Puzzle games are great for wasting some time on your and it's always nice to see something new and original to try out, rather than the same old challenges all the time.

BlackFlip is an interesting puzzler where your mission is to flip over black and white tiles in order to tile the grid in one color. There are more than 6,000 different grids included in the game each with a different pattern, and a differing difficulty level, from one to five stars (with five being the most difficult).

I found the game a little frustrating at first because it's very difficult to work out exactly what you're supposed to be doing and there are no in-game instructions. After checking out the demo video on the developer's site and experimenting for a bit, I finally worked out the dynamics of the game.

BlackFlip actually proves to be quite engrossing after a while, and the thrill of turning an entire grid white becomes strangely compelling. With so many puzzles included and a Zoom facility to help you out, there's certainly plenty of life in this one. Unfortunately though, I felt some of the difficulty ratings were a bit odd, as some supposed five-star ones I finished very easily, while I puzzled over a few one-star games for ages.

The gameplay is a little convoluted, but once you get the hang of it, BlackFlip becomes an amusing way to pass some time.

Download BlackFlip 0.51 in Softonic

Personally I detest creepy crawlies and there's nothing I hate more than walking through a spider's web and enduring the ensuing panic as I try to pull it all off my face before Incy Wincey comes along.

Someone told me the best way to overcome your fears is to confront them. I wasn't ready to dip my head into a big bucket of spiders though, so I thought I'd try out this game to improve my web-untangling skills without having to face a real-life arachnid.

When you first start out, TangledBugs seems a little complicated. You're faced with a tangled mess of spindles that you must unravel by moving around the bugs that each end is attached to. You can't move to the next level until none of the lines are crossing each other.

Once you've checked out the in-game demonstration it becomes easier to understand. You soon realise that when the lines turn green it means that they don't intersect another line, leaving you free to concentrate on untangling the rest of the web.

Of course, you could just sit there randomly moving the lines around until they all go green, but in the timed, sudden-death mode a little more logic is required in order to get out before it's too late. The graphics are pretty slick and being able to control the game using the touchscreen is a real boon, but ultimately I found the game gave be a headache because of the sheer complexity of some of the puzzles.

Nevertheless, TangledBugs is ideal for anyone who wants to keep their brain engaged during a wet lunchtime in the office.

Download TangledBugs 1.36 in Softonic

If you've ever dreamed about working in a warehouse (and I know I have on many occasions), then the chances are you used to love playing Sokoban. Although, you probably didn't know it was called Sokoban, but it's the one where you have to push boxes in a straight line into a designated space.

Well, the game is still alive and kicking, and is widespread on mobile devices. Caisses is one of the more interesting clones I've come across though, and provides amazing depth considering it's a piece of freeware.

Your basic aim is the same old story - you're a warehouseman who must shuffle parcels around. You can only push the boxes in a straight line, and you can't push more than one box at a time. As a result, the gameplay is very addictive, but certainly not very original.

The best thing about Caisses is the fact that you can customise the game to the n-th degree. Not only can you choose from a bevy of cool backgrounds, but there are loads of game themes to choose from too. For instance, you can choose to play as Pac-Man, Zangeif, a nurse, or even the Linux penguin, and the objects you push change accordingly.

It gets pretty tough as you progress through the 500 levels, so it would've been nice to see some kind of hints feature, but the challenge of getting your head around the hundreds of puzzles is enough to keep you coming back for more.

The graphics aren't the best ever and because this version is ported from a mobile phone version, the game window is quite small.

Nevertheless, Caisses offers a fun way to test your brain during a break from your usual routine.

Download Caisses 1.21 in Softonic

Now normally, the thought of getting a virus on my computer fills me with dread. However, as soon as I started playing HexaVirus I discovered a new passion for bugs.

That's largely because this game is just so darned addictive. You start out with a gameboard filled with different colored hexagons. The object of the game is to remove the hexagons by getting different viruses to eat them (obviously it's not based on the scientific nature of viruses, but that doesn't matter).

A colored virus appears in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. When you click to select it, all the touching hexagons of that color will be wiped away, freeing up more space on the gameboard. You need to select the color of the virus you want to lay down based on the position of the hexagons on the screen.

It sounds complicated but within a couple of tries of HexaVirus you'll understand exactly what's going on. You must clear the board within 30 moves, a challenge which becomes as infuriating as it is gripping. The sense of achievement once you've cleared the board is so immense that you'll be itching to go to the next level and try to clear it in one less move.

