People often argue over what genre of games are most difficult. Some claim it is first person shooter games. Since they require amazing reaction times and tactical thinking. Others claim it is titles like Elden Ring. With their challenging bosses and unforgiving combat. But the true answer is puzzle games!

A good puzzle game will challenge your mind in ways that other genres just can’t. It is no surprise that the most difficult sections of most adventure games are the puzzles. But there is no greater feeling than a puzzle solved!

If you’re a puzzle lover like us and looking to get your next fix then you’re in luck! We have compiled 7 of the greatest puzzle games ever made. Ones that are guaranteed to really put your mind to the test!

Portal 2

The sequel to Portal, which is well worth playing as well, Portal 2 is one of the most inventive and hilarious puzzle games ever made. It perfectly blends adventure and puzzles together. Players are equipped with a portal gun that creates two linked wormholes through which you can travel. You must use these in inventive ways to escape the various test chambers.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

Professor Layton is one of the best puzzle series out there. But Unwound Future is arguably the strongest title in the series. You play as Layton, a puzzle loving detective. It features various puzzle word games, logic puzzles, riddles, and math problems that all need to be solved to crack the case.

But what makes this particular Layton game so good is the story. A compelling mystery that twists and turns when you least expect it. And, by the end, the game is likely to have you in tears!

Peggle

Peggle is a classic of the arcade puzzle genre. The premise is simple. You have to destroy numerous pegs using a ball. The pegs are arranged in different shapes to create varying degrees of challenge. But, to aid you, you have access to special powers depending on which character you pick. Peggle is a game that requires a high degree of patience, foresight, and a tiny bit of luck too!

Return of the Obra Dinn

Perhaps the most inventive, and challenging puzzle game I’ve ever played. Return of the Obra Dinn puts you into the shoes of an insurance appraiser. Sent to the recently recovered ship ‘The Obra Dinn.’ It seems the crew mysteriously vanished and the boat was left adrift.

Armed with a stopwatch that allows you to view the pasts of different individuals, but only at the moment of their death, you have to discover what happened and the individual death circumstances of the entire crew. This will require all your wits and logical reasoning to do!

Inscryption

On the surface Inscryption seems like an inventive card game. But it is actually a complex escape room that blends multiple gameplay loops effortlessly. The primary focus is the card game segments. Which are akin to chess puzzles in their complexity. But the escape room elements and rogue-lite feeling to the game blend together to create a title that will stick with you for years to come!

Outer Wilds

This game was released at the same time as ‘Outer Worlds.’ Which did end up causing a lot of confusion in the gaming sphere as the two titles are so vastly different. Outer Wilds is an inventive puzzle adventure. You play as an astronaut from a tiny woodland planet. With your small rocket you have to explore the local solar system.

Oh, but we should mention that every 22 minutes the sun goes supernova and destroys everything! Luckily you have gained the power to send your consciousness back in time. Meaning you have to repeat the same 22 minutes time and time again to solve this mystery.

The game is beyond incredible. Timing is everything. With the solar system changing during the cycle, you have to carefully choose where to go and when. Paired with an amazing soundtrack, stunning visuals, and a compelling mystery. This is a puzzle game that is not to be missed!

Papers, Please

The year is 1982 in the fictional land of Arstotzka. You are a humble border guard working at the immigration checkpoint. The nation is in an era of tension having just ended a six year long war with a neighboring nation. This means the border is tight. And it is up to you to ensure everyone has the correct papers!

Papers, Please is a simple concept executed perfectly. You have to study the immigration documents handed to you, comparing them to the person in front of you and against the strict Arstotzka regulations. This is more challenging than you might think. Because you also have to weigh up the people’s reasons for coming into the nation. And how true they are.

The last few years have been amazing for the world of video games. With so many amazing triple-A titles and stunning indie games released. It has never been a better time to be a gamer. But there is a downside to the constant barrage of big game releases. Game fatigue.

Game fatigue is something most gamers will be familiar with. The burnout associated with constantly switching between these hugely complex games. And not to mention the financial cost associated with it too!

Which is why it is sometimes good to return to one of gaming’s roots. Browser games! Many people have forgotten that there are thousands of amazingly addictive browser games just waiting to be enjoyed. And most of them for free too! Today we are going to look at the 6 most addictive browser games you will easily be able to sink hundreds of hours into!

1. Cookie Clicker

Cookie Clicker started off as a social experiment. Designed to see if you could get people to click on a cookie. And the answer was a resounding yes! But the developers didn’t expect this experiment to become one of the most popular browser games out there! Cookie Clicker is technically an idle game. A game where your progress continues while you aren’t playing. But the game has moved away from the idle aspect over the years. Adding min-games and a more tactical element to gameplay.

