Puzzle games don't need incredible graphics to be enjoyable. For instance, the first Portal title isn't too visually pleasing anymore, but it remains one of the best first-person puzzle experiences ever. Plus, there are plenty of other strong entries in the genre that won't wow you with their visuals.
Yet, just because something isn't vital to an experience doesn't mean it's not a good addition. Why wouldn't you want to look at something beautiful while you're completing a difficult puzzle? In fact, if the surroundings look nice, they might calm you down while you're trying to figure out a particularly stressful riddle. All the following puzzlers excel from a visual standpoint.
7 Trials Rising
The Trials series isn't really known for its graphics. It's not that the visuals are bad - it's just that they don't receive much attention. But Trials Rising deserves said attention as it includes some gorgeous environments. Throughout the game, you ride on different tracks in front of a variety of distinct and sometimes famous backdrops. There are mountain areas, large cities, forests, and many more locations.
Each place looks stunning, even if you can't always focus on them, as Trials Rising isn't a game that allows you to stop and take in the environment. It's a fast-paced title where the main levels have you complete puzzle-platforming tracks as quickly as possible.
6 It Takes Two
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It Takes Two is an amazing co-op experience that sees a couple on the verge of divorce get transformed into hand-made dolls. The premise serves as the catalyst for a creative toy-like art style. It makes the two leads and every other character you meet look good. The levels are visually pleasing, too, whether you're walking around a snow globe or running through a pillow fort.
Along with plenty of style, the game also boasts some substance, with its excellent main story and clever level design. So, it would've been a great game without the amazing graphics, but they're a welcome addition.
5 The Talos Principle
While playing through The Talos Principle, you enter several different worlds. Some are filled with greenery, others are stone ruins, and there are even some desert locations. Each one has a realistic feel to it. For instance, while the grassy areas look bright, they don't seem like they're from a cartoon.
Each world also includes plenty of high-tech equipment, including lasers, drones, and forcefields. While they aren't quite as visually stunning as the environments, they look pretty good, too. And they serve as parts of the game's many puzzles. As you're completing the trials, you are presented with some big questions about the meaning of being alive. So, there's certainly some depth to this stylish puzzler.
4 Little Nightmares 2
Little Nightmares 2 is among the most unsettling games around. But it wouldn't be nearly as creepy if the title had subpar graphics. The brilliant visuals allow the large monsters you come across to look as grotesque and disturbing as possible. And it does make you want to get far away from them, which is pretty much the goal of the adventure.
You need to stay away from these messed-up creatures while solving puzzles and getting past platforming sections in the hopes of surviving this nightmare. While the monsters are the best example of this game's visual prowess, the dingy walls and rooms you traverse also look fittingly creepy. Plus, they include plenty of nice little details.
3 The Room Series
Games don't need to have large, expansive environments to showcase stunning visuals. The Room games, for instance, look incredible (on PC), and most levels take place in a single room. The said room always contains something like a box, case, or apparatus. You need to interact with the item and solve any puzzles you can find on it.
As you finish the trials, more things keep on unlocking, leading to even more puzzles. You're only done when you complete every one of them. That's just a vague premise of the games, as each instalment has its own intricacies. The high quality of the game's graphics is evident when you look at some of the small details on the mechanisms you're manipulating.
2 Myst (2021)
The 2021 version of Myst is a reimaging of the original 1993 title. And the main change the developers made was in the visuals. Naturally, a game from the early '90s wasn't going to match up to today's standards in the looks department. So, they gave the visuals a much-needed boost.
The results are incredible. Whether you're exploring the underground or gazing over the water, it's hard not to be impressed with the game's graphical prowess. Aside from looking at the beautiful scenery, your goal in the game is to uncover as much as you can about a mysterious family. You do that by completing a slew of puzzles, which include some nice visual details.
1 The Witness
The Witness is one of those puzzlers that are harder than they look. After all, each puzzle in the game has a simple premise as all you have to do is draw a path on a grid. There aren't a bunch of different items to use or levers to pull. There's just a small grid and your ability to draw on it. Yet, some of the puzzles are incredibly difficult to solve.
The Witness' commitment to not providing hints or even vague directions means things can get stressful quickly. Thankfully, the game's visuals can help soothe any frustration. The island where the game takes place has unbelievably beautiful scenery that features vibrant colors. Wanting to see the rest of the island's beauty is a good incentive to persevere with a difficult puzzle so you can progress.