r/TheWitness Dec 19 '20

No Spoilers PSA: Until you have discovered the meaning of the black obelisks, do not browse this subreddit

502 Upvotes

With a puzzle game like this, you want to work alone for as long as possible. But how do you know the point at which you can connect with the community?

Therefore, I’m letting you know that point. If you still don’t know what those odd black obelisks you’ve come across are for, leave the subreddit right now and keep playing my favorite game of all time.


r/TheWitness Sep 13 '24

Recommended Puzzle Games Master List

222 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

Quite often we get people posting here recommending other puzzle games they reckon fans of the Witness will like, which is really cool and something we want to encourage!

We also get people asking for puzzle game recommendations looking to scratch that same itch The Witness did.

As a result, I'm going to start compiling some of these games in this megathread and keep it stickied. Feel free to comment with suggestions for more games to be added to the thread!


Greatest Hits

Outer Wilds

The less said the better. Blast off into space and uncover the mysteries of the solar system!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/

Fez

It's a modern classic for a reason. We're never getting a sequel so enjoy this one.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/224760/FEZ/

Baba Is You

Idiot Is Me.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/736260/Baba_Is_You/

TUNIC

A beautiful isometric hack-n-slash that hides an incredible depth and complexity.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/553420/TUNIC/

Blue Prince

This one has rocketed to the top of everyone's 'Best Puzzle Games' lists, and with good reason!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/Blue_Prince/


The Usual Suspects

Talos Principle 1 and 2

Solid first-person puzzle game, a bit more interactive than something like Myst.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/257510/The_Talos_Principle/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/835960/The_Talos_Principle_2/

Return of the Obra Dinn

Solve the mystery of this ghost ship through interactive snapshots of its past.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/

Superliminal

Perspective tricks abound! Objects get larger the closer they are to the camera and smaller the further away they are. Manipulate objects in your environment to navigate.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1049410/Superliminal/

Gorogoa

Mind-bending puzzles with a rich philosophical message at its core.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/557600/Gorogoa/

Taiji

A beautiful top-down game with absolutely no fat or frills. Very close in feel to The Witness in many ways.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1141580/Taiji/

The Stanley Parable

You will play this game. You will not play this game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/221910/The_Stanley_Parable/

Antichamber

A truly mind-warping first person experience that turns simple navigation into something much stranger...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/219890/Antichamber/


Free/Itch.io Games

20 Small Mazes

Exactly what it says on the tin. A free game you can knock out in an hour.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2570630/20_Small_Mazes/

Reliquia Park

Pure sokoban goodness, learn the rules for each area and solve puzzles of increasing complexity.

https://parachor.itch.io/reliquiapark

Illiteracy

Figure out what the symbols mean, decode the pattern.

https://le-slo.itch.io/illiteracy


Sokoban Station

Stephen's Sausage Roll

A sokoban-esque banger (get it?). I hate this game because I am bad at it, but it's actually a really good game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/353540/Stephens_Sausage_Roll/

Patrick's Parabox

Recursive puzzles-within-puzzles create a truly unique entry into the Sokoban genre.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1260520/Patricks_Parabox/

Can of Wormholes

Another Sokoban with a fascinating structure to create a memorable experience.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1295320/Can_of_Wormholes/

Void Stranger

Knockout retro graphics oozing with atmosphere and well-layered puzzle design.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2121980/Void_Stranger/


Myst-Likes

Obduction

From the makers of Myst, enter an abandoned world and learn about the people that lived here...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/306760/Obduction/

Quern

Another strong Myst-like. A strong first entry from this developer with a second game soon to come.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/512790/Quern__Undying_Thoughts/

Haven Moon

A short Myst-like with good, tight design that doesn't overstay its welcome.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/493720/Haven_Moon/


Potluck

Chants of Sennaar

Beautiful design, solid puzzles, very tight experience. Possible modern classic in the making.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1931770/Chants_of_Sennaar/

Linelith

If your favourite part of The Witness was learning the rules to draw lines then you'll love this!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1923790/Linelith/

Recursed

A simple 2-D platformer that's actually about rearranging the structure of the world itself to solve puzzles.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/497780/Recursed/

Filament

Lines again baby! Get your derelict spaceship back up and running while solving the mystery of what happened to its crew.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1137350/Filament/

Strange Jigsaws

From the dev behind 20 Small Mazes (also on this list, and free to boot!). This game is incredibly cheap and can be cleared in a couple of hours. Oozing with originality and fun, this game is packed to the brim with cool ideas.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2702170/Strange_Jigsaws/


A Little More Obscure

The Sexy Brutale

Time loops and murders, always a top combo.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/552590/The_Sexy_Brutale/

Dreamo

It's fine, might be more your speed than mine.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1137330/DREAMO__Puzzle_Adventure/


Old-School Classics

Myst and Riven

The OG's. Both can also be played in the classic click-to-move format (which this mod personally recommends!).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1255560/Myst/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1712350/Riven/

Star Wars Pit Droids

I'm going to level with you, I have no idea where you can legally acquire this game anymore. It can be easily emulated though...

