Best games
Best Puzzle games of 2012
The 10 best Puzzle games released in 2012, ranked from 3,391 critic and player ratings.
The best Puzzle game of 2012 is Thirty Flights of Loving, 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 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- 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: 2012.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,391 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 10
01
Thirty Flights of Loving
Explore the world of Thirty Flights of Loving through a first-person short story. In this sequel to Gravity Bone, take a deep dive with high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at. Saddle up, gunslinger.
88
/100
02
S
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead: Season One (also known as The Walking Dead: The Game) is an episodic interactive drama graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series, the game consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. It is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is the first of The Walking Dead video game series published by Telltale.
84
/100
03
Botanicula
Humor-filled indie adventure game created by the makers of Machinarium. Like the previous games from Amanita Design, in Botanicula the player controls a protagonist (or multiple protagonists) while exploring the environment, solving puzzles and collecting items that are required for the obstacles that come in their way. The player is able to interact with other creatures and find easter eggs that are present in the lush environment. Like Machinarium, the game has no spoken or written dialogue.
82
/100
Thirty Flights of Loving
Explore the world of Thirty Flights of Loving through a first-person short story. In this sequel to Gravity Bone, take a deep dive with high-flying schemers, lovelorn criminals, and more stray kittens than you can shake a stick at. Saddle up, gunslinger.
88
/100
02
S
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead: Season One (also known as The Walking Dead: The Game) is an episodic interactive drama graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series, the game consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. It is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is the first of The Walking Dead video game series published by Telltale.
84
/100
03
Botanicula
Humor-filled indie adventure game created by the makers of Machinarium. Like the previous games from Amanita Design, in Botanicula the player controls a protagonist (or multiple protagonists) while exploring the environment, solving puzzles and collecting items that are required for the obstacles that come in their way. The player is able to interact with other creatures and find easter eggs that are present in the lush environment. Like Machinarium, the game has no spoken or written dialogue.
82
/100
04
The Cat Lady
The Cat Lady is a single-player horror graphic adventure and the second entry in the Devil Came Through Here trilogy, following Downfall and preceding Lorelai. It is a puzzle-based adventure played entirely with the four arrow keys, so characters move left and right between scenes while the up and down keys handle interacting with the environment and inventory. Dialogue is fully voiced, and occasional dialogue choices can shift the story and its ending slightly. The game deals with mature themes including depression, suicide, murder, and illness, alongside moments of humor.
81
/100
05
The Unfinished Swan
The Unfinished Swan is a game about exploring the unknown. The player is a young boy chasing after a swan who has wandered off into a surreal, unfinished kingdom. The game begins in a completely white space where players can throw paint to splatter their surroundings and reveal the world around them.
77
/100
06
McPixel
McPixel is a save-the-day guy that you guide through 100 short challenges in an old-school point'n'click fashion. The goal in each challenge is to prevent stuff from blowing up using available tools! You have only 20 seconds to save the day! Think quick!
76
/100
07
The Room
A mysterious invitation leads to the attic of an abandoned house. In the room is a cast-iron safe laced with strange carvings and on top, a note from your distant companion. It promises something ancient and astonishing concealed in the iron chamber - you need only find a way in.
73
/100
08
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes immerses you in 1898 London as you conduct an incredible investigation. All the evidence suggests our hero is the main suspect in a case involving theft, fraud and double-crossings. Unable to prove his own innocence, Holmes is rapidly losing London's trust as doubt spreads through the city like wildfire. Even Doctor Watson's faith in his friend begins to waver, as the famous detective flees Scotland Yard and raises further suspicion; prowling around at night, destruction of evidence... would Holmes go so far as to commit murder? The complex and decidedly-mature storyline surrounds a particularly tricky investigation, in which each and every puzzle will challenge both insight and wits! As Sherlock Holmes, you will use the detective's full repertoire: handle and inspect clues, reenact crimes and use the game's new deduction system to draw your own conclusions. Choose your questioning approach to catch characters off guard and gather valuable information. Face an open investigation, and decide which leads to follow and which to ignore.
73
/100
09
King Oddball
End the world in a unique skill based physics puzzle! King Oddball swings a boulder back and forth by its tongue. Release the boulder by tapping the screen. Time the release accurately to crush as many targets as possible with each boulder. Extra boulders are awarded when crushing three or more targets with a single boulder. Anticipate how boulders roll and bounce. Use explosive crates to wreak havoc on the puny humans. Take advantage of collapsing structures too! Conquer the world by defeating the humans in more than 120 fun and increasingly challenging levels!