The graphics are fun and colorful and the animations of the little virus characters are cool too. Beware though that this PC version of HexaVirus has been ported from a Windows Mobile game, so the game screen is small.

Ultimately though, it's an innovative and thoroughly enjoyable puzzle game.

Download HexaVirus 1.1 in Softonic

I love a good puzzle game to pass the time during my lunch break, but I'm bored of all the usual crosswords and sudoku games in the newspaper.

Shift makes for a refreshing break on your PC, with some innovative gameplay that will keep you hooked for ages. The game consists of a series of colored blocks with faces on that you must match together in groups of three or more to clear them. The difference between this and games like Tetris is that all the blocks move as one big lump. As Shift has been ported from a mobile phone version the game window is very small, but you do get used to this mini view fairly quickly.

Shift boasts a very simple control system, and you just need to click on any of the four directional arrows to move the blocks in that way. I'll admit that, at first, the game tried my patience somewhat, and I thought I'd never score more than a few points. With a bit of persistence though I was able to rack up combos and hit some seriously good scores (even if I do say so myself!) After that it would take a meteor (or, in reality, the fact I had to write a review about it) to get me off this one.

It can become somewhat repetitive but the inclusion of two difficulty levels and a high scores table adds to the longevity of Shift. You can also choose to show or hide the next bricks to test yourself even further.

This is an innovative puzzle game with colorful graphics that's ideal for amusing yourself during a coffee or lunch break.

Download Shift 1.06 in Softonic

Sudokumat is a Java program that enables you to play play sudoku quite relaxed.

You can generate sudoku puzzles in different levels of difficulty and solve them right away or save them as plan text files. There's also the option to create PDF files with as many sudokus as you want, with varying difficulties and solutions optionally included.

Sudokumat features handy functions which help solving sudokus:

• Easy input: just go to the desired field using mouse or keyboard and type in your desired digit
• Show candidate numbers as hint
• Support of multiple Undo / Redo
• Display of a tracker that highlights all relevant fields
• Show all permitted positions for a given digit
• Show an appropriate field to be solved next
• Solve a single step

Download Sudokumat 5.5 in Softonic

Do you like sudokus? These madly addictive puzzles used to be very popular a while ago and still remain a great pastime for people of all ages.

Emjysoft Sudoku lets you play and enjoy sudokus in your computer. Thanks to its sudoku generator, you can have a different puzzle anytime you want and never spend money buying sudoku magazines again. Emjysoft Sudoku can create sudokus in three different levels, but be aware: the difficulty is all mixed up, which means that what the program calls "hard level" is actually the easy one. For a more challenging puzzle, the game lets you set a time limit.

Besides this minor flaw, Emjysoft Sudoku provides hours of entertainment and it's also a fun way to have some brain training. In case you get stuck, you can ask the program to show the solution, and there's also an option to print the sudoku and take it with you.

Emjysoft Sudoku lets you have fun and improve your brain agility with sudokus in different difficulty levels.

Download Emjysoft Sudoku 2.00 in Softonic

Boogie Bunnies is a puzzle game in which you have to 'save' the highest number of rabbits from falling into a river in order to complete each level. The way you do it is by matching the little animals by colours so that when you form a group of at least 3 bunnies they ‘disappear’ in front of you. You can stick rabbits together either in vertical or horizontal lines, but never diagonally. This is to say, the play field is essentially a perfectly square grid, densely packed with animals.

At the bottom of the screen there's a progress meter that slowly fills up when you save your friends. Once the meter is filled, you progress to the next round. As bunnies descend down the playing field and fall to their tragic deaths in the ice river their loss has a huge impact on your meter, until it is ultimately depleted and the game ends.

Boogie Bunnies is very easy and fun to play and the 3D cartoon graphics are really pleasant. Although the game is meant for kids starting from the age of three, you can still have fun with your friends thanks to the multiplayer mode which can grant you hours of laughter.

Download Boogie Bunnies in Softonic

LinkLines is a remake of the Tetris arcade puzzle game. For the benefit of the uninitiated, the object of the game is to link five balls of the same color to form a line in any direction. Create lines to stop the board from filling up.

The game is presented in an updated format. You are given the chance to progress through various challenging levels. This is a bright and highly polished version of a classic game. LinkLines doesn't attempt to baffle you with features and bonuses, this is simply an addictive puzzle game.

This is a fun and entertaining game for all ages. Quick reactions are not required for this game, there are no time limits or speed bonuses. You are free to ponder over each move. This game may appear simple but the subtle strategy required to reach the highest levels is great fun.