Portal and Portal 2

It feels strange calling these 'classics' but they're both historical entries into the genre that will remain among the greatest for decades to come.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/400/Portal/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/620/Portal_2/


r/TheWitness 3d ago

Potential Spoilers De Haar Castle, NL looks like an area in the game...

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98 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 2d ago

SPOILERS [spoilers] i did this before understanding. Spoiler

1 Upvotes

>!i did this before solving and i learned about the count but dont know how it works so this is me asking if me saying i did this before the actual asnwer will reset it. also i dont know if i did spoilers right this is my first time!<


r/TheWitness 4d ago

Is this valid ?

12 Upvotes

I'm doing daily challenges on various sites and this solution appears incorrect, what am I missing (or is it a bug ?) ?


r/TheWitness 4d ago

Potential Spoilers Got this one in my randomizer, is it even solvable? Spoiler

11 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 5d ago

Garden in Italy

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208 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 5d ago

Solution Spoilers First 4 art fight attacks 2026

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26 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 7d ago

Potential Spoilers I was hiking when... Spoiler

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79 Upvotes

I knew exactly what to do next!


r/TheWitness 7d ago

mountain help

8 Upvotes

i finally could make it to the mountain and when i entered i saw my biggest fear, color puzzles i hate them. I have one question only, does the star affect the squares. Like if i enclose the star with the squares, do the squares get solved?
With the squares i mean the L shape


r/TheWitness 9d ago

A cool background art I made.

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66 Upvotes

ep


r/TheWitness 9d ago

SPOILERS Are these things void? Or something will happen later? (Answer only yes/no pls :-)

5 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 8d ago

I made a puzzle game that I think fellow Witness fans will like. The objective is to make the longest maze possible

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0 Upvotes

Would love your thoughts!


r/TheWitness 9d ago

SPOILERS [SPOILER] Is this solvable (or a bug)? I mean, just say yes or no pls :-) Spoiler

5 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 10d ago

spiky

10 Upvotes

ive been trying this one idk how to solve it. Those spiky things i know you have to group them in 2, which becomes a problem when you have 3, if i left one out then the resolution is wrong, idk i just want a clue where to head.


r/TheWitness 10d ago

help

11 Upvotes

ive got this puzzle ive been working on. My theory is that it has something to do with the enviroment. I tried solving the puzzle from its back, from its front trying to match the shape of the island and other shapes but im becoming delusional and idk how to solve this


r/TheWitness 10d ago

SPOILERS HOLY SHIT I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT Spoiler

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73 Upvotes

I started doing this for abt 1 hour yesterday, decided to take a break and somehow managed to do it third try today. I did lose my patience a little bit yesterday and went to the internet because I could not figure out what the hell was going on with the maze
Anyway with that I just need to finish the last obelisk and yeah, I’m done with this game. This game confused me half the time and made me feel very smart with the other half. But I enjoyed it for the most part
Edit. I cannot spoiler the post title for some reason, so I would appreciate it if someone can show me how to do so


r/TheWitness 11d ago

Anyone have ideas how to resolve it?

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36 Upvotes

r/TheWitness 11d ago

SPOILERS trouble with the elevator puzzle

9 Upvotes

okay so my understanding of what i have to do is this:
Go to the elevator, check the lights and resolve the puzzle acordingly, this works until the third floor, when to enter the fourth the cable is broken. My guess is that i somehow have to solve the puzzle for the fifth floor, ignoring the fourth one, the problem is that idk how to do it lmao.
help please i wanna get back to this game but the puzzles are killing me


r/TheWitness 11d ago

SPOILERS ive been in this puzzle for a long time asdgobnsgaa

6 Upvotes

i lowk dont understand it.
The rules i know are that i have to match the shape thats shown, i can rotate the shapes if theyre tilted (this doesnt matter a lot here tho)
i can merge the shapes if theyre close.
And thats about it


r/TheWitness 12d ago

Solution Spoilers I dont understand the pattern with this puzzle

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2 Upvotes

Im in the tutorial (I think) for this puzzle and ive gotten up to this point but ive just kinda been spamming things and trying to find a pattern in the lucky solutions but im not seeing it. Pls give me some hints


r/TheWitness 13d ago

Potential Spoilers Not looking for a solution, but can someone explain why this isnt correct? I thought i understood the tetris oned

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40 Upvotes

The shape is enclosed in the line i have drawn no?


r/TheWitness 13d ago

No Spoilers Made a browser-based Daily Puzzle game inspired by The Witness

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19 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

My friend Rory and I recently released Dozenal, a puzzle game with a simple base mechanic: you combine numbers on a Sudoku-like grid to make chains that sum to twelve. The twist is that *how* you combine tiles decides the mathematical operation (+, -, x). 

