At the time of writing this, I just returned from WASD. Wait, what is WASD? WASD is one of the biggest (and in my humble opinion, best) video game festivals in the UK. It takes place each April, and is a fantastic showcase of recent releases and upcoming games. Developers from all around the world attend and show off their game builds for the enthusiastic public.
Whilst I was there in a fairly professional capacity, I also made sure to do several loops of the event and play just about every puzzle game I found. From the obscure indie, to the double and triple A studios… From early demos, to already released games, to games that can only be played on a hyper specific device that almost nobody owns. By my count, there were well over 70 games. In short, a lot to play.
But fear not! I’ve rounded up my personal top picks for my absolute favourite puzzle games showcased at WASD:
The House of Tesla by Blue Brain Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, Playstation
Public Demo: WASD Only
Launch Date: Unannounced
Following the success of The House of Da Vinci series, Blue Brain Games have made a sequel game titled The House of Tesla that takes you through the world of Nikolai Tesla. If you’ve ever played any of the Da Vinci series, you’ll know that these games are first person adventures through cool laboratories filled with contraptions. In the new Tesla game, the creators begin to play with electricity in an exciting way. Same spaces filled with curious secrets, but new mechanics that elevate the gameplay to a new level.
Paper Trail by Newfangled Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, Playstation, Mobile
Public Demo: Play on Steam
Launch Date: May 21, 2024
Somehow Paper Trail has catapulted itself in the last few months into becoming one of the most highly anticipated puzzle games like, ever, and heck I’m there for it too. It was very cool to see the game being showcased with it’s own stall at WASD, and I really enjoyed chatting to one of the game’s creators whilst there. Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure set in a foldable world. You have to fold up the edges of the world to create pathways and bridges to allow the main character to move around as she leaves home for the first time.
LOK Digital by Icedrop Games and Letibus Designs
Platforms: Steam
Public Demo: Play on Steam
Launch Date: Unannounced, 2024
So I might be a little biased here, since I am helping out on this particular game, but LOK Digital at WASD was one of my favourite puzzle game demos there is. In LOK Digital, you’re tasked with learning the mysterious language of the LOK Creatures, and using it to grow and build the Lokite world. It’s based on a critically acclaimed puzzle book titled “LOK” by one of the video game’s designers, and it’s delightful to see how cool the digital game version plays.
30 Birds by ARTE France
Platforms: Steam
Public Demo: WASD Only
Launch Date: Unannounced, 2024
This was the game I played at WASD that I most wanted to see more of, but there was such a queue for it at all times, I only snuck 10 minutes or so on the console. But what I did play? Breathtaking! 30 Birds is a point and click narrative side scroller puzzle game that bends all the rules in some seriously cool ways. The game opens up on a train to a mysterious spiritual music festival. As you wander the train, you convince the curious host of characters to sing and dance until the train is lively as ever as it pulls into the station.
Wax Heads by Patattie Games
Platforms: Steam
Public Demo: Play on Steam
Launch Date: Unannounced
Wax Heads is a logic-puzzle style game that reminds me a lot of games like Strange Horticulture. The idea is simple, you run your own record shop and customers come into the shop requesting records. By looking closely at them and considering exactly what they say, it’s up to you to recommend the right record – with hilarious consequences. In playable demo takes you through the first in-game day.
Dead Meat by Meaning Machine
Platforms: Steam
Public Demo: WASD Only
Launch Date: Unannounced
At first, I wasn’t sure about Dead Meat. But, after spotting a gap in the usually-very-crowded stand for the game, I sat down and gave it a go. In Dead Meat, you play the role of an investigator with one task – get Lucia to confess to the crime she maybe definitely committed. The mechanic of the game is simple – you just talk to her. But it’s a clever little piece of technology that feels like you’re talking to a real person as you figure out the who, the what, the when, the where and the how of the crime. Since it was just a demo, I didn’t get to fully ‘solve’ the mystery, but I was intrigued by what I did play. This is one to watch!
Pieced Together by Glowfrog Games
Platforms: Steam
Public Demo: WASD Only
Launch Date: Unannounced
So this game I didn’t technically play at WASD… But only because I’d already played the demo in a playtesting session a few weeks before. And, I loved it. Whilst not strictly as puzzley as it probably could have been, Pieced Together has a puzzle level pitched in the similar style and difficulty of A Little to the Left and Unpacking. The player is tasked with putting together a scrapbook of childhood memories based on letters and contextual clues from the main character. It’s sweet, and a little sad in all the right places, whilst providing just enough challenge for me to call it a puzzle game too.
Demonology 101 by Ludipe
Platforms: itch.io
Public Demo: Play on itch.io
Launch Date: Available Now
Originally made as a game jam, Demonology 101 was one of the games showcased at the Curios stand (alongside LOK Digital, and Wax Heads). In Demonology 101, you have to summon demons then figure out the true name of each one in order to banish them. It’s a short and sweet game but surprisingly deep and challenging. I had a lot of fun puzzling through this one over multiple days, and would recommend anyone who enjoys logic puzzles to do the same.
Header image uploaded by WASD. All Game screenshots and GIFs (c) their respective games.