The game is simple. You click on a giant cookie to produce cookies. You then spend your cookies to buy buildings to produce cookies for you automatically. You can purchase a range of useful upgrades as you progress and earn prestige ranks. The original version of the game is available on your browser. But you can also buy it on steam or download the mobile version for free!

2. Word Wipe

Word Wipe is a word search puzzle that incorporates elements of match-3 game. The premise is simple. You have to link letters together to create words. Doing so removes those letters from the board and moves the remaining letters down the grid.

The aim is to strategically find words in sequence to get letters into advantageous positions to create more words down the line. You can play Word Wipe online free here at Arkadium.com. This is an ideal game for anyone who enjoys a real mental puzzle. Word Wipe requires a high degree of strategic planning alongside a robust vocabulary.

3. Motherload

One of the absolute best browser games to ever have been created. Motherload has you digging for rare ores on mars. You control a small mining vessel that can drill into the earth in whatever direction you are facing. The game is simple in its premise. Dig for ores. Sell those ores. Purchase upgrades to get better ores.

As simple as the gameplay is, Motherload is challenging as well. You have to carefully manage your fuel to ensure you can make it back to the surface. While also deciding which upgrades are going to be most advantageous at any given time. And the game’s ending has quite a twist to it!

4. Town Of Salem

Who doesn’t like a good mystery game! If you are familiar with Among Us then you will love Town Of Salem. It is a much more cerebral version of the concept. Each player is given a specific and secret role for the game. The villagers have to identify the killers. While the killers have to eliminate as many people as possible without getting caught.

There are a number of distinct roles, each with their own abilities. Players have to work together to uncover the mystery and discover the killers among them!

5. Agar IO

Agar IO is quite an odd game. It is unbelievably simple in regards to gameplay. You are a circle. You grow bigger by consuming smaller circles. Repeat this until you are the biggest circle out there! But it is insanely competitive since there are up to 50 other players doing the same thing as you! You need to navigate around the map trying not to get eaten while also trying to consume other players. No small feat to be sure. But, if you can master this game, it is unbelievably satisfying.

6. Habbo Hotel

This is less of a game and more of a virtual social space. Habbo Hotel is, as the name suggests, a virtual hotel where you create your own avatar and interact with other players. You can construct your own hotel room and turn it into whatever you want.

Habbo players have crafted a range of amazing games within their rooms over the years. Whether you like to try to win prizes or just want to meet some new people. Habbo Hotel is the perfect place for you!

Fortnite is one of those games that often elicits a strong response from people. They either speak of it fondly or they detest it. Love it or hate it, no one can deny the impact it has had on the gaming world. Much like Minecraft, Fortnite has become a cultural phenomenon. Nearly every parent on the planet will have heard of the game. And certainly every dedicated gamer is aware of the monolithic hold Fortnite has on the younger gaming generation.

Fortnite, at its core, is an extremely fun gaming experience. Totally free to play, with the microtransactions only being focused on cosmetics. And an active player base that is showing no signs of dwindling. Fortnite is regularly updated. And each new update changes some of the key mechanics along with swapping out the various weapons, map locations, and in-game gimmicks.

If you’re looking to take your first steps into Fortnite, then this is the guide for you. We will be breaking down the basics of the game. So that you can easily secure your first victory royale!

The Gameplay

Fortnite is a battle royale game. This means that all the players within a match are competing to be the last player standing. Each match will drop in 100 players. You can run solos, duos, trios, or squads of up to 4. When playing as a team you are trying to be the last team standing.

Players are dropped from a flying bus above the map. They can glide down to different locations where they will scavenge for loot and try to eliminate other players. The game forces you to keep moving with a mighty storm that slowly engulfs the island. Moving the surviving players closer together over time. If you stay in the storm for too long, you will perish!

Inventory Management

During each match you spawn with a pickaxe, for destroying scenery, and five empty item slots. You can’t ever carry more than 5 items. So you need to manage your inventory carefully. I recommend having 2 to 3 different weapons along with a couple healing items. If you are carrying only two weapons you should also carry a set of grenades.

There are some important technical aspects you should know about the items in Fortnite. The small shield potions can only restore your shields up to 50%. After that you will need a large potion. Item rarity is denoted by the colorful glow surrounding it. The ranking system goes, green, blue, purple, orange. So if you find the same weapon you’re currently using, but in a higher grade, you should swap out for it.

