You know your brain will stay healthier if you make it work more, right? Puzzles have long been touted to improve and maintain brain health, so why not download a few onto your iPhone and expand your horizons beyond Candy Crush? From physics puzzles to word searches to abstract games, you’re sure to find at least one to keep your interest for longer than two minutes if you check out our list of the best 10 puzzle apps for iPhone.
The best puzzle apps for iPhone 2020
17 Dec 2020, by Cherry Mae Torrevillas
SNAPLAPSE! is a unique and mindful symmetrical puzzle app. SNAPLAPSE! is an addictive game of symmetry based on exclusive time-lapsed videos of different flowers blooming. Each collection of six flowers represents about 500 hours of time-lapse capture. A deep psychic attraction to the balance and harmony of symmetrical forms. These exist everywhere in Nature. Flowers have evolved to use a combination of symmetrical patterns, scent, and color to attract bees. These qualities attract us to flowers too and explain why we love them and why they make us happy.
- Create beautiful multi-layered kaleidoscopic patterns
- Try to match two halves using your touchscreen and a combination of controls
- Play against the clock, or just chill and enjoy the puzzle!
- Score a 100% snap and save it to your private gallery where you can play it again to try to beat your own top-time
- Play for a few minutes to help get your brain in focus
Download this cryptogram app and enjoy Cryptograms, a free puzzle game from Razzle Puzzles where the goal is to decode famous quotes! If you like interesting quotes and word puzzles, you will love Cryptograms! The cryptograms found in this puzzle game use a 1-to-1 substitution cipher. Aside from letters nothing else in the statement has been changed, e.g. spacing and punctuation. In the case of this puzzle game all statements are quotes from relatively famous to very famous individuals. Using your knowledge of the English language and grammar, see if you can decode the quote!
- Learn famous historic quotes
- Track your best and average solve times over history with the stats tracker.
- Play Cryptograms by Razzle Puzzles on your phone and tablet
- Enjoy online or in offline mode!
Drag and combine colorful blocks of the same number to score high. The rules are simple, but blocks will quickly fill the screen, forcing you to think on your feet. Collect stars to use the booster for even more fun. If you love math, numbers, or addictive puzzle games, Block Puzzle: Merge Star is the game for you.
- Just drag the block onto another one with the same number
- Merge them into a bigger number
- You can remove the blocks by charging the booster gauge
- Try to remove multiple blocks at a time to get higher score
The best time killer is now available on all platforms - get to know "Zulu", new brain logic game. Most simple logical game, where all that is needed from you - to clean the field from all the symbols. Pleasant interface, soft colors, clear symbols make this game easy and interesting to play both to the children and adults.
- Choose two identical symbols that are standing nearby to delete them
- Remove an empty space between symbols
- Add more symbols to your field to make your game more interesting
- Choose light or dark mode
This puzzle app is one of the best we have tried in a while. Fun, a little addictive and different from the standard apps we reviewed. Based on the familiar “bean counting” concept but with additional games that are great too. User feedback in iTunes has been very strong. There are hints and prizes, and correct answers unlock levels and bonuses to keep you hooked. We're looking forward to playing upcoming national contests with cash prizes too.
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- Use up to 3 hints per puzzle
- The closer you get to the correct answer, the more coins you win
- Unlock new levels and bonus, themed puzzles
- Play special contests for cash prizes! (coming soon)
Cross Fingers is an interesting game where you have to combine solid pieces in a huge tangram puzzle. Aside from using your brain, you also have to have dexterity and reflexes in order to win this one. It has 840 levels so don’t plan on doing that any time soon! This one is designed by the same people who brought us Zombie Tsunami and Perfect Cell so you know it’s good. The app looks absolutely stunning and it offers enough of challenge to never be boring, but it’s not so difficult that it’s impossible to play.
- Exercise your brain
- Work your dexterity and reflexes
- 840 levels
- Unique gameplay
- Free with in-app purchases
Flow Free is a crazily addictive, simple game where you have to connect matching colored dots with pipe to create a Flow. It sounds easy, but here’s the trick: you can’t cross any pipes unless you have a bridge or tunnel to use. You can choose Free Play or go against the clock in Time Trial mode. Want a relaxing game? Or maybe you’d rather play a frantic round? You can do that, and everything in between. There are more than 1,500 free levels to play, and new Daily Puzzles every day to test your brain power. There are 10 different board sizes, with the difficulty increasing as the size increases, and additional levels you can buy if you blow through all the free ones.
- Game Center achievements
- Tons of free levels
- 10 different board sizes
- Various levels of difficulty
- Free Play or Time Trial mode
TanZen Free is another tangram game for the iPhone. This one has more than 50 puzzles for you to play for free. Choose which one you want to solve, then try to fit all seven pieces inside the shaded puzzle area without overlapping them. You can play this one for two minutes or two hours, it’s up to you. You can play the puzzles in any order, get a hint when you need one, and there’s an advanced mode for expert players. The music is relaxing and this app is calming because you have to clear your mind of everything except what you’re doing.
- Over 50 free puzzles
- Get a hint when you’re stuck
- Advanced mode
- Relaxing music
- Free with in-app purchases
Ok, this isn’t like a typical puzzle solving game. This app will mess with your eyes and maybe even make you go slightly crazy. You must find the mismatched letter in a screen full of letters. It’s simple, but challenging and will definitely help kill some time. Be cautious because this game can get addicting. There’s a colorblind option for assistance and the simple layout makes it easy for users of all ages. There are in-app purchases for hints and to remove ads.
- An eye popping letter finding game
- Search for the mismatched letter
- Colorblind assistance option
- Simple and addicting
- In-app purchases for hints and to remove ads
Conquer as much territory as possible in this addicting and challenging game. The gaming graphics provides a wonderful experience that most users will enjoy. The game itself can be played by users of all ages and does not require an Internet connection, which is a great feature. You must use the best strategy to conquer the territory and win the game. There are in-app purchases to remove ads and to enhance or expedite the overall gameplay experience.
- Great for users of all ages
- Conquer all of the territory to win
- No Internet connection is needed
- Wonderful gaming graphics
- In-app purchases for gameplay and to remove ads
Marvel Puzzle Quest brings super heroes into the puzzle genre with this match-three game. You’ll get to make your own Dream Team using your choice of super heroes and super villains from characters like Wolverine, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Dead Pool, and more. You can challenge your team in Player vs Player tournaments, build alliances with your fave villains and heroes, and stay on top of new events from the Marvel Universe. Each hero/villain you choose will have his or her own super powers that will help you while you play. It doesn’t matter if you put a hero alongside his nemesis; how you build your team is completely up to you. How will you rank among the world’s best players?
Marvel Puzzle Quest app review
- Match-three superhero game
- Choose your team from heroes and villains
- A huge community of players
- Build alliances
- Free with in-app purchases