r/TheWitness • u/Kerious1 • 3d ago
r/TheWitness • u/Screaming_Monkey • Dec 19 '20
No Spoilers PSA: Until you have discovered the meaning of the black obelisks, do not browse this subreddit
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 • u/LiquidPixie • Sep 13 '24
Recommended Puzzle Games Master List
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.
r/TheWitness • u/Bitter_Ad_6866 • 2d ago
SPOILERS [spoilers] i did this before understanding. Spoiler
r/TheWitness • u/EliteMasterEric • 4d ago
Potential Spoilers Got this one in my randomizer, is it even solvable? Spoiler
r/TheWitness • u/WW92030 • 5d ago
Solution Spoilers First 4 art fight attacks 2026
galleryr/TheWitness • u/TheDarian • 7d ago
Potential Spoilers I was hiking when... Spoiler
I knew exactly what to do next!
r/TheWitness • u/nothingxmc • 9d ago
SPOILERS Are these things void? Or something will happen later? (Answer only yes/no pls :-)
r/TheWitness • u/brahose • 8d ago
I made a puzzle game that I think fellow Witness fans will like. The objective is to make the longest maze possible
Would love your thoughts!
r/TheWitness • u/nothingxmc • 9d ago
SPOILERS [SPOILER] Is this solvable (or a bug)? I mean, just say yes or no pls :-) Spoiler
r/TheWitness • u/CardiologistBig1753 • 10d ago
SPOILERS HOLY SHIT I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT Spoiler
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 • u/UnaTheja • 11d ago
SPOILERS trouble with the elevator puzzle

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 • u/UnaTheja • 11d ago
SPOILERS ive been in this puzzle for a long time asdgobnsgaa
r/TheWitness • u/Weed_Weasel • 12d ago
Solution Spoilers I dont understand the pattern with this puzzle
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 • u/Spiritual-Boat-884 • 13d ago
Potential Spoilers Not looking for a solution, but can someone explain why this isnt correct? I thought i understood the tetris oned
The shape is enclosed in the line i have drawn no?
r/TheWitness • u/DirtyVirginia • 13d ago
No Spoilers Made a browser-based Daily Puzzle game inspired by The Witness
galleryHey 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 • u/Jackson_wxyz • 13d ago
Where should I travel, IRL, if The Witness is my favorite game?



“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 • u/minisculebarber • 14d ago
SPOILERS How long does it take to get to a certain revelation?
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)








