There are wide variety of options for those seeking a casual puzzle game on the Internet, including the large selection of puzzle, action, and card games on About Arcade. The downloads range in size from roughly 2-12 MB, they all have free demos, and they sell for around $20. These are my picks for the best puzzle games currently available on the service.
Bejeweled is a classic matching game which has withstood the test of time and inspired scores of other similar games. It's very easy to learn and quite addictive. This version has several play modes, including a puzzle mode which demands considerable thought at the higher levels.
Sudoku is a number puzzle game which has become very popular both online and in newspapers. The objective is to fill in the grid with the digits 1-9 without repeating digits in any row, column, or block. Ancient Sudoku gives you the option to play with colors and letters as well as numbers, and it also has a puzzle solver for when you get stuck.
Like a memory card game, Combo Chaos is a primarily a contest of recall, but there is also some quick thinking involved. The power-ups are clever and add a lot of fun to this simple concept, which is a refreshing change from the bulk of puzzle games out there.
Take on the role of Inspector Parker and tackle a murder mystery in an old English castle. Betrapped has a lot in common with Minesweeper, the idea being to uncover traps in each of the tiled rooms. Adventure mode intertwines clues for a "whodunnit" with this activity, although the replayability of the adventure portion of the game is limited.
This game takes color matching a step further by combining it with bouncing marbles that are affected by gravity. Of the 3 play modes, I found puzzle mode, where you're trying to construct different shapes in a sort of balancing act, to be more compelling than the action-oriented modes.
Put your plumbing skills to the test and try to keep the water flowing in this intriguing pipe-laying game. Although there's only one play mode, there are enough power-ups to keep things interesting. A good choice for anyone that's tired of matching colors.
If you are fond of Tetris you might enjoy this well-designed and colorful matching game. Like Tetris, pieces drop from the top of your screen, and it's up to you to rearrange them and place them in the puzzle. The controls are a snap, and there is a good variety of play modes and power-ups.
Another color matcher that is familiar to millions of Net gamers. If traditional Collapse is too slow for you, this game can be set to push bricks from both the top and bottom of the screen. When the frantic clicking starts to cramp your wrist, switch to strategy mode for a pleasant change of pace.
Color matching with a 3 dimensional twist. Cubis Gold 2 has 4 game modes but there isn't much difference between them, and the shooting dynamic is a little difficult to get used to. An editor is included so you can arrange your own puzzles.