Download LinkLines 1.4.1 in Softonic

ClickPuzzle is a fun arcade-style puzzle game for Windows suitable for all ages. The goal is to earn as many points as you can by removing tiles from the game board.

Tiles can be removed only in groups of identical pictures and the game is over if all groups removed. There are 10+ sizes to pit your wits on (but only two of them are avalible in the unregistered version) with 5 levels of difficulty. Get your thinking cap on!

Download ClickPuzzle 3.1 in Softonic

Next Element is a free, quite addictive and logical game that will entertain you from the very first time you start playing it. You take the role of a furry, hairy monster that has to clear all the cells behind him, from start to finish on a special board. The tricky part is that you can walk on each cell no more that the number of times written on it. After that the brick will disappear and if you're not careful, you will not be able to reach the finish.

I liked the simple graphic design and the fast loading. Another good thing is the availability of a free version of the game for Windows Mobile and Pocket PC. It's really a funny, easy to play game, suitable for when you have 10 minutes spare time. Unfortunately it's not possible to disable the music, which is repetitive and annoying. You can however just temporarily disable the sounds in Windows of course.

Next Element is a funny, entertaining logic game with 30 tricky levels of which, I can assure you, the first 7 are possible. Help the hairy monster to find his way to the finish, clearing all the cells behind him.

Download Next Element 1.01 in Softonic

Inca Ball is an entertaining puzzle game, perfect for a short moment of relax after a hard working session with the computer, but also fun enough to get hooked on it.

The game is very similar to the popular Zuma, so if you're familiar with this title you already know how to play Inca Ball. You're in charge of a moving platform that slides from side to side along the bottom part of the playing area. With this platform you can shoot balls to a line of colored balls that twists all over the window, until it finally reaches the exit. Your aim is to get at least three balls of the same color together, so that they disappear from the screen and you earn points.

Like I said, plain as it sounds, Inca Ball can really become quite addictive, as it's easy to play and rewards you with many power-ups and special bonuses as you progress through the game. Also, the game is very visually appealing, with detailed graphics and animated menus.

On the downside, I had the impression that levels take too long to complete, making the game seem a bit repetitive in the end. Oh well, maybe I didn't play long enough.

In spite of seeming a bit repetitive after a while, Inca Ball is still a fun puzzle game in the old Zuma style you can easily get hooked to.

Download Inca Ball Demo in Softonic

Crossword Express is a program that allows you to quickly create tailored crossword puzzles. In the main menu you have many different functions to choose from. You can select between making standard puzzles, creating 'classroom' puzzles, and 'special interest' puzzles, which can have user-specified word-lists. You can also create specific dictionaries and edit their contents to include hints which can help your users solve your puzzles more easily.

When you create a standard puzzle you can choose from a selection of grids or invent a new one. You can start writing words in columns and lines and ask for suggestions when you are not sure which words fit the space available. There is also the possibility to solve a crossword if you feel like playing.

Also interesting are the tools that find matching words, anagrams, contained words and container words. They make it fun to play with words alone or with others and you can add the latest idioms and definitions to the dictionary so you'll always be totally up-to-date.

Having said that, the application's design leaves a lot to be desired, as not all the buttons are very clear. Also, finding your way around the program's different features can be tricky.

Despite some design flaws, Crossword Express is a fun program to share with friends, and which can also help you increase your vocabulary.

Download Crossword Express 7.8 in Softonic

Anyone that played the original Bejeweled will remember one thing - how addictive it was - and fortunately Bejeweled 2 Deluxe serves up more of the same but with even better graphics and sounds.

The major difference with this and the original is that there are more play modes to choose from and tons of hidden features such as exploding gems and "power-up" gems. It's a classic match-3 game where you have to simply match 3 gems to complete a line and clear the board.

OK, the graphics aren't exactly brilliant (tough they're much better than the first with chunkier graphics and better special effects) but it is quite simply the gameplay that will keep you hooked on this game. It's the same principle that gave Tetris it's appeal that's at work here. I mean, you're only seeing gems disappear from a screen at the end of the day but it's the challenge of your co-ordination, speed of hand and race against the clock that combines to make this game a winner.

That's not to mention the sounds which give the game a classic arcade feel from the satisfying "clinking" sound that emits as you click on the shimmering gems to the encouraging "Excellent!" and "Incredible!" shrieks which accompany your best high scoring rounds.

A highly addictive match-3 game with simple graphics but great sound effects that will have you glued to your screen.