You can change your game settings so that specific items automatically go into certain inventory slots. I recommend assigning weapons to the first three slots. This will allow you to swap between them more efficiently during a fight.

Cosmetics

Cosmetics are a huge part of the Fortnite experience. With over 1,940 player skins having been made. Cosmetics can sometimes be acquired for free as part of the unpaid battle pass tiers or during special events. But everything else will require V-Bucks to acquire. V-Bucks are the in-game currency that can be only purchased with real money.

The exchange rate for dollars to V-Bucks isn’t great. These days people are buying Fortnite accounts, rather than buying V-Bucks. Purchased accounts often come with a huge variety of skins and a stash of V-Bucks.

Building

One of the things that separates Fortnite from other battle royale games is the building mechanic. Nearly everything on the Fortnite game map can be destroyed, producing various building materials. These materials can be used to construct elaborate structures to provide advantages in combat or allow players to better navigate the map.

Building does take quite a lot of practice to get right. The issue is that too many veteran players are so good at building that it creates a huge disparity in skill level. So I highly recommend playing on the ‘No-Build’ mode. This levels the playing field massively.

Revival

When you are playing a solo match you only get one life. If you die, it’s game over! But, when operating as part of a team, death isn’t always the end. If you are knocked down you can be picked back up by one of your team. But, if you die, you drop something called a reboot card.

Your team needs to pick up this card and take it to a reboot van. If they manage to install the reboot card then you will be revived. But be warned, reviving a teammate sounds out a loud alert noise that will let nearby enemies know your location.

The overlap between anime fans and gamers is astronomically large. The two hobbies compliment each other like salt and pepper. With hundreds of amazing animes based around or inspired by video games. And thousands of amazing video games based on popular anime or paying homage to the medium.

Some of my all time favorite games are anime inspired. Some are direct adaptations of popular shows while others are their own unique story that utilizes the visual stylings of the genre. People are all too quick to write off anime inspired games just because they think they’ll be too silly or nerdy. But those people are missing out on some of the greatest games ever made.

To try and convince you I have compiled this list of addictive anime inspired games that I am certain you will love.

Genshin Impact

Undoubtedly the most popular anime inspired game currently out there. Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG that has taken the world by storm. The game is highly addictive. Partly due to the amazing exploration and engaging quests. But mostly due to the gacha style minigame that provides you with different characters and costumes.

The game has a huge range of characters to unlock. At the time of writing this article the game features 91 different characters. But there will undoubtedly be many more added as the years go on.

The world of Genshin is visually stunning. The graphics are crisp and bright. You will become totally immersed within moments. The game also features co-op for up to four players. Making it an ideal choice for you and your friends. And, in better news, it is free-to-play. The game does feature a lot of monetization options. But the core game can be enjoyed without ever spending a dime.

Doki Doki Literature Club

This is one of those rare games that will elicit a unique reaction from those who have played it. They will avoid telling you anything about the plot and urge you to just try it for yourself. And they are totally right. On the surface Doki Doki Literature Club seems like your run of the mill visual novel game with dating sim elements. But, without giving too much away, it goes far deeper than that.

We will give you a few trigger warnings now. The game touches on some heavy psychological themes. It is not for the faint of heart at all! One moment the game will make you feel like you’re playing a harmless guess the anime quiz. Then it will have you reevaluating everything you thought you knew about video games and life. I cannot recommend this title enough.

Long Live The Queen

This is another deceptive title but for more positive reasons. All the artwork and promo screenshots for this game will make you think you’re playing a wholesome anime game about being a Queen. But being royalty is no easy task.

The game is a demanding balancing act. You have to choose what skills you want to dedicate your time to and then pray to the gods above that you can survive the hostilities of court life. Assassination attempts, war, political intrigue, deception. It seems everything in this game is out to kill you. So maybe spend less time worrying about learning to ride a horse and more time studying deadly poisons.

Fair warning, this game is tough. You will lose a lot. But failure is part of the experience. Each time you will come back with more intricate knowledge of how your kingdom and its citizens function. Learn, adapt, overcome. And you will one day be able to rule with an iron fist!

Hatoful Boyfriend

Do you like dating sims? Do you like pigeons? How about a dating sim about pigeons? Well if this sounds like something you would be willing to try then I have good news for you. Hatoful Boyfriend is one of those titles that will go down in gaming history for changing the landscape.

The game plays just like any other dating sim. Except everyone is a pigeon. The game does give you the choice to have the pigeons shown as anime characters instead. But for the true experience I recommend keeping them in their true pigeon form.

