Playing Curses!, I started wondering which games belong to the canon of great puzzlefests. With this term I mean puzzle based games that are long, difficult and punishing; but also fair, engaging and truly rewarding to work through. The best works of Infocom probably belong here, as do Curses!, Anchorhead, Savoir-Faire and Varicella. But my knowledge of this corpus is hazy. Titles like Christminster, Mulldoon Legacy and Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina strike a bell, but I've never played them. Among more recent works, Counterfeit Monkey and Hadean Lands might be good examples. (The Dreamhold is perhaps not quite what I have in mind, being on the shorter side.) But I'm probably unaware of many other gems, both old and more recent. So help me by voting in the poll!
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Counterfeit Monkey, by Emily Short 10 votes "Large puzzle game based on wordplay" [+]"Large puzzle game based on wordplay" --Victor Gijsbers... "Large great gama based in twisting words on english words" [+]"Large great gama based in twisting words on english words" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
A Beauty Cold and Austere, by Mike Spivey 7 votes "Math Puzzlefest" [+]"Math Puzzlefest" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The Wand, by Arthur DiBianca 6 votes "This game is pure puzzles - many of them, and clever" [+]"This game is pure puzzles - many of them, and clever" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Curses, by Graham Nelson 6 votes "The great puzzlefest that showcased the strengths of Inform" [+]"The great puzzlefest that showcased the strengths of Inform" --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Cragne Manor, by Ryan Veeder, Jenni Polodna, Adam Whybray, Adri, Andrew Plotkin, Andy Holloway, Austin Auclair, Baldur Brückner, Ben Collins-Sussman, Bill Maya, Brian Rushton, Buster Hudson, Caleb Wilson, Carl Muckenhoupt, Chandler Groover, Chris Jones, Christopher Conley, Damon L. Wakes, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Stelzer, David Jose, David Petrocco, David Sturgis, Drew Mochak, Edward B, Emily Short, Erica Newman, Feneric, Finn Rosenløv, Gary Butterfield, Gavin Inglis, Greg Frost, Hanon Ondricek, Harkness Munt, Harrison Gerard, Ian Holmes, Ivan Roth, Jack Welch, Jacqueline Ashwell, James Eagle, Jason Dyer, Jason Lautzenheiser, Jason Love, Jeremy Freese, Joey Jones, Joshua Porch, Justin de Vesine, Justin Melvin, Katherine Morayati, Kenneth Pedersen, Lane Puetz, Llew Mason, Lucian Smith, Marco Innocenti, Marius Müller, Mark Britton, Mark Sample, Marshal Tenner Winter, Matt Schneider, Matt Weiner, Matthew Korson, Michael Fessler, Michael Gentry, Michael Hilborn, Michael Lin, Mike Spivey, Molly Ying, Monique Padelis, Naomi Hinchen, Nate Edwards, Petter Sjölund, Q Pheevr, Rachel Spitler, Reed Lockwood, Reina Adair, Riff Conner, Roberto Colnaghi, Rowan Lipkovits, Sam Kabo Ashwell, Scott Hammack, Sean M. Shore, Shin, Wade Clarke, Zach Hodgens, Zack Johnson 5 votes "The biggest puzzlefest" [+]"The biggest puzzlefest" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Anchorhead, by Michael Gentry 5 votes "Adds creepiness and suspense to a genre that often felt laid-back and purely cerebral" [+]"Adds creepiness and suspense to a genre that often felt laid-back and purely cerebral" --Victor Gijsbers... "A long game with well integrayed puzzles in the plot" [+]"A long game with well integrayed puzzles in the plot" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Hadean Lands, by Andrew Plotkin 5 votes "Alchemical puzzlefest in which repetition is avoided by powerful automatic puzzle solving" [+]"Alchemical puzzlefest in which repetition is avoided by powerful automatic puzzle solving" --Victor Gijsbers... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Savoir-Faire, by Emily Short 4 votes "Brilliant game gets a distinctive feel because of the magic-based puzzles" [+]"Brilliant game gets a distinctive feel because of the magic-based puzzles" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
First Things First, by J. Robinson Wheeler 4 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Finding Martin, by G.K. Wennstrom 4 votes "Wait, what? I was trying to find someone? Puzzles galore." [+]"Wait, what? I was trying to find someone? Puzzles galore." ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Lydia's Heart, by Jim Aikin 3 votes "Creepy puzzlefest" [+]"Creepy puzzlefest" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The Axe of Kolt [8-bit versions], by Larry Horsfield 3 votes "A huge fantasy puzzlefest. Very oldschool." [+]"A huge fantasy puzzlefest. Very oldschool." ( ![]() ![]() | |
The Mulldoon Legacy, by Jon Ingold 3 votes "Great puzzle-fest game" [+]"Great puzzle-fest game" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
How Prince Quisborne the Feckless Shook His Title, by John Ziegler 3 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --Johnnywz00... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Zape... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Varicella, by Adam Cadre 3 votes "You must defeat your enemies rather than pass locked doors, but still a puzzlefest" [+]"You must defeat your enemies rather than pass locked doors, but still a puzzlefest" --Victor Gijsbers... "Fight tooth and nail (not literally) to get what you want. Lots of puzzles." [+]"Fight tooth and nail (not literally) to get what you want. Lots of puzzles." ( ![]() ![]() | |
