Image via Complex Original
Puzzle video games have been around since the beginning of the media. In fact, one of the first ever video games was a Tic-Tac-Toe reboot called OXO (also referred to as Noughts and Crosses) made by Alexander S. Douglass back in 1951. Since those days of computers the size of armored trucks, puzzle video games have occupied countless mobile devices from phones to specialized portable consoles like the Nintendo Game Boy and the PlayStation Vita. Puzzle games have a way of being engaging without the need to invest too much attention. Players can stop playing at anytime and not feel like they're interrupting an important part of a story. Most importantly, puzzlers trancend special interests or niche tastes. Anyone can pick up a game like Tetris and have fun with it. It's by far the most accessible of genres in video games and it's near impossible to find a person who doesn't have at least one favorite.
This is why Puzzle video games have been able to be successful for so long and so many have been developed. There are however some that turn the genre on its head and redefine the concept of a great puzzler. Not to say that one type of puzzle game is better than another—they can all be awesome but there is something to be said about the impact games like Angry Birds and Cooking Mama had. This list will shed light on the mobile puzzle titles that will never die.
RELATED: The 50 Best Puzzle Games of All Time
10. Brain Age (2006)
Developer: Nintendo
Awesome puzzle games don't always have to be object or character based. Brain Age broke the mold by teasing brains with exercises in math, memory and other forms of mental agility. A perfect example is a test where the names of different colors are displayed and the player is asked to respond with color of the word instead of the word itself. Nintendo admits that there isn't any scientific proof that Brain Age will improve your mind but it is based on the studies of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, a neuroscientist who is the face of the game.
9. Unblock Me (2009)
Developer: Kiragames
Anyone who remembers the old school plastic puzzles where squares have to be moved around to create a picture will instantly recognize the fundamentals of Unblock Me. In order to progress, players have to shift wooden blocks around until they can move a special red block off the screen. What makes Unblock Me such an addictive experience is the same thing that made the Rubik's Cube so popular in the 1980s. It triggers a sense progress even if you're screwing up. It's that sense brief sense of satisfaction and anticipation of solving the puzzle that works as the perfect digital carrot-on-a-stick.
8. Cooking Mama (2006)
Developer: Nintendo
Nintendo's super, Japanese influenced puzzler/simulator gamified the art of food prep and cooking while other developers were stuck on shapes and objects. As stressful as it would be to chop, mix and monitor stove burners would be, the fun of Cooking Mama was nestled in its use of unconventional touch screen interaction. The game made players tap to chop ingredients, swipe to add them to pots and other fun ways to interact with the objects on-screen. This ultimately made way for developers to come up with new ways of having gamers interact with their titles.
7. Words With Friends (2009)
Developer: Zynga
In theory, a Scrabble knock-off should have failed as an app but the concept of allowing players to participate at their lesuire is a feature that brightened the future of Words With Friends. When a player takes a turn, the other player doesn't have to take theirs immediately. This allows for players to have a number of active rounds from different people. While boasting the use of some of the English language's toughest words, Words With Friends sent people to thesaurases and dictionaries in the process, extending the vocabulary of millions.
6. Temple Run (2011)
Developer: Imangi Studios
Running and jumping games never go out of style and Temple Run is solid proof that there is still an audience that appreciates it. Imangi Studio's challenges players to guide Guy Danger through a series of obstacles to collect treasure. Since controlling Guy is as simple as swiping in different directions, Temple Run became popular with commuters who didn't want to put too much thought into a game on the go. Temple Run didn't do as much merchandising as its peers but there were collaborations with Disney for a Wizard of Oz and Brave branded release where players took control of the main characters of the films.
5. Plants vs. Zombies (2009)
Developer: Pop Cap
At a time when tower defense games were exclusive to a small, niche audience, Plants vs. Zombies was released an was able to put a spin on the sub-genre. While most other games in the pond were either based in space or a medievel fantasy world, Pop Cap went the humorous route and included cartoonish zombies as the antagonist to adorable plants and flowers. The success of PvZ can most be credited to it's mainstream accessibility and appeal to tower defense game enthusiasts alike. As Rovio has done, the PvZ franchise has also moved into merchandising with a load of lifestyle goods, toys and board games. Thanks to Plants vs. Zombies, tower defense is no longer exclusive to obssessive gamers with control issues. People in every demographic can O.C.D. out in the name of fun.
4. Candy Crush Saga (2012)
Developer: King
Bejeweled may have started the fire in the match-three style of puzzlers but Candy Crush Saga is what reignited it. By using objects that looked like familiar pieces of candy and combining it with a storyline, King Games' masterpiece caught the attention of millions. Since its initial launch, Candy Crush Saga has become the fastest selling mobile game in history. The title's way of keeping players addicted is creating an almost-won type of feeling sort of like gambling. Players become so invested into the gameplay that King's in-game purchase options (most being $1) become easily justifiable. So in addition to growing into a pop culture staple, Candy Crush Saga designed the blueprint on how to make money without gouging fans.
3. Angry Birds (2009)
Developer: Rovio
When Rovio rushed the mobile games world with Angry Birds, there weren't too many physics-based titles out. That along with adorable characters and a hilarious story took the game from hit title to monumental franchise. Using a slingshot to launch irate birds at evil pigs was funny enough but that wasn't the end of the game's attraction. The use of angles, force and physics created an addictive element that made players obssess over toppling the pigs' structures.
The Angry Birds franchise has branched out into a merchandising giant with everything from toys to an upcoming film directed by Fergal Reilly of Spider-Man 2 and Clay Kaytis of Tangled. If all that merchandising reminds you of Star Wars--another merchandising giant, it probably did the same thing to Rovio who teamed up with the classic Star Wars franchise to create Angry Birds Star Wars like a boss.
2. Bejeweled (2001)
Developer: Pop Cap
Responsible for the popularity of the match-three style of puzzle games, Bejeweled can be found on almost every platform in existence. Whether it be an old-school PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a high end gaming PC, anyone can get access to the game. Since its debut, Bejeweled has gone through numerous reinventions including "Goldmine" mode, "Butterflies" and the most recent, "Blitz." In the mobile games arena, the old die young but Bejeweled remains as one of the titles that represents the exception.
1. Tetris (1984)
Developer: Alexey Pajitnov
If you like many others who have played hours of Tetris seen falling shapes whenever you close your eyes, then it's obvious that Alexey Pajitov's timeless classic remains at the top of any list of great puzzle video games. Since its release on mobile phones in 2005, Tetris has sold over 100 million copies, not counting home computer and console sales. But it was its release for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1989 that really got heads addicted.
Still today, the 8-bit version of the nineteenth-century Russian folk song "Korobeiniki" remains synonymous with the gray and purple portable gaming device.