71
/100
10
Lucius
“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” - Revelation 13:18 When little Lucius was born on the devilishly significant date of June 6th, 1966, no one expected him to be anything other than a normal little boy. His childhood, spent in a luxurious manor, was as normal as every kid’s childhood years - well, except for the extreme wealth of his parents, as Lucius grew up with everything he desired and more. Everything went to Hell, in a manner of speaking, when Lucius turned 6. The Devil, who is his real father, manifests himself in his dreams the night before his birthday revealing to Lucius his true heritage. It’s up to Lucius to bring Hell on Earth using any and all means necessary. Orchestrate deadly accidents, using items, tools, and hell’s powers such as telekinesis and mind control. By combining classic adventure gameplay with the freedom and openness of a 3D world, you’ll have to use your wits and ensure no one knows of your fiendish mission until it’s too late!
59
/100
The Cat Lady
The Cat Lady is a single-player horror graphic adventure and the second entry in the Devil Came Through Here trilogy, following Downfall and preceding Lorelai. It is a puzzle-based adventure played entirely with the four arrow keys, so characters move left and right between scenes while the up and down keys handle interacting with the environment and inventory. Dialogue is fully voiced, and occasional dialogue choices can shift the story and its ending slightly. The game deals with mature themes including depression, suicide, murder, and illness, alongside moments of humor.
81
/100
05
The Unfinished Swan
The Unfinished Swan is a game about exploring the unknown. The player is a young boy chasing after a swan who has wandered off into a surreal, unfinished kingdom. The game begins in a completely white space where players can throw paint to splatter their surroundings and reveal the world around them.
77
/100
06
McPixel
McPixel is a save-the-day guy that you guide through 100 short challenges in an old-school point'n'click fashion. The goal in each challenge is to prevent stuff from blowing up using available tools! You have only 20 seconds to save the day! Think quick!
76
/100
07
The Room
A mysterious invitation leads to the attic of an abandoned house. In the room is a cast-iron safe laced with strange carvings and on top, a note from your distant companion. It promises something ancient and astonishing concealed in the iron chamber - you need only find a way in.
73
/100
08
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes immerses you in 1898 London as you conduct an incredible investigation. All the evidence suggests our hero is the main suspect in a case involving theft, fraud and double-crossings. Unable to prove his own innocence, Holmes is rapidly losing London's trust as doubt spreads through the city like wildfire. Even Doctor Watson's faith in his friend begins to waver, as the famous detective flees Scotland Yard and raises further suspicion; prowling around at night, destruction of evidence... would Holmes go so far as to commit murder? The complex and decidedly-mature storyline surrounds a particularly tricky investigation, in which each and every puzzle will challenge both insight and wits! As Sherlock Holmes, you will use the detective's full repertoire: handle and inspect clues, reenact crimes and use the game's new deduction system to draw your own conclusions. Choose your questioning approach to catch characters off guard and gather valuable information. Face an open investigation, and decide which leads to follow and which to ignore.
73
/100
09
King Oddball
End the world in a unique skill based physics puzzle! King Oddball swings a boulder back and forth by its tongue. Release the boulder by tapping the screen. Time the release accurately to crush as many targets as possible with each boulder. Extra boulders are awarded when crushing three or more targets with a single boulder. Anticipate how boulders roll and bounce. Use explosive crates to wreak havoc on the puny humans. Take advantage of collapsing structures too! Conquer the world by defeating the humans in more than 120 fun and increasingly challenging levels!
71
/100
10
Lucius
“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” - Revelation 13:18 When little Lucius was born on the devilishly significant date of June 6th, 1966, no one expected him to be anything other than a normal little boy. His childhood, spent in a luxurious manor, was as normal as every kid’s childhood years - well, except for the extreme wealth of his parents, as Lucius grew up with everything he desired and more. Everything went to Hell, in a manner of speaking, when Lucius turned 6. The Devil, who is his real father, manifests himself in his dreams the night before his birthday revealing to Lucius his true heritage. It’s up to Lucius to bring Hell on Earth using any and all means necessary. Orchestrate deadly accidents, using items, tools, and hell’s powers such as telekinesis and mind control. By combining classic adventure gameplay with the freedom and openness of a 3D world, you’ll have to use your wits and ensure no one knows of your fiendish mission until it’s too late!
59
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Puzzle game of 2012?
Thirty Flights of Loving currently tops the ranking with a score of 88/100 across 89 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.