Buying video games for children can be a challenge, and buying a puzzle game can make it twice as hard. It needs to be easy enough that they can complete it alone (or with just a little help), while not losing their attention.

Thankfully, some games have perfected this balance! In this article, we'll detail the very best puzzle games for the kid in your life.

Updated November 1, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: Are you in need of even more puzzle games to introduce to the children in your life? We've added a few entries for you to peruse.

Video Games For Kids Age 2-4+

Tetris 99

Tetris is a simple game, and there's no need to be good at it in order to enjoy the satisfied feeling you get when the rows disappear.

In Tetris 99, you play against other people and can send them Garbage Blocks that make rows uncompletable - but they can do the same to you! Regular Tetris is great too, if the competitive aspect isn't for you.

A Little To The Left

There's nothing better than a wholesome indie game, right? Despite the simplistic concept, A Little To The Left has been adored by old and young audiences alike!

You spend your time in-game moving household objects into neat, pretty, and/or organized arrangements. Very little to object to, right? There is a very mischievous white cat who may make things a little complicated, though, so keep an eye out.

I Love Finding Birds

We all remember the simple puzzle games we played in youth on early computers. It's hard to imagine thinking of our modern computers as seeming as old as the blocky computers we used to use, but one day they will be! This game will be remembered that way by plenty.

It's a simple collection of bird-themed puzzle games and hide-and-seek. There's nothing to object to here; reviewers have praised its laid-back nature, lovely soundtrack, and variety.

Snipperclips

This adorable and creative game, Snipperclips, is best when played with others! You can enjoy it solo, but the co-op puzzle-solving gameplay is just irresistible once you've gotten a taste.

The papery style of this game allows for plenty of creative problem-solving as the protagonists, named Snip and Clip, must cut each other up (literally) to get out of sticky situations!

Video Games For Kids Age 5-7+

Human Fall Flat

Human Fall Flat is a popular game that you've probably seen around, even if you've never played it yourself. It challenges the player to solve puzzles while their own body resists them (the goofy characters' limbs tend to flop about...)!

Like Snipperclips, Human Fall Flat is best enjoyed with other players; indeed, the CEO attributes the game's success to its co-op!

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is a wholesome puzzle game where you play as a painter. You're working on your submission to a gallery, but keep getting side-tracked by the mysterious happenings in your apartment.

This is a great, kid-friendly, slow-paced game that'll occupy their afternoon. There's a sweet love story to learn about and paintings to create as you go. Have no fear, though, because the painting controls are very simple. You can't even paint outside the lines, you mostly just choose the colors.

Unravel

In Unravel, you play as a little doll made of yarn. That yarn will be crucial in the gameplay as you adventure across a dangerous landscape and use it to solve puzzles!

The story of the game involves uncovering the history of the family you're with by looking at their pictures and other items. It's perfect for people who can really get lost in another world.

If the child in your life enjoys this game, there's also a sequel, designed to be played by two people!

Video Games For Kids Age 8-9+

Baba Is You

Baba Is You is a fantastic, creative game that we recommend for slightly older kids because it can be a little frustrating. It's not always immediately obvious what to do, but that's part of the fun.

At the most basic level, you play as Baba and push around blocks with words in them to cause different interactions in-game. There are more than 200 levels to work through, so you can really sink your teeth into it.

COCOON

COCOON is a recent puzzle game by Annapurna Interactive, the developers behind hit titles like Stray and the Outer Wilds. The science fiction environment is as detailed and beautiful as you'd expect from Annapurna, and each new world brings brand-new surprises.

You explore those new worlds by entering an orb that you carry on your back. Each orb provides unique abilities that allow you to solve the puzzles contained therein. You'll be blown away by the alien technology and foreign biomes!

Gems of War

In this simply fun puzzle game, you'll match gems and skulls to take down opponents! It's a puzzler, an RPG, and a strategy game all rolled in one. If all that wasn't enough, it's free, too!

There's plenty of content to enjoy in this game, so the kid in your life isn't likely to get bored anytime soon. There are multiple kingdoms to adventure through and more than 350 quests! There's also unique daily and weekly activities to participate in.

Escape Simulator

If you've been to an escape room, you're familiar with Escape Simulator! It's just like that; you spend the time solving little challenges to escape the puzzle room.

Ideally, you'll enjoy it with friends! The creators recommend two to three people for the best experience, although it can support up to ten. And, if you get bored, you can even use the in-game editor to create your own rooms for others to puzzle their way through!

GNOG

GNOG is a game full of robot puzzle heads! Each of these heads is unique and wonderful, full of hidden secrets to explore by clicking on and moving around all the various pieces.

We love it not only for the incredible puzzles but also for the great soundtrack and the ability to play it in VR!

Video Games For Kids Age 10-12+

Cozy Grove

This delightful game is all about making new friends. You play as a human who is camping on an island inhabited by ghosts. You're known as a Spirit Scout, and spend your time soothing those ghosts!

It's often compared to Animal Crossing. Just like those games, Cozy Grove syncs with real time and only gives you so much to do in a given day. That's definitely a benefit if you're worried about the child in your life spending too much time on gaming.

Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is a mysterious puzzle game where you're the newest recruit of a fledgling space program. It won't take long for you to realize that your solar system is trapped in a time loop: after 22 minutes, the sun goes supernova and you're thrown back to the beginning.

This is an excellent puzzle game, but it's definitely a challenge for older kids. Completing the game requires you to master the physics of the game and pilot a spaceship from planet to planet! There's a lot of repetition before you get it right.

Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes

Ever wondered if you would be able to keep your focus under duress? Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes takes that question to its natural conclusion by placing you in the role of a bomb defuser!

The idea is that one player is in-game, looking at a bomb with tons of wires and buttons. The other player has a manual (freely available online) that details exactly how to difuse the bomb. Unfortunately, the player with the manual can't look at the bomb and has to vocally explain everything to the in-game player in order to defuse it within the time limit!

No need to worry: there's no violent blood or anything if you don't manage to succeed, so it's safe for kids.

Smile For Me

Smile For Me is a unique indie puzzle game. The mechanics are simple point-and-click, so it's pretty easy to get a hang of, and totally enveloping once you do. Basically, keep unraveling the mystery by getting to know the residents!

The game is a little existential, with characters who are dealing with heartbreak, emotional baggage, and the impending doom of their own mortality. Honestly, it's truly refreshing! And, it's genuinely interesting! You won't forget your trip through this story.

Portal 2

If you Google what the best puzzle games of all time are, Portal and Portal 2 will be on almost every list. These are cult classic games that are still enjoyable, years after being released.

In them, you're put in Test Chambers and solve the puzzles there with a gun that shoots Portals. When you go into one Portal, you come out the other. These excellent physics-based mind-benders are framed with witty humor and a mysterious setting to make them utterly irresistible.

NEXT: The Best Puzzle Games For Those New To The Genre