5 Brilliant Online Puzzle Games to Take Your Mind Off Work

The world is filled with gamers of all different kinds, from dedicated players to the casual aficionado of online puzzle games. We love games ourselves, and decided to track down some of the best available for free play on the internet. We gave ourselves some basic guidelines: the games had to be free to play in your browser, requiring no download or logins; they had to test the brainpower and reflexes of the player; finally, they had to be relevant to Urban Ghosts. So with Friday upon us, why not try one – or all – of these online puzzle games and tell us what you think! Urbex (Amor Games) Urbex is a point-and-click adventure that’s reminiscent of those early offerings bridging the gap between text-based adventures and graphics-driven games. The graphics are surprisingly gorgeous, though, and it’s everything we know our readers love. Whether you’re an active urban explorer or prefer to engage in a little virtual spelunking, you can get your fix on Urbex. The game starts as you approach an old, abandoned factory. A friend has asked you to photograph some of his graffiti art, and requested that you to meet him here. There’s no sign of him when you arrive, but the key’s right where he promised he’d leave it. You unlock the door and venture inside – despite the rumours you’ve heard about people going missing. The farther you go into Urbex, the more unsettling it gets (tip: don’t forget to turn on the volume). It’s up to you to point-and-click your way through, think your way out and figure out just what’s going on in this creepy online puzzle game. (Play here.) A Dark Room (Doublespeak Games) Ever watch television shows or movies set just after the end of civilisation as we know it, and think that you could do so much better? A Dark Room drops you exactly there, in a lonely room where stoking the fire will attract fellow survivors. There’s no explanation of what happened, who anyone is, or even who you are. You do know, however, that lurking outside are horrible things that go bump in the night. To play this online puzzle game, you’ll need to figure out how to manage what little supplies your band of villagers has, try to keep everyone warm, and decide whether or not you’re going to follow the tracks the appear in the night. Add more huts. Grow your village. Take care of the people who come – if you can. A Dark Room is incredibly minimalistic, with little more than sparse text on a white background, along with simple buttons that give you the option to build, develop resources, gather, hunt, and trade. Part simulation, part resource management, and part puzzle, A Dark Room is weirdly addictive and guaranteed to remain running in the background while you work. (Play here.) One and One Story (Kongregate) A brilliantly addictive little browser puzzle game, One and One Story is the tale of two lovers, separated by forces unknown. It’s up to you to reunite them, switching between the two in order to solve puzzles and help them make their way through a series of obstacles to finally reunite. The graphics are simple but effective, and the story of reuniting the pair over and over again is a fun twist on the usual click-though maze offerings and the like. Use the arrow keys to navigate, ‘z’ to switch between the pair you’re controlling, and figure out how to use the level’s terrain to get them together. It’s simple enough there’s no learning curve, and tricky enough that you’ll keep playing this online puzzle game over and over again. (Play here.) Medieval Cop: Adam and Eva (Kongregate) If you’ve ever wanted to solve a murder mystery and track down a serial killer through a medieval, fantasy-like setting, Medieval Cop: Adam and Eva is the online puzzle game for you. You play as Dregg Morriss, the title Medieval Cop, who’s just been informed that there’s a serial killer on the loose who’s killing one person every hour. It’s up to you to figure out what’s going on, and you’re going to need all your sarcastic comments to crack this mystery. With a feel that’s very Legend of Zelda and just enough laughs to keep you clicking, Medieval Cop: Adam and Eva is a strange game that’s more entertaining than it probably should be. (Play here.) Online Puzzle Games: Picma (Kongregate) There are several different versions of Picma out there, including the original Picma and Picma Picture, both set in the same fantasy world. When you stop by the Golden Cog Inn for a drink, you’ll find that some of the patrons are playing a strange sort of number game. They’re more than happy to teach you how to play and from there, they explain the rules. In both the online puzzle games, you’ll have to use numerical clues to figure out how to draw the picture that’s hidden inside a grid. Grid sizes vary, and both use slightly different puzzle mechanics to give you the clues you need to crack it. Between the two versions of the game, there are countless different boards to choose from, and since Kongregate lets you sign in and save your games, this one’s perfect to bookmark for a quick brain-cleanser. (Play here and here.)