The 10 Best Puzzle Games of 2023
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- Опубликовано: 11 фев 2025
- 2023 was the best year for puzzle games in a long time! If you're a puzzle newbie or seasoned veteran, there's a game in this list I guarantee you'd love. These are my top 10 puzzle games, ranked by how happy they made me.
Written and directed by: Tyler
Edited by: Ben Ranger and Dan White
Thumbnail by: Ben Ranger
#aliensrock #puzzle #puzzlegame
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I hope you all enjoy! This video is a blend of jokes and opinions, and if you want to learn even more about the games before buying them, I'd recommend checking out my playthroughs down below. If you played the games already, these playthroughs should be a fun watch!
#10: ruclips.net/video/O4kOC6Ih0CA/видео.html
#9: ruclips.net/video/nt8HZYA7el0/видео.html
#8: ruclips.net/video/fplNlBrm6JU/видео.html
#7: ruclips.net/video/1GxeqAeY2ak/видео.html
#6: ruclips.net/video/a13sm4tX3NU/видео.html
#5: ruclips.net/video/0VBo2RmKoxc/видео.html
#4: ruclips.net/video/veVtoq3bZ8M/видео.html
#3: ruclips.net/video/_rmPOfqp4hs/видео.html
#2: ruclips.net/video/O_g2zO9CW1Y/видео.html
#1: ruclips.net/video/o5vQzOlVG7E/видео.html
EXTRAS:
ruclips.net/user/liverlvdGwT7HCo
ruclips.net/video/QkiGv59KKGQ/видео.html
tyler!
Honestly your usual style of humor doesnt work as well for scripted videos
This video is so good! Had a great time watching it.
Tunic was a lot of fun when I played it and the final puzzle was a lot of fun
@@PotofGlue Couldn't agree less, i loved the humor on this one
Heya, Bunburrows dev here 🐇 Thank you so much for this, we're insanely proud of bunburrows and heck we're glad it resonated with so many people!
Also dropping to say this: the grind being too grindy is probably the top 1 feedback we got and hearing you say it finally did the job of convincing me lol On top of adding hints and missing babies help system, we'll probably lower that one requirement so everyone can enjoy the new update when it drops!
However do not expect to be free of The Grind™️ just yet, there's still so so many more baby bunnies on the way~
Was Bunburrows always planned to be an insane meta-puzzle game, Or did it start out as a simple bunny-chasing game and accidentally gained sentience?
I really love Paquerette Down the Bunburrows. Like, a lot. Like, a whole lot. You have no idea. I love it so much that it is inexplicable, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure that I have an unhealthy obsession. I will never get tired of listening that sweet, angelic soundtrack of it. It is my life goal to 100% the game.
I fall asleep at night dreaming of playing the game, and that the bunnies would be so tired that they come and cuddle up to me while we sleep together. If I could just hold the bunnies for a brief moment, I could die happy. If given the opportunity, I would lightly nibble on their cute long ears just to hear what kind of sweet squeaks they would let out. Then, I would hug them while they cling to my body hoping that I would give them carrots, but I only continue to catch them in my traps.
I would give up almost anything just for Paquerrete to look in my general direction. No matter what I do, I am constantly thinking of her. When I wake up, she is the first thing on my mind. When I go to school, I can only focus on her. When I go come home, I go on the computer so that I can watch and learn how to catch bunnies that escaped to endlessly deep and convoluted caverns. When I go to sleep, I dream of her and I catching bunnies together. The game is my pride, passion, and joy. If she were to call me to help her hunt down and breed the last few bunnies, I would probably get diabetes from the sweetness of the little kitties (baby bunnies) and die.
I wish for nothing but your happiness. If it were for Paquerette Down the Bunburrows, I would give my life without any second thoughts. Without it, my life would serve no purpose. I really love Paquerette Down the Bunburrows.