The game sparked a new wave of dating simulators where people would have to try woo non-human things. Victory Belles has you trying to date different battleships. And we are sure we will see many more wacky titles like Hatoful Boyfriend in the future.

Twitch has become one of the most well known streaming platforms on the planet. And in the gaming world it is the platform of choice for all of the biggest streamers and gaming events. It was launched way back in 2011 but it didn’t become popular until 2014. Before that point it was very much a hobby site as opposed to the monolithic industry it is today.

Twitch has managed to stay so relevant because it offers a wealth of tools for its content creators to utilize to, not only earn a living from streaming, but to better interact with their viewers and build a community. It is no surprise that more people are turning their hand at streaming every year.

But breaking into streaming is no easy task. Especially today with the market being so over saturated. So how can you stand out from the crowd and bring in more followers on Twitch? Stick with us as we provide you with some tips to help your follower count grow.

A Consistent Schedule

Streaming for fun whenever the mood takes you is a very rewarding enterprise. But if you’re looking to make a career out of streaming then you need to approach it with the mindset of it being work. And just like any job you will need to stay on schedule.

You don’t need to be streaming five days a week to succeed. But you definitely need to do at least three days minimum. At least while you are still building up your follower base. Keeping your streaming schedule consistent will be key in bringing in regular viewers. If you are constantly changing your dates and times you will miss out on the chance to bond with your regular viewers.

Try to stream at times where the majority of people in your country won’t be working. Evenings or weekends are ideal. You are trying to provide them with entertainment during their downtime. So make sure you are available when they are most likely to be watching.

Use TikTok

TikTok is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there right now. Especially for Twitch Streamers. A vast majority of people will find new streamers through TikTok clips of their streams. So this is the best way to reach out to new viewers and boost your following.

You will want to start clipping the best parts of your stream and uploading them to TikTok. Ideally you want to upload a minimum of two clips for each stream you do. Try to highlight funny interactions with your stream’s chat or amazing gameplay moments.

You will need to also start trying to boost your TikTok following. The best way to do this is to buy tiktok followers from follower24, tokupgrade, or sidesmedia. Doing this will help your page beat the algorithm and appear in more peoples ‘For You’ section of their TikTok account. Buying followers a few times will increase the chance of your page gaining followers naturally.

Start A Discord

As we said earlier the streamer market has become extremely overcrowded. You won’t make it if you aren’t building a community with your followers. This doesn’t mean you need to invite them into your personal life. But you should spend time communicating with them through social media and, most importantly, on Discord.

Creating a Discord server for your community is a perfect way to keep followers. It allows them to interact with you and with each other long after your stream has ended. This is also a great place to advertise your other creative endeavors.

Community Events

Streamers who interact more with their followers always do better than those who don’t. So you will want to start running community events. This can be as simple as hosting multiplayer evenings where you and your followers can game together. Titles like Fortnite and Fall Guys are ideal for this as they allow large lobbies. Meaning all of your followers can have the chance to game with you.

You should consider running competitions as well. Offering up prizes to those who win. Minecraft building challenges or Street Fighter tournaments are a great way to get your community excited and engaged. Running community events like this will also make your viewers more likely to recommend your stream to their friends.

Blur

When we talk about racing games, many names come to mind and will come up later on this list. Sadly, Blur isn’t one of those household names but one of the most underappreciated gems of the 2010s. Scoring a pretty good 82 on Metacritic blur was developed by the ill-fated Bizzare Creations which once existed under the Activision Blizzard umbrella. Combining the realistic tracks and vehicles of games like Forza or Need for Speed with the arcade gameplay of a game like Mario Kart Blur was something new and refreshing to the racing game genre. Today’s date remains one of the most underrated and bold mistakes in the racing genre we’ve seen in a while even though it was sadly discontinued when Activision Blizzard shut down the developing studio.

Need for Speed Heat

This is a franchise that needs no introduction when talking about racing games even though many might not be as familiar with the newest entries if they have not been paying attention to the current state of the Need for Speed franchise. One interesting detail about Need for Speed Heat is that it was developed by Ghost Games which at that point was working on their fourth entry in the Need for Speed franchise. One of the biggest appeals of this entry is of course the walking back of the night and day cycle. This means that you could race around Palm City during the day as long as you wanted and during the night as long as you wanted. The system was replaced with a toggle which allowed you to choose if you wanted to race at night in dealing with police presence or during the day to partake in sanctioned races. While it took almost a year to introduce cross-platform play it was the very first Electronic Arts title to include it and would set the standard for the future.

