About puzzle games
Puzzle games are about seeing the answer before you move. Sort colours, slide blocks, connect lines, clear boards or untangle knots, and each level adds one new idea on top of the last.
They suit short breaks because you can stop after any level and pick up where you left off. If you get stuck, look at the board from the end state backwards: which piece has to move last? Many puzzle games here also offer an undo or a restart button, so experimenting costs nothing.
Types of puzzle games
Match 3 games
Match-three games are about swapping neighbouring pieces to line up three or more of the same kind. Clear them and the board drops down, sometimes setting off a chain. Levels add goals, from collecting a certain colour to freeing trapped pieces within a move limit.
Mahjong games
Browser mahjong is the solitaire version: tiles are stacked in a layout and you remove them in matching pairs, but only tiles that are free on at least one side. Mahjong connect is a flat variant where two matching tiles can be cleared if a short path joins them.
Sudoku games
Sudoku asks you to fill a 9×9 grid so every row, column and 3×3 box holds the digits 1 to 9 once. The browser versions here offer several difficulty levels, pencil notes and a hint when you are stuck, and most will check your answer as you go.
Hidden object games
Hidden object games give you a detailed scene and a list of things to find in it. Some wrap that in a story, with a detective, a hotel to restore or a mystery to solve; others are pure searching, like find-the-difference pictures.
Bubble shooter games
Bubble shooters are one of the simplest game ideas that still works: fire a coloured bubble into the cluster above and pop any group of three or more of the same colour. Clear the board, or keep it from reaching the bottom.
Brain games
Brain games are short puzzles built around one skill: remembering a sequence, spotting a pattern, doing a quick sum or answering a question against the clock. A few minutes a day is the point; they are designed to be picked up between other things.
Our picks
- Hidden Object: Clues and Mysteries: Hidden Object: Clues and Mysteries turns the classic hidden-object game into a detective story.
- Flag Memory Match: Flag Memory Match is a card-matching memory game with flags from 98 countries.
- Hidden Object: Street Of Secrets: Hidden Object: Street of Secrets makes you the lead detective on a mysterious case.
- Good Sort Master: Triple Match: Good Sort Master: Triple Match is a relaxing shelf-sorting game.
- Math Fight Club: Math Fight Club turns arithmetic into a boxing match.
Questions
What are the best free puzzle games?
Our picks right now: Hidden Object: Clues and Mysteries, Flag Memory Match, Hidden Object: Street Of Secrets, Good Sort Master: Triple Match, Math Fight Club. Each one has a full review with tips on its page.
Are these puzzle games free?
Yes. All 2,474 puzzle games on EarnVera are free to play in your browser, with no download and no account.
Can I play puzzle games on my phone?
Most games work on phones, tablets and computers. Open a game and press Play; turn your phone sideways for games that play in landscape.