The Incredibly Mild Misadventures of Tom Trundle, by B F Lindsay 2 votes "This game has..." [+]"This game has intricate puzzles for seemingly EVERYTHING, but the story makes the lengthy gameplay worth it. A life-or-death scavenger hunt in a closed high school." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Never Gives Up Her Dead, by Mathbrush 2 votes "Extremely big but fair puzzlefest without any guess the verb." [+]"Extremely big but fair puzzlefest without any guess the verb." ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The King of Shreds and Patches, by Jimmy Maher 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina, by Jim Aikin 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) --cgasquid... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Augmented Fourth, by Brian Uri! 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Frustration, by Jim MacBrayne 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Blue Lacuna, by Aaron A. Reed 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Illuminismo Iniziato, by Michael J. Coyne 2 votes "The laughing makes the puzzles even harder." [+]"The laughing makes the puzzles even harder." ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The Chinese Room, by Harry Josephine Giles and Joey Jones 2 votes "Philosophical conundrums brought to life." [+]"Philosophical conundrums brought to life." ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The Dark Tower, by Jack Lockerby 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Worldsmith, by Ade McT 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
The Temple of Shorgil, by Arthur DiBianca 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Adventurer's Consumer Guide, by Øyvind Thorsby 2 votes (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Risorgimento Represso, by Michael J. Coyne 2 votes "Brain-breakingly funny." [+]"Brain-breakingly funny." ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Suspended, by Michael Berlyn 2 votes "Special but big puzzlefest" [+]"Special but big puzzlefest: 10/10 really good puzzlefest" ( ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Zork I, by Marc Blank and Dave Lebling 1 vote "I guess all the official Zork games fit the bill so I just add the first" [+]"I guess all the official Zork games fit the bill so I just add the first: Great game" ( ![]() ![]() | |
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz, by Steve Meretzky 1 vote "Ahem? The big, big puzzlefest Infocom game." [+]"Ahem? The big, big puzzlefest Infocom game." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Castle Blackstar, by Mark Sheppard, Andrew Cummins, Geoff Richardson 1 vote "Large Intricate Treasure Hunt With Added Quest" [+]"Large Intricate Treasure Hunt With Added Quest: Similar in size to Mainframe Zork and full of clever puzzles. Difficult but not unfairly so in my opinion." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Gorm, by Chris Allen 1 vote "Extremely large time travel game - over 300 locations and plenty of NPCs." [+]"Extremely large time travel game - over 300 locations and plenty of NPCs." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Mirror of Khoronz, by Derek Haslam 1 vote "Recently Extended Sequel To Gateway To Karos" [+]"Recently Extended Sequel To Gateway To Karos: Derek Haslam has rewritten this old school puzzler for the Archimedes. I helped to beta test it and thoroughly recommend playing. Over 300 locations, evocative writing, excellent puzzles and a good back story to boot." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Castle Ralf, by Doug Clutter and Steve Vance 1 vote "Large and clever..." [+]"Large and clever puzzle fest.Escape from a large castle full of machines and traps." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis, by One of the Bruces and Drunken Bastard 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Gateway to Karos, by Derek Haslam 1 vote "Very large ex commercial game from Acornsoft - find the talisman of Khoronz" [+]"Very large ex commercial game from Acornsoft - find the talisman of Khoronz: A 300 location game with very realistic geography and plenty of NPCs to interact with. Oddly compass points work outside the towns and left, right, back and forward in towns. " ( ![]() ![]() | |
Hezarin, by Alex Shipp and Steve Tinney 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Birmingham IV, by Peter Emery 1 vote "Time travel puzzlefest with a moral dilemma denouement" [+]"Time travel puzzlefest with a moral dilemma denouement: Travel back to medieval Birmingham and embark on a treasure hunt cum philosophical odyssey. Great forking ending." ( ![]() ![]() | |
Talisman: Challenging the Sands of Time, by Bruce Hoffman, Raimund Redlich, and Brian Poff 1 vote "With graphics" [+]"With graphics" --Denk... ![]() | |
Philosopher's Quest, by Peter D. Killworth and Jonathan Mestel 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
The Dark World, by Terrence Bull 1 vote "It is a very challenging game with lots of twists and turns, but is also very funny." [+]"It is a very challenging game with lots of twists and turns, but is also very funny.: This game is an old style text adventure game where the map is a maze and to win one must complete a complex series of challenges that are all intertwined. I wrote a 'cheat sheet' for a publishing company and, a shortened version, covered more than a page - and left everyone in stitches." --Terrence... ![]() | |
The Dungeons of Dunjin, by Magnus Olsson 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) --Canalboy... ![]() | |
Ferret, by FerretAuthors@jugglingsoot.com 1 vote "Post Apocalyptic Epic - The Pilgrim's Progress Meets Survivors" [+]"Post Apocalyptic Epic - The Pilgrim's Progress Meets Survivors: A forty-years-in-the-making epic. Awakening from a cryogenic state you must set out to find out what has happened to the World around you. A sublime melding of puzzlefest and narrative. " ( ![]() ![]() | |
Windmere Estate, by Dennis N. Strong 1 vote "Traditional treasure hunt in an old mansion and its grounds" [+]"Traditional treasure hunt in an old mansion and its grounds" ( ![]() ![]() | |
The Lost Kingdom of Zkul, by Jon Malone and Allan Black 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Once and Future, by G. Kevin Wilson 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Warp, by Rob Lucke and Bill Frolik 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |
Scapeghost, by Pete Austin 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() ![]() | |