Friday’s Thinky Direct was a delight for puzzleheads, with new trailers and surprise reveals dropping left and right. Here’s a round-up of the standout titles we’re keeping both eyes on.
Shape Sender
Shape Sender Deluxe is a physics-based puzzler where you guide a square named Sendy using magnets, springs, portals, fans, and more. You can also design levels and upload them to Steam Workshop for your friends to try out if you’re into that kind of thing.
There’s no date just yet, but there is a demo live now on Steam, which I downloaded before the trailer even finished!
The Button Effect
This GIF from Dexter’s Lab, was all I could think about when watching this trailer; now I can finally live out my button-pressing dreams in The Button Effect, developed by Frycandle.
The puzzler is so minimalistic and clinical that it almost feels like a jump scare is waiting just around the corner. Mercifully, I don’t think it’s that type of game… Or it’s gaslighting me.
There’s a demo up on Steam — go press things.
City of Voices
If City of Voices reminds you of The Rise of the Golden Idol, that’s because it’s made by one of the same writers and designers. It even describes itself as a “short Golden Idol-like deduction game.”
The pixel-art detective game is set in the mysterious world of the ancient Maya, where you play a young girl unravelling a secret frozen in time.
There’s a demo out now on Steam.
READ MORE: Preview | The Drifter: ‘Hooked And Desperate For More’ (PC)
Kiko’s Apple Adventure
Thanks to Kiko’s Apple Adventure, I learned about a whole new genre of videogame! Sokoban games have you moving boxes around to specific locations within a space.
In this one, you play as Kiko the bear, pushing around crates and solving puzzles for apples to make the biggest apple pie ever (I love apple pie).
It’s cute, clever, and out now with 15% off until June 13th. A fun afternoon-tea snack of a game at two to four hours of playtime.
Parallel Experiment
While looking like a playable graphic novel, Parallel Experiment is actually a two-player co-op puzzler with mini-games (one of which reminded me a lot of Operation).
Unfortunately, each player needs their own version of the game to play, but at least cross-platform play will be supported.
Lots of The X Files vibes with this one. It drops on June 6th on Steam.
Strange Antiquities
In Strange Antiquities, you work in an occult antique store, selling cursed curios (hopefully not too cursed) in the town of Undermere. You also need to find and identify artefacts to help the locals, and give Jupiter (the shop’s cat), lots of ear scratches.
If you liked Strange Horticulture, this one’s for you. A demo will be available on June 6th, but there’s no release date just yet.
READ MORE: Preview | Hozy: ‘One Dusty Attic Away from Inner Peace’ (PC)
He Who Watches
Watching the He Who Watches trailer gave me vertigo, but I’m still keen to check it out as it looks like Portal with a bow and arrow! With the ability to manipulate gravity and walk on walls, I’m expecting plenty of dizziness.
The trailer music was also very enjoyable, so here’s hoping it keeps the same vibe in the full game. It’s expected to release in Spring 2025 on Steam, with a demo available now.
Birdigo
Birdigo is like Scrabble with cute birds and game-changing cards. You form words to guide your flock through an epic migration, which appears oddly soothing. Longer words give you a higher score, and specific combos can net you even more points.
If you’re bored with Wordle, maybe it’s time for Birdigo! The full game is coming later this year, with a demo out now.
Read More: Preview | Birdigo: ‘A Word Game That’s All Flap, No Fuss’
The Mermaid Mask
The Mermaid Mask is a mysterious detective puzzler, reminding me of both Professor Layton and Cluedo. The premise: the captain of the world’s strangest submarine, Magnus Mortuga, has been killed in a locked room with an ancient stone cauldron. Isn’t that how all good puzzles start?
The sequel to Tangle Tower, it picks up the story of Detective Grimoire and Sally as they investigate their latest case. It also has an original soundtrack, performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra! Fancy.
You can wishlist and play the demo on Steam now.
READ MORE: Review | Projected Dreams: ‘Heartfelt Shadows, Frustrating Physics’ (PC)
Spooky Express
Strategic puzzle game Spooky Express is a spiritual sequel to Cosmic Express. This one’s about building train routes in a monster-filled theme park… Just make sure the passengers don’t get eaten!
There’s over 100 levels in the full game, which is due out some time this year. You can check out the Demo now on Steam.
For more from the Thinky Direct, you can check it out in it’s entirety on the Thinky Games Youtube page.