I think you should actually make ×%
i never thought i will get addicted to a game about bunholes
You are awesome keep the good work
@Lenophie I think the worst part of the grind is not about not knowing what to do, but to do the same puzzle over and over again just to be able to follow a different path. Like you added the auto-solve thing, maybe you can add an auto-solve for stacking bunnys you already stacked before.
we are so back
We are soooooo back
We are sooooooo back
It's not Joever, we're so Barrack
We are sooooooooooo back
We are quite back 🧐
tyler has been a known closeted memer in his videos before, but it's only really here in this video essay where we get to see his true sense of humor and meme taste. I never knew he was a level 7 memelord until now and it's such a unique and different take on his usual video style. I love it
Hell yeah, thought it'd be fun to let everyone know I've got the shitpost gene
@@Aliensrock "Shitpost gene" 😭
@@AliensrockNow I understand why you’re apart of Puzzleholes Anonymous
Uses the nickname dildo bike ffs lol
Back when I watched him stream bloons I knew he was a shitposter so seeing this was a hit of nostalgia from his old content
“Tyler and most of his editors do not endorse crack” Alright fess up. Who’s the one endorsing crack
👉👈
It's the one dentist out of ten
The guy at the end clearly 19:52
I'm not one of his editors, but I also endorse
@@BenBenRanger ITS HIM
Terra Nil actually being a puzzle game make so much sense looking back at it.
Goes to show how much impact properly understanding what your game is, and marketing it correctly, can have on a game's success.
I still wouldn't see Terra Nil as a puzzle game. More of a meditative game. It's too open ended to have any dominant solutions as a traditional puzzle and lacks the interconnected systems needed to be in the problem variety.
Just by the intro alone, i can tell that the editors but a lot of effort into this video, can't wait to see it all
You were NOT joking about you guys going all in on editing. (I am only 20 seconds into the video and can still tell)
I'd like to thank Tyler for keeping my interest in the puzzle game genre going. So much so that I finally pushed myself to finish Infinifactory and TIS-100 after he started playing the former on Patreon. I only asked for help in TIS a single time, which, given how crazy difficult that game is, I would say is impressive. He's introduced me to so many good games that I might never have known about otherwise.
At first I was curious why Patrick’s parabox was only a mention and then I looked up it came out in 2022, man last year was a blur.
At this point it’s so weird that Can of Wormholes has only been out a year. It’s been engrained in my brain so hard as a legendary puzzle game that it feels like it’s always been there
Well that just means the devs made a very good game
Edit: apparently it was one dev, amazing
Same lmao
@@BaconNuke DEV singular. absolutely insanely, can of wormholes was made by 1 australian dude as his first game.
@@mothy4310 WHAT?! One dev's *first* game?! Damn that is impressive
Wow, i knew your videos would be better after the break but I didn't expect such a jump in quality! It's good to see you back
Can of wormholes was the game that got me interested in this channel. I could not wait even the day you uploaded a different game. I am so happy it is on the number one spot. I even stayed up untill 11 to watch it as soon as the episodes came out.
Watching Tyler appear on my home screen again legitimately brought me joy.
can of wormholes is the ultimate puzzle game in the world. I especially love that "what the fuck I could have done that the whole time???" moment near the end of the series
I'm glad you liked it!
@@muntedfinger You've knocked it out of the park, people may make better games but that one moment is truly unbeatable. What puzzles did you take as inspiration for can of wormholes I wonder?
@@ThatNerdGuy0 Stephen’s Sausage Roll was the primary inspiration - I strongly recommend it!
9:19 the clip of the people walking in that game with the gold statue named goldy whose name i forget fits that line so perfectly
Humanity! Yeah, the clip choice and editing in this is top notch.
First thing i thought of when starting to watch the video was the "Can of wormholes". Literally that was the most fun series to watch in a long time and i agree a lot with it being on top 1. Thanks tyler for your content.
-someone with a pc bad enough to not be able to play puzzle games
real
Nice list, I've played most of the games on the list and completely agree!! The only thing I would change is that mosa lina was one of my favorite puzzle games of 2023
“A puzzle is meant to be fun only once”
As someone who forgets how they solved puzzles a year later, puzzle games have a lot of replayability for me. Still fun to solve multiple times!
Same
0:00 Finally, after several years, Aliensrock finally has a pilot episode.
2:12 Come on, strike me down, Zeus! You don't have the- **dies** Numbah noine. Numbah noine. Numbah noine.
9:47 Hopium.