Download Bejeweled 2 Deluxe in Softonic

Around The World in 80 Days is one of my favourite stories and I was hooked by the story, the Michael Palin documentary and even a sucker for that animal version featuring Willie Fog and his pet rat Rigadon.

This game tries to capture the spirit of the Jules Verne classic by challenging you to an Around The World voyage in the late 19th Century as the great Phileas Fogg. Unfortunately, it generally falls a considerable distance short of achieving this aim. Many reviewers have already compared it unfavourably with The Rise of Atlantis except finding this less challenging which is certainly one accusation which can be levelled at it. There is very little difference in much of the gameplay compared to The Rise of Atlantis although the graphics are certainly better and there are a few bonus levels to keep your interest going.

However, the game comes across as nothing much more than a glorified puzzle game that occasionally educates you with a few facts on the various countries you visit after solving each challenge. The early levels are too easy although the puzzles do become increasingly tricky after the first 10 minutes or so.

Don't pack your bags just yet - this is one round the World voyage that may not be the trip of a lifetime but just about scrapes the ticket fee together.

Download Around the World in 80 Days Demo in Softonic

Anyone who lived through the 1980's can remember the Rubik's cube phenomenon and if like me, you were totally rubbish at it, then unpack it from those dusty boxes and with this program, you'll solve it once and for all.

The program presents a three-dimensional cube which enables you to manipulate a Rubik's cube as you would in real life. You have to rotate the cube using Shift and function keys with the mouse which can be tricky but you soon get used to it. The point is that the computer can teach you how to solve a Rubik's cube in just a few minutes by showing you where it needs to go next form a certain position. The computer actually solves the cube by starting at the top right hand corner and then moving it in a counter clockwise direction. It then swivels the cube on a 360 degree axis to show you precisely where you should move next. It still takes some time to follow however because sometimes it's difficult to judge how the positions relate to real life so you'll have to spend some time carefully studying every move.

This is a complete cheat's dream although you'll be surprised at how tricky it still remains to solve the puzzle, even with the computer's help.

Download Gestel Cube 1.42 in Softonic

Azada is a refreshing and unusual take on the puzzle genre. If you're tired of the same old stuff or repetitive challenges, then this is worth your time.

There is an enormous number of puzzles encompassed by the game which is why it never really gets boring. It's also been bolstered by some excellent sound effects and soundtracks that keep the game lively and fun. For a puzzle game, the graphics are also surprisingly good.
There are around 40 different puzzles to choose from that are all interlinked through a narrative concerning the secrets contained in an old ancient text.

The narrative is that you are trapped in a cell and you can't escape and find the book until you solve the puzzles. The puzzles usually contain cryptic challenges involving objects in the room you are held - smashing vases to reveal other secrets, solving conundrums and working out riddles to reveal another part of the mystery. Then there are more traditional challenges such as jigsaws and memory tests.

Although Azada isn't an adventure game, it is a combination of the overall mystery narrative and the variation of games that really keep you going. Beware though that some of the puzzles are so tough, you'll be tearing your hair out before long.

A superb blend of mystery and challenging mind benders make this a puzzlers heaven.

Download Azada in Softonic

The aim of LineIt is to earn points, as much as you can. You have to move gem through free cells on the board. When 4 or more gems with the same color will be connected in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal), these gems will be deleted from the board and you will earn points (4 points for 4 gems, 8 points for 5 gems, 16 points for 6 gems). 3 gems appear every time you move. The game is over when there is no place for new gems.

Download LineIt 1.62 in Softonic

PegIt is a unique and challenging puzzle game. The game was originally inspired by the classic board game 'Peg Solitaire' which many people played regularly as a child. This version of the game includes many special features including A 'Blocker' onject which makes it impossible to jump over or land on.

There's also a 'Trampoline' feature which allows the PegIts to make multiple moves in a single jump, and a 'See-Saw' object which has the unique ability to propel other PegIts across the game board.

Download PegIt 1.1.6 in Softonic

TaMiGoN is a new and unique logic puzzle game. The game brings together game elements from the Chinese Tangram puzzles and mixes them with modern action puzzle ideas such as color and shape matching.

This game is a follow up to the popular BoXiKoN game but it's more like a 'sister game' than a sequel. The BoXiKoN game was based on a set of shapes known as Pentominos. The Pentomino shapes are well known for being used in the famous Tetris game.

TaMiGoN uses a set of shapes based on the Chinese Tangram puzzle. These shapes are made up of triangles and diamonds rather than blocks. TaMiGoN uses a set of 400 different Tangram style shapes!

Download TaMiGoN 1.1.9 in Softonic