Burnout Paradise Remastered

If there was an agency dealing with car crashes in Paradise City there would be nothing easier than to get car accident leads from this agency by the dozen to make a lot of money. If you know anything about racing games, you know it and you love it this is the remastered version of the chaotic 2008 classic Burnout Paradise. Burnout Paradise is not only a racing game it is a pure chaos game all about cars. Whether you play cop and robber mode where you have to take down other players or simply enjoy causing chaos in the crash mode burnout paradise is everything for everyone. It’s a brutal racing mode that encourages pushing others into obstacles and playing aggressively as never felt better than in the remaster. While many people cried over the fact that burnout had been in a state of limbo for the past decade the return of this title was a great breath of fresh air in the currently somewhat stagnating industry of the racing genre. We can only hope that this success of the remaster will lead to an eventual new entry into the franchise.

Forza Motorsport 4

To many people, this might be a surprise considering that this is a 2011 title but two all Forza fans this is an expected entry on this list. Forza is by far the most realistic racing game out there that offers a large variety of cars and gorgeous panoramic tracks that allow you to race around the world. When we discuss Forza games though the reasons why Motorsport 4 stands tall above all the others are many. Not only did Forza motorsport introduce incredible drifting physics that today’s other Forza entries have not topped, but it was also the beginning of the rival system. It also had great social features in the form of custom public lobbies and storefronts, allowing players to sell their customizations. While many people mourn the car clubs which were introduced in this entry Forza is still trying to catch up to this 2011 gem.

Mario Kart 8

You know it and you love it this is the great Nintendo racing franchise that unites everyone around the love of competition. For many people, this is a racing game for those who don’t like racing games. While it does allow you to have a competitive racing experience it is morefamily-friendlyy and arcade oriented than the other titles on this list. Still with an extensive library of beloved maps and iconic racers, this recent game is fun for the whole family. Whether you are a Mario fan or a Zelda fan you will find a way to enjoy this game with friends or online.

As we see technology develop more and more every year it’s no surprise that many industries that rely heavily on it have grown and changed a lot over past decades. One such industry that has changed a lot, especially for younger generations is the old concept of entertainment. While you may be used to watching your favorite TV show or movie online and assume that this is the top of the line the reality is that there is something even newer and more groundbreaking that has taken the younger generations by storm. This concept of course is the concept of video live streaming. Whether you’re watching streams on Twitch or YouTube there is no denying the fact that many people have been watching and tuning in more and more every year. This is especially true for those who love to live-stream video games. But if you’re a gamer yourself how can you start streaming? Where do you even start? Here is a simple guide.

The equipment

Contrary to what many people believe this starting streaming you don’t need a very expensive setup and a high-quality camera to be able to produce great content. Many of the biggest streamers out there currently started using their $15 mic some even started with no camera. The most important thing you need before you start streaming is a good Internet connection to be able to upload your streams a basic microphone or camera and of course, a computer on which to play video games or a console with a capture card. This is of course the very basics since you might see streamers who spend a lot on props and sets which also means that they have to figure out how much is a storage unit or the cost of hiring more people to help them on stream like Jerma for example.

The persona

This is perhaps as important or even more important than the equipment. You need to take into account that even if you are playing video games you need to find a way to make people want to watch you for hours on end. When we talk about persona we don’t necessarily mean finding yourself a gimmick but rather finding what makes you you and makes your content appealing. This is incredibly important especially if you’re playing video games considering that there are a lot of streamers who produce video game-centred content. So as you start setting up your streaming setup you need to keep in mind that you have to be entertaining and to be entertaining you have to give something out that people want to see. It is just that simple.

Engagement

Like anything done on social media, the most important thing for your stream is to be able to get eyes on your stream as well as people who will come back for every other stream. This is perhaps the hardest part. The best way to do so is of course to farm engagement on social media by engaging with people but also by promoting your stream. Whether you choose to engage in drama or try to hop on trends to boost your numbers there is no wrong way to go about it. This is why for example on YouTube clickbait content is so popular even amongst YouTubers who are genuine and entertaining. The artist’s part when it comes to content creation is to convince someone to open your content and see what you’re made of. This is why being present on platforms like Twitter or Instagram is a really good way to reach out to new people.

The Money

If you get into streaming you are of course doing it partly because you want to get money out of it and this is normal. While getting a contract is the 1st and best way to make money out of streaming it is not the only one. The biggest money maker for most streamers is of course sponsors and doing sponsored streams whether it is for a video game company or products that you will show on stream or aware on stream. Once you manage to get your partner status on Twitch for example what you want to do is to be able to get the sponsors so you can start making money.