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

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

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

Xye is an unusual puzzle game in which the objective is to direct a green round blob type character around a maze in his search for gems along several levels.

Each level comprises a different puzzle with multiple objects to find. In many ways, Xye will remind you of other puzzle games like sokoban or boulderdash, but it also includes some arcade elements. The difficulty is to find the objects, each of which has its own function, or in combination with others, so that you can open the doors and burst through a wall. After you have succeeded in internalizing the "logic" of Xye you'll soon forget about the dodgy graphics and it will test even the most agile mind. Interestingly, the developers have promised in the next version that you'll be able to create your own levels with a level editor to see if you can test your friends.

A challenging and simple game that's a refreshing change from similar block and maze puzzle based clones.

Download Xye 0.8.0 in Softonic

In Hidden Relics you get to turn yourself into a worldwide explorer hunting for antiques.

Hidden Relics provides an original story, which will take you to very different locations all over the world. The main outline of the game is to hunt for antiques and artifacts in very crowded areas. The game will give you clues along the way to help you out in finding artefacts. The funnest part though is probably all the mini puzzle games that you'll play, which will unlock all sorts of gadgets, like magnifyer goggles or a diamond detector, to help you out uncovering anitques.

However what really makes Hidden Relics enjoyable are the graphics, particularly all the details you'll find when hunting around for antiques.

The game is very fun to play, and finding antiques in crowded scenes is a real challenge. The only real downside though is the lengthy installation process. The game has to go through the Big Fish Games installation engine, which can take some time in downloading the game. Users might also get a little turned off by having to provide their email just to try out the game.

Despite the long installation process, Hidden Relics is a very enjoyable game with great graphics, a good story and lots of mini games to keep you excited. Recommended if you like solving puzzles.

Download Hidden Relics 1.0.1 in Softonic

Big Island Blends is a fast paced game where you'll have to manage serving the right cocktails to the right customers on time. You start off in a little beach bar, where you'll learn how to pick the right glass and then select the right beverage for each customer. As the game progresses you'll have to serve more and more customers, making the game quite challenging. You'll be able to buy extra items, like a popcorn machine or orange wedges to keep customers happy as they wait.

Big Island Blends doesn't really have any story line, and although you'll be taken through four different locations on Big Island as you progress, you're ultimate goal is pretty much to make as much money as possible. You'll be told before each level what threshold you need to reach before passing on to the next level. Big Islands is fun to play but admittedly gets quite challenging as levels get tougher.

A fast-paced logic style game with a little exotic feel.

Download Big Island Blends 1.0 in Softonic

G.H.O.S.T. Hunters is a mix between a detective style game and puzzle solving. As a private investigator hired by the G.H.O.S.T. Hunters company you need to find out who is playing tricks in the Majesty Manor. To do this you'll have to find numerous clues throughout the estate. As soon as you start the game you're taken directly into the story, and tasks given to you by G.H.O.S.T. Hunters get tougher as the story evolves. Essentially you'll be hunting for specific items in all the rooms of the mansion, which will allow you to eliminate suspects. There's a number of hints to help you out, but you can also be punished by way of time reductions for clicking randomly.

The story and the eerie atmosphere make this game enjoyable, and we liked how you can move around the different rooms, show as polaroids in your notebook, even if you haven't found all the clues. G.H.O.S.T. Hunters can get a bit repetitive after a while and we also noticed that the game had a tendency to lag every now and then.

G.H.O.S.T. Hunters is an enjoyable puzzle investigation game, perfect to get into the Halloween spirit.

Download G.H.O.S.T. Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor in Softonic

Petal Palace takes you to an enchanted palace, surrounded by beautiful scenery where flowers grow in great abundance. Unfortunately, there isn't nearly enough space in the garden, so there's only one thing to do.

You will have to pick the flowers by arranging them in lines, to keep the palace from being overgrown. Use any tools you may find to overcome obstacles.
If you're good at picking the flowers, you will achieve bonuses and rewards that will help you in your task. Petal Palace offers lots of boards with different surroundings and gameplay, with endless replayability.

Download Petal Palace 1.1.7 in Softonic

In this puzzle game, you take your little goblin-like cyclops character through different sorts of landscapes like forest or mountains to collect crystals. You'll need to protect yourself from enemies like wizards or trolls along the way by using your logic. The game offers a staggering 150 levels, of which some can only be unlocked after you reach certain points and others are easier for kids. The difficulty rises steadily and you'll find great help along the way to learn all of the different moves.

Zamby can be moved around with your keyboard arrows, or you can just decide to play with your mouse. If you find yourself stuck, the game can show you a video of the solution. One of the only drawbacks we would find is that, because of the amount of levels, the game can end up being quite repetitive. However, the game developers have thought of everything, and the level editor can help you create your own original environment.

Download Zamby and the Mystical Crystals 1.0 in Softonic

While on a well deserved vacation, Professor Fizzwizzle's investigation of a strange volcano has landed him in a Molten Mystery!

Now it's up to you to master exciting new gadgets, outwit the Bat-Bots, and vanquish a truly cunning villain! Can the professor count on you to help?

With over 210 levels in total! You'll find something to enjoy no matter what your skill level.

Download Professor Fizzwizzle and the Molten Mystery in Softonic

Free games and logic puzzles are fun for games lovers. AbcPuzzles is one of them, it offers two variations of puzzles on tile-based games. Each uses the same basic engine, in which you move the tiles in groups of four or more by spinning them with the control located in the corner where four tiles touch.