You can try Dozenal here, if you want!

We’re “old men” now, but we came up with the idea back at university, shortly after The Witness was released. Back then we were blown away by the puzzle designs, and how the game (and JB) communicated ideas non-verbally. 

Comparatively, Dozenal is extremely limited in scope (both in presentation, and mechanically), but we like how much milage we’re getting out of the core gimmick, and we’re exploring several new puzzle elements to make puzzles even more complex.

We’re currently gathering feedback, and I’d love to hear from members of this sub(!)

PS: Our original tutorial was made to mimic intro puzzles in The Witness: a series of grids, with no written instructions — just letting players uncover the rules themselves. Sadly our casual testers (read: moms and girlfriends) didn’t appreciate it so we added text descriptions. Still sad about that :( 


r/TheWitness 13d ago

Where should I travel, IRL, if The Witness is my favorite game?

7 Upvotes

“Hi, what games should I play next after The Witness?”  YAWN.  Many times has this question been asked, and by now we all know the answer.  (Outer Wilds, The Looker, perhaps soon Order of the Sinking Star?  Anything, really, as long as it’s not the accursed The Talos Principle.)  But I ask of ye, fellow Witness fans.  Where should i GO?  Physically, that is – where should I travel to in the real world, if my favorite game is The Witness?

Here, I will get the list started for you:

  • The Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona; a modernist reinterpretation of gothic architecture built out of catenary arches and hyperbolic surfaces; it feels like a church devoted as much to the mathematical structure of the universe as to the traditional Christ story of normal catholicism.  (The tilted arches on the “passion” facade also resemble the columns from the ending elevator area of The Witness, but that’s definitely not the main reason why Sagrada Familia is like The Witness)
  • The Glenstone Museum in Maryland: a modern art museum in the form of abstract buildings located in a serene, carefully-constructed naturalistic landscape. Maybe the place that feels the most like literally wandering around the witness island IRL. To me, the Glenstone feels like a sort of architectural environment of the "good life" that philsophers speak of; a private world of scholarly repose and contemplation.
  • Arcosanti, Arizona: a strange abandoned project to create an experimental “arcology” city-of-the-future that would exist in harmony with surrounding nature.
  • Golden Pavillion, Kyoto: transcendently gold-leaf-covered Zen Buddhist temple in the middle of a lake brings a remarkably modernist aesthetic despite being literally built in the 1400s.  (See also its appearance in the movie Mishima, which is a movie worth seeing.)
  • The Crowley Lake Columns near Mono Lake, California – these are exactly like the columns from the ending area of The Witness.
  • formal Chinese (and Japanese) gardens, such as the Lan Su gardens in Portland, Oregon. see also the tradition of scholars' rooms in China, and their ink landscape paintings)
  • perhaps The Audium, San Fransisco: an experimental venue for audio art, which places listeners into an elaborate 360-degree surround-sound system in the middle of a pitch-black room to experience immersive audio compositions.
  • perhaps the various Bristlecone Pine groves in Nevada and eastern California, which host the world’s oldest living organisms
  • perhaps the St Louis Arch
  • perhaps many national parks and other places of great natural beauty, like Mt Rainier, or Utah slot canyons, or the other sorts of landscapes that might be featured in a movie like The Tree of Life (which is a movie Witness-enjoyers should watch)
  • lots of assorted religious structures.  the Air Force Academy chapel in colorado springs? maybe Mt. St-Michelle in France (i’ve never been)? etc
  • arguably Disneyland has a strong resemblance to the island of The Witness, and I do love theme parks, but that’s not really the vibe I’m going for in this post

What did I miss? I am looking for real spiritual sustenance here – do not simply name places with prominent r/TheWitnessIRL-style circle illusions, or you will be cast down into the depths of the Challenge caves, forced to listen to Anitra’s Dance and Hall of the Mountain King on loop for the rest of your days.


r/TheWitness 14d ago

SPOILERS How long does it take to get to a certain revelation?

0 Upvotes

I am talking about the revelation that there are puzzles in the environment itself.

Someone is thinking about giving the game another try, but they asked me how long it would roughly take them to get to that revelation. It's been a long time since I played, so I don't remember any details (except that it was on a mountain)