19:52 Anyone want some crack?
finally finally indeed
I personally am not a huge puzzle fan, I don't think I'm smart enough make it past the tutorial of many puzzle games, but I have been consistently watching for a few years and have thoroughly enjoyed watching you figure out how each game works. This past year has been really enjoyable and this channel has always been a comfort channel, thank you and keep up the good work!
A lot of puzzle games are quite accessible. Take the portal series for example. Very approachable with the weirdness of getting used to portals broadly carrying the "ah ha!" Moments of the game. Rather than ramping up the challenge.
There are games under the umbrella of puzzle games that make it pretty easy to finish a level but hard to score well (see opus magnum, Human resource machine, etc). Which definitely helps avoid the making you feel bad about failing to solve the puzzle problem.
Honestly I’m not really one to play a puzzle game, in fact I don’t even remember the last time I played one myself. But Tyler has always been a phenomenal person to watch, not just for content, but for jokes and everything else. I must admit, I was very excited to see that you put Can of Wormholes at the top of your list. It was an extraordinary series, just like the rest of the games on this list, both to watch and to try to crack at the puzzles vicariously through Tyler.
Massive shoutouts to both Tyler and his editors, whom I am very excited to see flourish in the months and series to come. Here’s to a great 2024 with another banger of a top 10 at the end!
yeah this list seems pretty much perfectly accurate for me. Can of Wormholes was so good that I was paying attention to the pattern of uploads so I could watch it as soon as the next video came out. My only complaint is that it ended
Void stranger was probably my favourite puzzle game of last year, i understand how the meta stuff not being immediately obvious could put someone off though.
The problem with Void Stranger is largely that it doesn't respect the player's time, and doesn't care at all if the player does the exact same floors multiple times. Even after discovering the meta stuff, you'll still be seeing the same floors and repeating the same motions again and again. The developers really should've examined the floors they created and scrapped the boring ones. I think this game is a testament as to why other Sokoban-type games like Eggerland and Little Magic are just levels you complete once and that's it. Hopefully the developers of Void Stranger learn this lesson, and try a different sort of game genre that's more complementary for what they were going for.
meta stuff should never be obvious, that's not the problem. the problem is you need a zen-like amount of patience to really get to the good stuff.
I love the effort, I love the top 10 choices and mostly agree with their placement on this list (mostly), even my joke-o-meter is screeching from how stacked this video is with well edited and thought out jokes! If this is the beginning, then gosh darn it all we're in for one heck of a year!
I'm a big fan of Void Stranger. Takes about 30hrs for the Stockholm Syndrome to kick in and you realize it's less puzzle and more meta narrative.
Beside that, great to have you back. I'd like some of that crac... I mean Islands of Insight if you have any more.
I disagree on that. I see it as a puzzle game with two layers. Each level is its own puzzle, but the game's overarching mechanics add an unexpected depth to it.
I played 20 hours and disliked literally every thing about it
@@acblook why on earth did you play longer than 3? If you hated it you should have given up. No point torturing yourself.
@@csidesummit had a bunch of friends who kept telling me it gets super crazy good eventually and it's all about taking notes and deducing a grand mystery of an interesting world
I basically thought it was going to turn into a completely different game but when I finished everything in act 1 and then it restarted and act 2 was the exact same thing except all the puzzles are worse i gave up on it
@@csidesummit had a bunch of friends who kept telling me it gets really good after a while and that it turns into like a grand mystery and it never did
Hello Tyler. This video was worth the wait. Amazing editing as well!
I rarely leave comments on the videos, but I just wanted to drop in to say that the amount of effort put into this really shows in quality. I don't think I've seen anyone on RUclips make a "simple" top 10 games list as entertaining as this one. Good job Tyler and the editors!
I can see the amount of effort put into this, extremely well done
This whole video was phenomenal. Well worth the wait. Welcome back, Tyler.
I'm glad to see Sennaar's ending sequence didn't punish its ranking too much.
Can of Wormholes is legit the game that introduced me to your videos. Saw someone mention it as an example of good game design in a youtube comment, and recommended your playthrough (for your commentary iirc), and I subscribed pretty quickly.