Much like Rubik's Cube in two dimensions, the games are harder than they first look since you must get the tiles properly aligned without disrupting your previous work. AlterJig uses images, scrambling the inner blocks but leaving the outside one intact. Five images are provided, and your own properly formatted bitmaps can be used to create your own puzzles. Cyclanoid is similar, but your task is to arrange the tiles in rows to match the icons displayed along the game-area border. Demo modes and documentation are included for both games.

Download AbcPuzzles 8.24 in Softonic

Something has gone terribly wrong at DCAE (Don't Care About Environment) Corp. The mainframe system responsible for safe handling and transport of volatile chemicals is down.

There is only one man skillful enough to prevent catastrophe. You decide to get down to the laboratory and pick up some of the high-tech gadgets to help you on your quest. Equipped with the latest technology and brains, you confidently enter the Barrel Mania zone!

Are you up to the task?

Download Barrel Mania in Softonic

Stranded on a deserted island, your mission is to figure out how you got there and how to get off. Roam gorgeous beaches and collect stunning sea shells, rocks and sea glass in order to unlock the mysteries of a lost civilization.

• Exciting new Hunt and Find game play!
• Two gameplay modes, story and arcade
• 50 levels of gameplay taking place across 10 islands
• 5 types of beaches
• Soothing, refreshing music help all players unwind from a long day!

Download Mystery of Shark Island 1.0 in Softonic

In this game you will first listen to the notes played by the computer and then replay the notes in the same sequence. This game is very challenging because you need to remember the sound of the notes of the buttons as well as be able to spot the note the computer is playing, finally you will have to recite the notes too.

Download Music Memory 1.1.0 in Softonic

This ultra-addictive laser and light puzzle game will test your skills on over 180 mind bending levels. Tutorials get you started, but expert levels will test any genius.

Aargon now features a fully integrated level editor, plug & play level packs, new music and sound, and new 3D rendered graphics.

Aargon Deluxe: Are you smart enough?

Download Aargon Deluxe in Softonic

Second to being a reviewer for the World’s best software site, wizardry is represents perhaps the ultimate job for kids growing up today. Following the success of Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings, it seems everyone is fascinated by the idea of learning magic spells and performing mysterious tricks, and. Magic Academy aims to provide you with the chance to act out your these fantasies by sending you to wizard school where you’ll have to learn the ropes in order to find your missing sister.

Magic Academy is essentially just a hidden-object game, but it’s been dressed up with an elaborate plot, slick graphics and moody sounds. Moving through the game is a matter of meeting various characters and solving the puzzles they set you in order to garner information before moving onto the next character. While most of these puzzles involve simply finding items on a screen or solving spot-the-difference games, the developer has been careful to make these as lively as possible. We liked the way that you’re not just given a list of things to find, and instead must work out what to find based on silhouettes of the objects, find items before the next ones are revealed, or find several of a particular item, such as mice, keys or documents.

The complexity of the game is just about right. At first we thought the time limits for each level were a little generous, but it only takes one particularly well-hidden mouse to get your pulse racing as the clock ticks down to zero. There’s no doubt that the game requires a very sharp eye, so it may not be suitable for younger children or people whose eyesight is slightly poor . However, there were only a couple of occasions where we needed to restart a level.

Unlike many games in the hidden-object genre, Magic Academy holds your attention well and there is a genuine incentive to solve each puzzle in order to meet new characters and piece the overall mystery together. The characters are graphically impressive (including one of your character's sister’s friends who bares an uncanny resemblance to a certain bespectacled teenage wizard), although the interaction with them is limited. There are no voices and conversations are limited to clicking through preset statements. We didn’t like the way they kept referring to us as ‘Annie, ’ and given that you have to enter your name before you play, it would have nice if it was your name that was used in the conversations.

The game adopts a very linear approach, and if you’re looking for a strategy game where you get to explore different places and piece together cryptic clues yourself, you’ll be disappointed. However, Magic Academy is by far one of the best hidden-object style games we’ve played, providing challenging gameplay within a well-crafted environment. Now, where’s that pesky mouse?

Download Magic Academy in Softonic

In a science experiment gone terribly wrong, 10 spiders became super-intelligent and now have invaded your home and they're making a huge mess... In WordWeb Deluxe link letters and create words to sweep the spider webs away! Earn tokens, and use the Letter-Pool to spell your own words! Spell words over bonus tiles like diamonds, rubies and emeralds to earn more points and earn bonus power-ups to get rid of those pesky cobwebs. But watch out for the spiders… they’ll try to wrap you up in a cocoon! WordWeb Deluxe is challenging, addictive and, above all, very fun. Get it now in one easy download, a whole new level of fun!

Features:

• Spell your own Words!
• Over 175,000 words from Princeton/Res Dictionary
• Oodles of word definitions
• 60 Levels in Quest, Unlimited in Survival
• Beautifully styled Pixar like graphics
• Trophy Room for your excellence
• Learn and increase your vocabulary
• Saves your top scores, top plays and top rank
• Upload your best scores to compete across the web
• Play against your friends and family

Download WordWeb Deluxe in Softonic

Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the most magic game of all? Mirror Magic! The vain Grendoline has magically locked the villagers up in mirrors. Help Iris to set her family and her village free.

Find all differences in all the mirrors, before it's too late! But be careful! Rain, fog and poor light will hinder you. Your eyes and nerves will be put to the ultimate test! Spot the five differences in enchanted mirror images while testing your observation skills and your nerves!

Download Mirror Magic Deluxe in Softonic