Best games
Best Puzzle games of 1996
The 10 best Puzzle games released in 1996, ranked from 1,392 critic and player ratings.
The best Puzzle game of 1996 is Tomb Raider (1996), with a critic score of 88/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1996.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,392 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 10
01
Tomb Raider (1996)
Tomb Raider is a 3D action game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The game follows the exploits of Lara Croft, a British female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures. The objective of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artifacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and other creatures, while collecting objects and solving puzzles to gain access to an ultimate prize, usually a powerful artifact. The game was critically acclaimed and widely influential, it spawned a number of sequels and a franchise of related media.
88
/100
02
Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars
86
/100
03
Toonstruck
Toonstruck is an adventure game released in 1996 in which, although all the imagery is drawn and scanned into the game, the protagonist Drew Blanc (played and voiced by Christopher Lloyd) is an actual video-captured representation of the actor (the name is a pun, since the character has "drawn a blank" on coming up with a new idea for a character). Drew's sidekick, crudely named Flux Wildly, is a drawn character voiced by Dan Castellaneta. Toonstruck also features scan-line compressed FMV and was also one of the first video games to include stock music from APM Music, notably the classic "Spooky Scherzo" by Sam Fonteyn and "Lonely Hearts Club A" by David Bell.
88
/100
Tomb Raider (1996)
Tomb Raider is a 3D action game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The game follows the exploits of Lara Croft, a British female archaeologist in search of ancient treasures. The objective of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artifacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and other creatures, while collecting objects and solving puzzles to gain access to an ultimate prize, usually a powerful artifact. The game was critically acclaimed and widely influential, it spawned a number of sequels and a franchise of related media.
88
/100
02
Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars
86
/100
03
Toonstruck
Toonstruck is an adventure game released in 1996 in which, although all the imagery is drawn and scanned into the game, the protagonist Drew Blanc (played and voiced by Christopher Lloyd) is an actual video-captured representation of the actor (the name is a pun, since the character has "drawn a blank" on coming up with a new idea for a character). Drew's sidekick, crudely named Flux Wildly, is a drawn character voiced by Dan Castellaneta. Toonstruck also features scan-line compressed FMV and was also one of the first video games to include stock music from APM Music, notably the classic "Spooky Scherzo" by Sam Fonteyn and "Lonely Hearts Club A" by David Bell.
88
/100
04
The Neverhood
The game follows the adventure of a claymation character named Klaymen as he discovers his origins and his purpose in a world made entirely out of clay.
85
/100
05
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
The game's title is a parody of Super Street Fighter II Turbo (or Super Street Fighter II X in Japan), as there are no other Puzzle Fighter games, and the game includes music and interface elements spoofing the Street Fighter Alpha and Darkstalkers games. It was a response to SEGA's popular Puyo Puyo 2 that has been sweeping Japanese arcade. A HD-remake version titled Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, is available for purchase on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Sony's PlayStation Network.
85
/100
06
Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!
Love for Sail! was the first Larry game since the third to pick up immediately where its predecessor left off; typically, it features Larry getting dumped by the woman who represented the ultimate goal of Larry 6, Shamara. The formula was much the same as the previous games: the "twist" was that Larry was a passenger on a cruise ship populated by parodies of famous people. Among the other cruise guests were "Drew Baringmore" (Drew Barrymore), "Dewmi Moore" (Demi Moore), "Victorian Principles" (Victoria Principal), "Jamie Lee Coitus" (Jamie Lee Curtis), "Nailmi" and "Wydoncha Jugg" (Naomi and Wynonna Judd) and "Annette Boning" (Annette Bening). Various other pop icons were parodied in the background, such as the Archie Comics gang playing nude volleyball, various incarnations of James Bond in the ship's casino (itself an homage to Peter Sellers's famous Casino Royale parody), a Sierra staffer dressed as Sailor Moon, and porn icon Ron Jeremy walking around naked. Most of the male supporting cast (Peter the Purser, Johnson the bartender, Dick the guardrobe attendant, Wang the galley server, Bob Bitt the artist) are named after popular euphemisms for the male reproductive organ or are in some way related to it (Bob Bitt, for instance, is named after John Wayne Bobbitt; the character also shares the same first name and bears a passing resemblance to fellow artist Bob Ross).