I was rooting for can of wormholes since I saw the title and am so happy to see it got the top spot here, but looking back at all of these other contenders and remembering each series- it really was up against some fantastic competition! I was never really into puzzle games before 2023, but since watching you more and more I started playing some myself and it's now one of my favorite genres! I personally am a huge fan of coop puzzle games now as well, but I would like to recommend Killer Frequency to those solo puzzlers out there- especially if you like mystery, horror and first person puzzles.
Wow I was not prepared for a revolution 9 joke. As a huge Beatles fan that took me off guard! Love the video!
This is an excellent way to kick off this new era of Tyler & Co. Engaging, thoughtful, funny, informative, creatively-edited, well written-this is incredible!
Tunic is such a good game glad you mentioned it here
did he ever stream it/make videos?
Void Stranger is a strange one. It's full of "holy shit" mind blowing moments but it doesn't advertise itself.
You have to dig for them and solve mysteries you didn't even know were there at first.
It is grind, but holy crap it delivers and in such an unique way
If you were binge watching Aliensrock in 2023, then you definitely knew which puzzle game was number 1, each and every one of those episodes were so good and we were even the ones playing
Nice to have you back, Tyler! And the editing team, of course. Banger video
You can make a tier list of puzzle games based on the difficulty, so begginers can progress from easier to harder
Also great video, very funny, good to have you back 👌
Happy to see Void Strangers get a call out! It's a great game, but I agree that it can get a bit tedious at times (especially at the beginning).
I'm glad he at least checked it out. game takes a heavy investment but it's worth it
You can tell a LOT of work went into the script and production of this video, I was hooked all the way through. I’ve played nearly every game on this list and will be picking up the remaining few immediately.
I didn’t realise N Step Steve was released in 2022 so my heart was beating pretty hard after number 2 was shown and I hadn’t seen it yet. I’m absolutely floored and honoured by this result considering how many amazing games are in the list. I never imagined that when releasing my lil game it could take #1 spot in a list like this ❤
Bring on 2024’s list!
The second before he said the name, I smiled and said to myself "CAN OF WORMHOLES!", and it really was cool to see such a well thought out and creative game be honoured with the #1 spot! Definitely a deserved triumph!
Now tell CtC to play can of wormholes, they HAVE to after showing that subtle advertisement, right?!
@@lizzyvv447 whos CtC?
@@E.EE. Cracking the Cryptic
Haven’t watched the video yet but I can’t wait to watch a nice, peaceful puzzle game tier list without any innuendos or references to segregation!
Tyler can be so predictable sometimes...
i knew from the start can of wormholes would be #1. i rewatch that series on the regular, the way it guides players through new understandings and ah-ha moments is unmatched
For me, Talos Principle 2 was my GOTY. I'm a sucker for environmental puzzle design, so I loved playing this. Chants of Sennaar, Can of Wormholes and Paquerette down the Bunburrows I also adored due to their wonderful puzzle designs, amazing mechanics and moments of inspiration.
Also my shout-out from 2022 is Rethink 4. I love this series and I really enjoyed the step-up from the previous games. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes the idea of solving laser puzzles in 3D environments.
I am in love with the 2023 game tierlist. I hope that you continue this into the next year. I am so glad you are back and with renewed energy! We all wish you another wonderful year.
So good to see you back, no wonder it took so long to make this video, it is amazing. I love watching your channel grow and you are definitely my favorite RUclipsr. I am so excited to see more videos from you and I am so happy you seem refreshed and ready to make more content. I hope you have a wonderful day because you deserve it.
The Arbys nearly made me spit out my coffee lmao
i was almost going to check the release date of certain game but the game was put in first place and i agree with him, i really liked the series of this game in the channel. great video.
I'm getting into game designing and if I ever make a puzzle game I'm 100% gonna take can of wormholes hints system into consideration
Honestly it's crazy to think that Can of Wormholes came in 2023, it hasn't been a year since the end of the series but I miss it so much
Such a refreshing video essay Tyler, i loved the jokes and your insights on the games + the editing is what we are used to from your videos but enhanced for video essay.
Just i want to critique something that i hope will help you since this is your first video, it's that you're clearly reading from a script xD and tbh you can't escape doing that the first time and it needs time to get used to it. I felt more connected to your jokes and game discussions in your regular videos since you let your personality shine there and speak from your heart which you can't put on a script. But i know you can nail this for the next video essay since you're one of the few youtubers who constantly work on improving themselves and not just repeat what works.
