Apps
Where to play free puzzle games online, answered
The direct answer, plus what free means, whether you need an account and which game fits the puzzle you already like.
Short answer: for free puzzle games online, go to Mayavoo, open its puzzle and logic page and click any game. You play in the browser at no cost, with no download and no sign-up.
The rest of this page answers the follow-up questions people usually have: what "free" means here, which game to try for each kind of puzzle, and when to look elsewhere.
What does free actually mean?
Free browser games are usually paid for by ads, and Mayavoo says so plainly on its about page. A short Google ad may run before a game starts and again when you leave. While you are playing, there are no ads.
Several of the puzzle games go further and state on their own pages that they contain no ads or purchases inside the game itself. Pebble Dig, Canal Knot, Paper Flock and Hive Plots all carry that note.
Do I need an account?
No. You can play every game as a guest. An account, through Google or GitHub, only adds the ability to like games and post comments.
Is it safe to play in the browser?
Mayavoo's team plays each game and checks its files and network behaviour before publishing it. Games then run in a sandboxed frame that keeps them away from your Mayavoo account. Snug Pieces, the jigsaw, lets you load your own photo and says the picture stays on your device and is never uploaded.
Which free puzzle game should I pick?
Match the game to the puzzle you already enjoy:
| If you like | Try | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sudoku | Ninebox | Solver-graded grids with notes and hints |
| Minesweeper | Fuse Field | Dig a garden, flag the fuses |
| Picross | Pixel Riddle | Clues become a pixel picture |
| Jigsaws | Snug Pieces | Snapping pieces, daily puzzle, your own photos |
| Rush Hour style | Canal Knot | Free a red tug from a crowded lock |
| Something new | Hive Plots | Place hives so none touch |
Will it work on my phone?
Each of these game pages lists desktop, mobile and tablet. Controls are written out on the page too, so you can check before you start. Fuse Field, for example, uses a long press to plant a flag, and Pebble Dig lets you drag a finger through the sand.
How do I find more like these?
Mayavoo groups games by category. Besides puzzle and logic, the neighbouring shelves are brain teasers and memory, sorting and spatial logic, and match, merge and block puzzles. The sorting shelf, for example, holds Crate Keeper, a careful take on Sokoban, and the block shelf holds Twofold, a take on 2048.
What about other free puzzle sites?
There are good options. CrazyGames describes its puzzle category as free with no download, and Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection is a long-running set of one-player logic puzzles you can play on the web or install on Windows and Unix. That collection suits people who want plain, no-frills grids. If you want a mix of classic and original puzzles with friendly hints and art, Mayavoo is the better first stop.