If puzzles and questions that need a lot of brainstorming is what excites you and sets you in the move then this is the perfect article for you. This talks about games that are puzzle-related and are somewhat games like Portal.
Wondering what Portal is?
Portal is a video game that inculcates puzzle-like activities. Developed in 2007, it was published by the Valve and was released in a bundle, The Orange Box, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
The said game is also available in Mac OS X, Android Linux.
It has a character named Chell who is challenged by the bots to complete the puzzles displayed in front of him at each stage with a cake offered after completing them. The setting of the game is narrated by an audio-voice only which also guidees chell throughout. The player is who controls the character from the first-person point of view.
Portal though originally very unique is no longer one of its kind. There are many more games developed after its advent which revolve around similar puzzle-solving algorithms.
Games Like Portal
Antichamber
Antichamber is created by an Australian developer, it is a first-person puzzle game. The main idea of the game is to direct the player towards different paths and questions depending on whichever way he/she turns. Therefore, as understood it gives a three-dimensional (3D) effect within the small screen on your PC. The game streams on Microsoft and isn’t available in a phone version as of now except for supporting Linux and OS X.
The Witness
This is a video game established in 2016 by Thekla Inc. and is inspired by Myst which is an adventure game for solving puzzles.
The Witness is all about an island and exploring it while solving these puzzles that are hidden all across and around that island.
One major factor of difference between Portal and The Witness is that the latter provides no guide or directions to the player on how to go about decoding the questions.
The Talos Principle
A 2014 video game developed by Croteam and published by Devolver Digital, The Talos principle revolves around a philosophical setting. The name is adapted from Greek mythology where a giant man protects Europe from pirates and invaders.
The game is available on Linux, OS X, Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One.
Quantum Conundrum
Supporting Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Quantum Conundrum was developed by Airtight Games.
The character in the Quantum Conundrum is a boy aged twelve working on an experiment. The player can interact with different objects in the game setting and to make it more realistic, he/she can die by falling into a toxic pit filled with liquids.
The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is an interactive platform involving a walking simulator. Developed by an American, the game is available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux.
The character is identified by the name of Stanley and the player is required to guide him all through the game. Suggestions are provided to the player by the bots however it is completely at the player’s discretion to abide by them or not.
If you’re looking for more Game like Terraria, feel free to check our article. You might find your next favorite game there.
Polarity
Polarity is a puzzle-based board game that involves strategic thinking and tests your reflexes. It is a full-featured co-op campaign game where you have to hack into the most protected database and uncover various mysteries.
A client allots you this work and pays you good compensation for the same. This client has suspicious motives and as you unveil the secrets, things will become clearer for you.
If you are looking for games like Portal, then Polarity shares many similarities with Portal and Portal 2.
The Turing Test
The Turing Test is a first-person puzzle-based game set in Europa which is one of Jupiter’s moon. The player will assume the role of Ava Turing who is an engineer of the ISA, i.e. International Space Agency.
The ground crew stationed in Europa and you have been sent there to discover the cause behind the same. Once you reach there, you have to solve a series of puzzles that can be solved by a human only. The station also has an AI called Tom and the puzzles are originally set by the missing people as clues for you to find them.
Q.U.B.E. 2
Q.U.B.E 2, just like Portal, incorporates the method of gradually building up the mysteries behind the story. This is a first-person puzzle game in which the players need to activate several color-coded blocks to progress in the game. Every color allows you to activate a different function, such as the yellow blocks are to make stairs.
You can consider this to be a polished version of Portal. The gameplay is very smooth and the graphics are crisp and sharp. It has puzzles too that are very engaging and rewarding too.
The Swapper
The Swapper is yet another popular name in the puzzle gaming genre. You will be creating a clone for yourself and can also shift your consciousness into it within a second. In this world, a total of 4 clones can be generated. These clones will mimic all your actions and this comes in handy when it’s about shifting blocks and doing other physical work.
You can switch in between your clones and this in turn, flings your soul from one place to another. The game is set inside a derelict spaceship and there is a constant fear of death that both you and your clones will face.
Gateways
Gateways is a thrilling new retro-themed platform-based game. It has won several accolades for its design and gameplay. The game is set in a gigantic lab full of mystery puzzles and passages. Often, you will come across enemies and will have to walk on walls or even on ceilings to reach a new place.
