%
- #47 Supaplex
70% matchVery Positive95% of 296 reviews2018
Dev: InArcade
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 8.4 hrs≥1hr: 83%
The legendary game. One of the best action-puzzle games in the world!
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 26.9%, Puzzle 11.5%, 2D Platformer 11.1%, Platformer 10.4%, Logic 9.9%
- #48 Vision Soft Reset
70% matchVery Positive90% of 163 reviews2019
Dev: Seafloor Games LLC
Windows
Perceive the future in this time-loop metroidvania.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 31.3% ★, Time Travel 24.6% ★, 2D Platformer 14.9%, Platformer 13%, Action-Adventure 8.9%
- #49 YAPP: Yet Another Puzzle Platformer
71% matchVery Positive87% of 63 reviews2017
Dev: Artless Games
Windows
A challenging puzzle platformer in which you clone and teleport.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 33.7%, 2D Platformer 24.7%, Platformer 18.2%, Puzzle 10.6%, 2D 5.4%
- #50 MotionRec
65% matchVery Positive100% of 447 reviews2025
Dev: HANDSUMPub: PLAYISM
Windows
MotionRec is a recording puzzle action game where you progress through stages by recording and playing back your own movements.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 35.3% ★, Puzzle Platformer 21.4%, 2D Platformer 14.8%, Action-Adventure 9.3%, Puzzle 8.4%
- #51 Ethan: Meteor Hunter
73% matchMixed61% of 256 reviews2014
Dev: Seaven Studio
Windows
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Freeze time and manipulate the world with endless possibilities: build the solution YOU want where nothing is scripted and levels can be solved in multiple ways. When Super Meat Boy meets Braid, you may die repeatedly and enjoy it!
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 56.1%, Platformer 27.5%, Puzzle 11.5%, Action 4.2%, Adventure 0.7%
- #52 What Lies in the Multiverse
67% matchVery Positive92% of 723 reviews2022
Dev: Studio VoyagerPub: Untold Tales
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 7.6 hrs≥1hr: 66%
A bombastic puzzle platformer about worlds turned inside out. Shift dimensions at the push of a button, solve brain-twisting logistical riddles, and race through the wilds of the multiverse in a bleakly hilarious (and hilariously bleak) story where everything you know can turn on a dime.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 34.6% ★, Puzzle Platformer 21.1%, Time Travel 20.4% ★, 2D Platformer 12.7%, Puzzle 7%
- #53 The Bridge
69% matchVery Positive87% of 4,355 reviews2013
Dev: Ty TaylorPub: The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 87%
The Bridge is a logic puzzle game that forces you to reevaluate your preconceptions of physics and perspective. It is Isaac Newton meets M. C. Escher. Manipulate gravity to redefine the ceiling as the floor while venturing through impossible architectures.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 32.5%, Hand-drawn 15.5%, Puzzle 12%, Logic 10.6%, Platformer 8.5%
- #54 Replay - VHS is not dead
69% matchVery Positive90% of 50 reviews2015
Dev: Team ReplayPub: Neko Entertainment
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 96%
Replay: VHS is not dead is a puzzle/ platform game, set in a movie-based universe. Record your characters’ movements. Use the remote control powers to bend time. Change character and play again to combine their actions.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 47.6%, Platformer 29.2%, Puzzle 20.5%, Adventure 2.7%
- #55 Timespinner
67% matchVery Positive86% of 3,180 reviews2018
Dev: Lunar Ray GamesPub: Chucklefish
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 7.9 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Travel back in time to change fate itself, in this beautifully crafted story-driven adventure, inspired by classic 90s action-platformers. Join timekeeper Lunais on her quest for revenge against the empire that killed her family, using time-bending powers to explore a vast, connected world.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 38% ★, Time Travel 20.1% ★, 2D Platformer 17.8%, Platformer 14.9%, 2D 4.8%
- #56 Way of Rhea
65% matchVery Positive98% of 54 reviews2024
Dev: Games by Mason LLC
Windows · Linux
A puzzle game with challenging puzzles, but forgiving mechanics. Master the use of your color changing staff to solve mind bending puzzles, unlock new areas, and help out your friends. Undo any mistake with the press of a button.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 34.6%, Logic 20.4%, Puzzle 17.1%, Colorful 9.5%, Platformer 5.5%
- #57 Munin
68% matchVery Positive82% of 1,091 reviews2014
Dev: GojiraPub: Daedalic Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 18.1 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Imagine you could move mountains - literally! With realistic physics, Norse runes, rotating platforms and a lot of gray cells you'll help Munin, Odin's messenger in her very own 2D-adventure, to reclaim her power on a journey through Yggdrasil.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 38.7%, Platformer 19.2%, Puzzle 13.1%, 2D Platformer 9.8%, Casual 5.2%
- #58 The Gardens Between
66% matchVery Positive94% of 2,759 reviews2018
Dev: The Voxel Agents
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 8.6 hrs≥1hr: 69%
The Gardens Between is a surreal puzzle adventure that follows best friends, Arina and Frendt, as they fall into a mysterious world of beautiful garden islands. Manipulate time to solve puzzles and discover the secrets of each island.
Why similar: Time Manipulation 32.6% ★, Puzzle Platformer 21.5%, Time Travel 19.1% ★, Logic 9.5%, Puzzle 8.5%
- #59 Super Magbot
66% matchVery Positive84% of 420 reviews2021
Dev: Astral PixelPub: Team17
Windows
Median: 24 minMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 36%
A precise 2D platformer with a twist. NO JUMPING. Master your magnetic powers to beat each level with speed and skill. Enjoy classic 16-bit gaming vibes, tackle challenging achievements and compete for global leaderboard supremacy along the way.
Why similar: Puzzle Platformer 33.4%, 2D Platformer 23.2%, Platformer 17%, Puzzle 8.5%, Action 7.8%
