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Puzzle games like Portal and QUBE?

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Like the title says, what are some puzzle games like Portal and Qube? Unique puzzle mechanics, minimalistic environments, and an air of mystery.

     
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Return of the Obra Dinn.

     

See you around, wolf. Nerissa

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Karlok - 30 June 2019 06:37 PM

Return of the Obra Dinn.

Indeed.


And The Witness and The Talos Principle are both great puzzle games each with a unique, focused, gameplay. EDIT : And an air of mystery Smile

     
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We’ve covered quite a few here in the past. The most Portal/QUBE-like are:

Magrunner and Project Temporality
Quantum Conundrum and Antichamber

More recent releases include The Turing Test, Unknown Fate, The Spectrum Retreat, and The Enigma Machine.

If you like those kinds of games, though, you might also want to look into puzzle-platformers like INSIDE, Limbo, etc. They’re basically the same thing, except in side-scrolling 2D instead of first-person 3D. That will open up a whole new world of options for you. There are some really great games in that style.

     

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Oh I played and loved Return of the Obra Dinn, but it doesn’t have the Portal/Qube feel I’m looking for. I have played The Talos Principle and yeah that’s a a great game with a similar feel. Oh yeah, Antichamber, too. Don’t remember it too well, but yeah it has the same aesthetic.

I also own The Witness and The Turing Test, I plan on playing those soon.

Can anyone vouch for those other games mentioned?

     
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I have played Quantum Conundrum and I think it fits into what you’re looking for.

Inside and Limbo on the other hand - not so much. They’re good, but they don’t have the same focused puzzle mechanics as the others you mentioned. If we include them there are hundreds of other games which could be included.

Xing: The Land Beyond is more varied puzzle-wise, revolving around playing with weather and stuff, but very enjoyable.

     

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Donuts McGee - 02 July 2019 11:45 PM

Inside and Limbo on the other hand - not so much. They’re good, but they don’t have the same focused puzzle mechanics as the others you mentioned.

Agreed, both excellent but not at all puzzle focused.

     
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To suggest that they aren’t “at all” puzzle-focused is simply wrong.

In any case, many puzzle-platformers ARE very puzzle-focused (hence the name). I simply named two of the most recognizable (and best).

And yes, adding side-scrollers to the mix adds hundreds of other possibilities. Why on earth is that a bad thing?

Here are some I’ve enjoyed just off the top of my head (and alphabetized after the fact Tongue).

And Yet It Moves
Back to Bed
Black The Fall
Braid
The Bridge
Candle
FEZ
Golem
The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom
Munin
Nihilumbra
The Swapper
Thomas Was Alone

And I know I’m forgetting a bunch. All of them suit the OP’s criteria listed above.

     
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Gorogoa would need to be included in this category, would it not?

     
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Grue22 - 08 July 2019 06:16 AM

Gorogoa would need to be included in this category, would it not?

Possibly. One difference I notice is that the games mentioned so far are direct-control, and first-person for the 3d ones. There’s a more direct, physics-based feeling to them.
On the other hand, perhaps the more important unifying element is that their puzzles are designed through creative re-use of a limited number of core mechanics which you become more skilled at using as the game goes on. I could see an argument that the way in which you shift and recombine panels in Gorogoa is also like that.

     

The golden age of mathematics - that was not the age of Euclid, it is ours. -Cassius Jackson Keyser

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Oh hey thanks for the replies, I should have been more specific but the type of games I’m in the mood for is
-real-time 3D
-first-person or over-the-shoulder third-person
-puzzle game, preferably with a unique puzzle mechanic
-preferably minimalist environments

Portal, QUBE, The Talos Principle, Antichamber, Mirror’s Edge to an extent.

     
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It does sound like Stories Untold would be very much to your liking, based on that criteria.

     

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Jackal - 04 July 2019 12:43 PM

To suggest that they aren’t “at all” puzzle-focused is simply wrong.

Ok there are puzzles, but they aren’t really unique or difficult, and the focus of both these games is on the progression and on the atmosphere, if you’re playing them looking for a challenge up to par with Portal or Talos, you’ll be disappointed.

Of the game you cited, I’d say Braid and FEZ fit the bill perfectly (the first post’s bill anyway, since the OP has since added some criterias).

     

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Donuts McGee - 02 July 2019 11:45 PM

Xing: The Land Beyond is more varied puzzle-wise, revolving around playing with weather and stuff, but very enjoyable.

Xing has all the requirements indeed. I didn’t like it much, though.

     

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