Such a high quality vid! Welcome back Tyler
I kinda disagree about the Talos Principle. As someone who considers myself relatively skilled in puzzles, I will say that the later parts of the Talos Principle were genuinely challenging, and certainly not "turn-your-brain-off puzzles." However, you've been playing puzzles for far longer than I have and are probably way better at them than I was, so I can understand where you're coming from. Everything else (like the story and optional puzzles not being as strong as TP1) I 100% agree with.
I honestly forgot how genuinely funny and entertaining you are. I’m so happy you and your editors are back.
Wow the editing is impeccable I can't wait for more! Welcome back!
This is such a well edited video, im truly amazed. Fantastic way to start 2024
I cant Express how happy i am to see you back tyler. This Channel was without a doubt my favourite and i have missed it. Much love from Denmark :)
Really good video, I haven't played most of these games but the video made me really interested in trying them out myself, even though I have already watched some of the series from start to finish 😄. Already excited to see what content you'll cook up next!
Just finished Chants of Sennaar, it was one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. Loved almost every moment of it, even some sneak sections.
Such an awesome first video after the break! So much effort! Thank you!!
This was so sick the jokes were amazing and actually still managed to have good content 👏 👏 👏
I’m glad you mentioned mosa lina even though you didn’t like it. It’s very fun
I already know the number 1 is either can of wormholes or the bunny thing, i watch every single episode of the puzzle, and i love it
Mosa Lina is probably my favorite game of 2023, but I agree with most of your points. The fun of it is the execution, and the randomized abilities give way for on-the-spot thinking. It's definitely more of a platformer than a puzzle game.
Please give Void Stranger more of a try the puzzles and meta puzzles do get much harder if you stick with it, but the main reason to play is the great story and lore.
I was pretty sure Can of Wormholes would make it to your #1 spot, and I'm glad it did. Such a perfect puzzle game, I've truly never seen anything like it before or since.
Great video as always, love to see you back, especially with a new format. If there's one thing I have to say about this video, it's that you have to back to Void Stranger. The puzzles at the very beginning of the game are very simple, but that's for a reason, a reason you can only find out by going further into the game. Knowing the puzzles you tend to like, I can near guarantee that Void Stranger would be right up your alley, you just need to give it a little more time.
Void Stranger shoutout is huge, I 100% see why it isn't your type of game (at the start, at least) but I don't think many creators are willing to say "this isn't for me, but others might like it." That being said, MINOR SPOILERS BELOW, but if there were ever a reason for you (or anyone craving really hard puzzles) to try this game, this would be it:
(Again, this is a spoiler)
The game features an unlockable "hard mode" after beating the game in which EVERY room is completely revamped to be significantly more difficult. I never spent a significant amount of time on any normal mode puzzles, but multiple hard mode puzzles have taken me 30+ minutes and I've only gotten through about 1/5 of them. The normal mode is much more of a narrative experience than a challenging puzzle game, but hard mode has been agonizingly difficult.
This is by far the best Top 10 video I’ve ever seen, hands down.
Void Stranger is my favorite game of the year, possibly of all time. It gets better. There is so much going on under the surface. I highly recommend diving back in.
I hope tyler would make it less obvious he's reading from a script in future essays. Its really eerie ngl
Yeah that's something I only realized after recording most the lines. Lesson learned, should be better for the next go at it!
great video! 2023 was definitely a stacked year for puzzle games, and ive been enjoying your playthroughs of them a lot. here's to a good 2024!
HE IS BACK ! I 100% agree with Can of Wormholes for first place, what a great game
Thank you!
Im very glad Void Stranger got a (dis)honorable mention here. Its something that upon playing I knew you would absolutely not enjoy, but for those who can enjoy the semi-sokoban main gameplay and who are willing to note down *every detail* you come across, it is a golden game with so much depth and meta twists. Take no mechanic at face value and look for all the secrets, if you do play. Absolutely not a game for everyone, but it has many of those "Aha" and "I could have done that the whole time?" moments. I will say it has...not drawbacks, exactly, as these are intentional design choices that add to the experience, but would absolutely make it less enjoyable to plenty of those who would try it. You will have moments where you lose plenty of "progress", the puzzles will get exceptionally hard and taking too many tries is punished, if you dont question the right details you may miss out on progression, and finding *what* to do next can be very difficult after beating the obvious track of puzzles.