You can also travel back in time to co-work with the past versions of yourself. Navigating from one place to another is seamless here and there are several power-ups to help you in the game here.
Perspective
Perspective is a platform-based game where the player will move in a 2D environment but the perspective could be changed to a 3D one. This is a first-person puzzle game built by DigiPen students.
The player gets to play with two control modes that include a 3D model shown by a first-person camera and another is the 2D avatar. These two things will be moving in sync and co-operate with one another to play successfully. The 3D player will go ahead and generate new 2D paths so that the 2D avatar can finish and exit a level.
Bridge Construction Portal
Bridge Construction Portal is a classic combination of the Portal and Bridge Constructor games. The player steps into the shoes of a new employer in a Science test lab. Here, you have to build ramps, bridges, and slides. Along with that, you need to transport the Bendies safely over to the finish line in your vehicle.
You can use Portal gadgets to pass by the turrets, acid pools, and other barriers. Moreover, there are several switch puzzles that you need to solve in order to reach the test chambers safely. Your voice guide is Ellen McLain who takes you through the tutorial and helps you with a couple of tips and tricks to be able to play smoothly.
Ibb & Obb
Ibb & obb is a co-operative puzzle game where gravity works both ways. So, you can walk both on the land and the ceiling in this world. You can succeed only by working closely with your friend since this is a two-player game.
You can either fall up or jump down in this game since gravity works differently here. You are sure to have a lot of fun with the weird gravity rules in this world. The double gravity puzzles will allow you to discover 8 unknown worlds in this game.
A Story About My Uncle
Here is yet another first-person platform-based adventure game that deals with a boy who is looking for his lost uncle and in this venture, he reaches a world that he never imagined existed. This game is all about the adventure he experiences in this strange world.
A Story About My Uncle is based heavily on a grappling hook that will allow you an amazing sense of freedom while performing the swinging motions. Like Portal, this is also a first-person game with a creative art design and a mysterious story.
Thomas Was Alone
This is a unique game that does not have humans or animals as characters. Rather it features several rectangles that you have to guide across different environments and obstacles. You have to make use of different skills to reach the end of every level/ environment in this game.
Thomas Was Alone is a simple 2D game about friendship and you can jump and float using anti-gravity here. The background music of the game is awesome and the voiceover is pretty engaging as well.
Parallax
Parallax is a game where you can experience some crazy dimension shifts. This is yet another first-person puzzle game with 2 overlapping worlds. You can weave back and forth between the black world and the white one as and when you feel like it.
Make use of switches, boosters, and also manipulate gravity to help you go to the exit. This is a mind-bending game based on a monochromatic background that might be awesome to some and a nightmare to others.
TRI: Of Friendship and Madness
This is a unique game that takes you through towers and dungeons and makes you solve interesting puzzles. The graphic design is really impressive and suits the setting of the game perfectly.
TRI is also a first-person game and will make your brain go dizzy as you enter the magical world of this game. This is the Odd Gods’ world and here, every corridor, floor, dungeon, and every other structure will challenge you to think creatively.
Splitgate: Arena Warfare
If you were to imagine Portal as a fast-paced shooting game, then you will get Splitgate: Arena Warfare. So, if you want to play a combination of Portal and an FPS, then this is it. This game gives rise to a new dimension every time you are about to combat.
The portals used in this game are all controlled by the player. If you are a fan of shooter games, then it will remind you of all the best shooters in the past decades. This game is an amalgamation of close-range combats and a multi-dimensional universe.
Obduction
Obduction is a new sci-fi adventure game from the creators of the popular Myst. It places you on a rundown alien landscape where you will find odd portions of the Earth. You can explore, solve, and discover new ways to make this place your home.
The player will find himself exploring a deserted location while he has to find the nature and reason for his abduction in the first place. Just like Portal, Obduction also gives room for plenty of portals to exist.
Echochrome
Echochrome is a puzzle-based that focuses entirely on your perspective. The staircases might not seem to connect here and a lot of other things depend on the angle of viewing. You have to contort the stage’s axis too because falling off of something means landing on something else.
You can also create a bridge by connecting two runways of different heights. So, just like Portal, this game also shares the same physics-defying means to move from one place to another. It may seem like a complicated concept but turns out to be quite fun to play.