81
/100
07
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
08
Circle of Blood
Circle of Blood is a 2D adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player uses a point-and-click interface to interact with the environment and to guide protagonist George Stobbart through the game's world. To solve puzzles and progress in the game, the player collects items that may be combined with one another, used on the environment, or given to non-player characters. The protagonist converses with NPCs via dialogue trees presented through "conversation icons" to learn about the game's puzzles and plot. Clues and other information are obtained by clicking on items in the inventory and on objects in the environment. The player navigates with a map, to which new locations are added as the story unfolds. Unlike in most adventure games at the time, the protagonist's death is possible, after which the player starts from the last save point.
75
/100
09
Realms of the Haunting
Forged in the Beginning and protected by the Seven Seals, there lies a place where thought and creation intertwine. The center for all realms of existence, it is the balancing force between good and evil, man and spirit. A focal point for all energies, and the one element that has kept the consuming nature of darkness at bay... Until now.
71
/100
10
Normality
A sinister force now controls the city of Neutropolis. A once-thriving city full of beauty and light, Neutropolis has been reduced to a a stagnant pit of apathy.
70
/100
The Neverhood
The game follows the adventure of a claymation character named Klaymen as he discovers his origins and his purpose in a world made entirely out of clay.
85
/100
05
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
The game's title is a parody of Super Street Fighter II Turbo (or Super Street Fighter II X in Japan), as there are no other Puzzle Fighter games, and the game includes music and interface elements spoofing the Street Fighter Alpha and Darkstalkers games. It was a response to SEGA's popular Puyo Puyo 2 that has been sweeping Japanese arcade. A HD-remake version titled Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, is available for purchase on Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Sony's PlayStation Network.
85
/100
06
Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!
Love for Sail! was the first Larry game since the third to pick up immediately where its predecessor left off; typically, it features Larry getting dumped by the woman who represented the ultimate goal of Larry 6, Shamara. The formula was much the same as the previous games: the "twist" was that Larry was a passenger on a cruise ship populated by parodies of famous people. Among the other cruise guests were "Drew Baringmore" (Drew Barrymore), "Dewmi Moore" (Demi Moore), "Victorian Principles" (Victoria Principal), "Jamie Lee Coitus" (Jamie Lee Curtis), "Nailmi" and "Wydoncha Jugg" (Naomi and Wynonna Judd) and "Annette Boning" (Annette Bening). Various other pop icons were parodied in the background, such as the Archie Comics gang playing nude volleyball, various incarnations of James Bond in the ship's casino (itself an homage to Peter Sellers's famous Casino Royale parody), a Sierra staffer dressed as Sailor Moon, and porn icon Ron Jeremy walking around naked. Most of the male supporting cast (Peter the Purser, Johnson the bartender, Dick the guardrobe attendant, Wang the galley server, Bob Bitt the artist) are named after popular euphemisms for the male reproductive organ or are in some way related to it (Bob Bitt, for instance, is named after John Wayne Bobbitt; the character also shares the same first name and bears a passing resemblance to fellow artist Bob Ross).
81
/100
07
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
08
Circle of Blood
Circle of Blood is a 2D adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player uses a point-and-click interface to interact with the environment and to guide protagonist George Stobbart through the game's world. To solve puzzles and progress in the game, the player collects items that may be combined with one another, used on the environment, or given to non-player characters. The protagonist converses with NPCs via dialogue trees presented through "conversation icons" to learn about the game's puzzles and plot. Clues and other information are obtained by clicking on items in the inventory and on objects in the environment. The player navigates with a map, to which new locations are added as the story unfolds. Unlike in most adventure games at the time, the protagonist's death is possible, after which the player starts from the last save point.
75
/100
09
Realms of the Haunting
Forged in the Beginning and protected by the Seven Seals, there lies a place where thought and creation intertwine. The center for all realms of existence, it is the balancing force between good and evil, man and spirit. A focal point for all energies, and the one element that has kept the consuming nature of darkness at bay... Until now.
71
/100
10
Normality
A sinister force now controls the city of Neutropolis. A once-thriving city full of beauty and light, Neutropolis has been reduced to a a stagnant pit of apathy.
70
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Puzzle game of 1996?
Tomb Raider (1996) currently tops the ranking with a score of 88/100 across 288 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.