When you play video games what do you think? Or do you really think at all? Well, these games are sure to make you think about how you view games. In these games, you are forced to use your head and figure out puzzles. Some of them may just make you think over your views on life. This list of 10 games is full of gems across the video game world, and whether they are well known or not, you are guaranteed to enjoy these games!

Lorelei And The Lazer Eyes (2024)

In this game you play as a mysterious woman given an invite to work on a project in a mansion. Throughout the mansion you will find that this place isn’t all as it seems, with over 100 different puzzles that can be solved in different orders. This mansion isn’t a nice vacation, as the owner seems to be oddly vague and covered in drops of red. Lorelei And The Lazer Eyes is a difficult puzzle game developed by Simogo and is recommended to be played with a notebook in hand. This game was given the award for “Best Independent Game” with a player rating of about 9.5/10. (Platforms: Playstation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam)

Night In The Woods (2017)

You are Mae, a college dropout returning back to your falling-apart hometown. As you look closer the town seems different, and almost sinister after an arm is found outside the local diner. In this game you explore and talk to the townspeople, make choices, and you catch up with your old friends. Night In The Woods is an adventure story game developed by Infinite Fall, published by Finji with an overall player rating of 9/10. This game was given the “BAFTA Games Award for Narrative” and really emphasizes how time flies and life changes so fast. (Platforms: Playstation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam)

Inscryption (2021)

This cabin isn’t what it seems; after all, you awoke here with no memory of how you got there. A card game is laid before you and you are forced to play until your last mistake is made, and with a flash you are dead. Time to play, again, and again, and again. There’s more than just the game; this cabin is full of mysteries and some cards have even started talking to you. Inscryption is a roguelike card game with a hint of horror developed by Daniel Mullins Games with a player score of 9.5/10. Awarded with the “BAFTA Games Award for Best Game” this game is all about strategy and a search for the OLD_D – we really shouldn’t talk about it. (Platforms: Playstation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam)

Omori (2020)

Headspace is your safe place; it has been for a while. You spend time with your friends and banish foes, but you’re going to have to wake up sometime. In this game you are Sunny, and you spend time between your dreamworld and the real world while spending time with your friends Kel, Hero, and Aubrey. In this colorful RPG you face difficult topics such as depression and anxiety as you explore these two contrasting worlds. Developed and published by Omocat, this game is phenomenal and not afraid to face difficult subjects. With a player rating of 9.5/10, this is a must play game. (Platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Series X & S, Steam)

Slay The Princess (2023)

“You’re here to slay her. If you don’t, it will be the end of the world.” This initiative story game is all about perception and choices, and everything makes a difference whether large or small. Through this game there are no wrong choices: no matter what you do, the princess will morph to your perspective, but all you have to do is slay her and save the world. That can’t be too hard, right? Developed by Black Tabby Games this game takes a deep dive into how choices change your view on the world. This game was named “One Of The Best Games Of 2023” by tons of people with a player rating of 9.5/10. It will make you face the truth of how far you would go, even if it risked the world. (Platforms: Playstation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam)

Superhot VR (2016)

This game, compared to the rest, is the brain break of the group. However, there is still a lot to wonder about this game. Like, for example, why are you here, and what does “Superhot” mean? Developed by the SUPERHOT Team with a player rating of 9/10 this is a phenomenal fighting game and probably the best exercise you can get in VR. (Platforms: Steam VR, Playstation 4 VR, Meta VR)

Mouthwashing (2024)

You have to take responsibility, at least after the accident. In this game you play between Jimmy and Curly as you slowly learn the true story of this place. Stuck on a space freighter, the crew slowly gets worse and worse as you run out of supplies and sanity. This psychological horror game is developed by Wrong Organ and has a unique nonlinear narrative as it switches from after and before the accident. Survival isn’t as simple as it seems when nightmares and the truth haunt you, while you care for a person who can barely be called one. Winning the “Horror game awards for best narrative and player choice”, and player rating of 10/10, this is a must play for any horror fan. (Platform: Steam)

Season: A Letter To The Future (2023)

The world will end soon, and you are tasked with documenting the world before then. In this game you play as Estelle, a young woman who writes about and documents the world. As you bike around, leaving your small town, you talk to people as you try to find as much as you can to leave for the people of the future. This beautifully made game is breathtaking and a message about how the past affects the future. Developed and published by Scavengers Studio, this game was awarded “2023 Webby Awards best independent creator”. With a rating of 9/10, this game will make you realize that the world isn’t as large as it seems. (Platforms: Playstation 4 & 5, Steam)

I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream (1995)

Based on the Harlan Ellison short story by the same name, this point and click adventure game will probably make you think the most about the story. Five people are trapped by a sentient AI and he hates them with all his being. In this point-and-click horror/puzzle game you play as the tortured humans in their attempt to be freed from the AI named “AM”. Developed by Cyperdreams and The Dreamers Guild with a player rating of 9/10 and amazing voice acting, this game is sure to make you question society as a whole. “Cogito ergo sum.” (Platforms: Steam, DOS)

I Expect You To Die 1-3 (2016-2023)

Agent Phoenix is tasked with helping save the world. Throughout this VR experience you must solve difficult puzzles with your cunning and smarts. You use your telekinesis to help solve puzzles and piece together how to stop the enemy. This game is sure to get your heart pumping as you face poison gas, bombs, and deadly lasers. With its amazing music and well made intro and theme song, this is sure to get you hooked into the story and feeling as if you’re actually there. Developed by Schell Games, this series has made it to three games currently, with a possible fourth one on the way. With its amazing challenges to keep you hooked, the third game won “Grand Winner awards from NYX in its category”. All 3 games in the series have a player rating of 10/10. This is the best puzzle game I’ve ever played, not even mentioning how immersive the handler helps make it feel. (Platforms: Steam VR, Meta VR, Playstation 4 VR)

In the end, all of these games are masterfully created and honed to show their true message. No matter how old or new, all these games will surely make you strategize or even think about views on things in the real world. I hope you will give some of these games a try, as you may be missing out on something you needed to hear in your life. Happy playing!