Very good video overall, and thank you for an excuse to ramble about this game.
the channel seems to be going in a fun direction, i like that
i hope this video becomes viral somehow for more people to find your channel
it is great to see him back in action, with a smile on his face and recharged. i cant wait too see what this year has in store for us for this year!
I am so happy that Tyler is back.
Love the videos and this Tierlist was amazing. Couldn't agree with you more
Such a great video Tyler! Really looking forward to this schedule, you've been my favorite content creator for a while so I'm happy to see you so motivated :)
I like how it’s noted that most of his editors don’t endorse crack, as if they know at least one of them do
Great video, love hearing your more in-depth thoughts about the games' designs. Please do this every year!
Can of wormholes and a monsters expedition are some of my favorite series ever!
It's so nice to see you back, my youtube feed is not the same without Aliensrock videos c: I hope this new schedule will work better for you (:
Video essays have always been one of my favourite video forms, and having them come from my favourite RUclipsr is just sick.
THANK YOU for being honest about Talos 2 and Cocoon. I would say that Void Stranger does get vastly more interesting later but that in itself is a valid criticism.
In addition, I think Humanity should’ve been included as a notable mention.
I remember CoW! That was such a great series of videos.
I think one of my favourite puzzle games last year has been the golden Idol dlc, it was so fun to watch, but I presume just like n step its technically not 2023, glad to have you back tyler
Welcome back Tyler! This video format is amazing I really hope to see videos with similar structure in the future ❤
i just wanna say that, with me and multiple friends I've watched play the game, getting through the first few hours of void stranger is a bit exhausting but so unbelievably worth it in the end. i do agree that the base gameplay should be more interesting when piling layers on top of it, but in a way i feel like it needs to be this way specifically with how this game unfurls itself. if you still don't wanna go through with it i completely understand, but i encourage giving it another try 🙏
damn these aliens really do rock (glad to have been here for these puzzles and i can’t wait for what’s yet to come on this channel)
Lol 5:53 that notification was timed sooo perfectly
I think what hooked me most on Tyler is Can of Wormholes so I'm so glad it's first on the list. After the end of the series I had a semi depression where I was just so bored of everything I watched wanting more Can of Wormholes
i watched you play cant live without electricity and thought it was really fun to watch but wasnt sure what the playing experience would be like i was worried it would be to bitty but after watching this recap video i decided to buy the game and omg was it worth it, it is so much fun the amount of times a solution feels impossible only to find it after a hard mental push and then two turns later it throw another spanner in, in the same place and after much more thought being able to find another solution. the game fits together very elegantly and i am enjoying my time in the game as challenging as it can be
As a certified Video Essay consumer, an awesome first start Tyler! I thought the absolute assault of memes was a little jarring and I'm not used to just a facecam existing on the screen(It's usually either just an entire shot of someone talking to the screen or no face at all), I still had fun. Excited to see more epic Aliensrock puzzle game video essays.
I knew can of wormholes would be number 1 it was so goooood and a fun watch seeing tyler play it
Tyler, Void Stranger has meta puzzles, u can do more than what intuitives. And it'll make your game very easier, hopefully to be playable.
Yes you need to be creative.
This was such a good video, I absolutely loved it
dang this video's kinda peak with the editing. Keep up the good work dude!
I loved the Hugbeez-esque humor combined with great opinions and explanations of the games! I would love to see you do videos like this every year. together with with one for upcoming games in a year. Your scripted humor really is great
I did not expect this video to be so funny! Great list of games that I definitely will be checking out, and a fantastic video! Glad you’re back Tyler. Make stuff you like!
Great video! Really enjoyed your perspectives and watching these throughout the year, even though my preferences are different (which you highlighted fairly). For example, 4 of these games are what I'd call "box pushers", which for me lose my interest after a couple levels. I was fortunate to play Talos 2 on a huge curved monitor, and some of the landscapes had me in awe of what they'd built, while the story kept me hooked. Anyway, thanks for this - a couple on here I'll need to check out!