Okay, so maybe a more honest title would be “The Only 3 Puzzle/Mystery Games I Know Are Coming Out in 2012”, since I’m not exactly up on my game news, but I am super anticipating these three upcoming games!
#1 – The Witness
I’ve been wigging out over this game since I first heard/wrote about it back in February. Braid-creator Jonathan Blow has made it his mission to revamp the adventure game in his upcoming puzzle and exploration game, The Witness. Blow has tons of insight and innovative ideas when it comes to puzzle games, and there is no developer I’d rather see take a crack at my favorite genre.
Platforms: “Whatever makes sense”
Release date: “Sometime in 2012”
#2 – The Secret World
I read an article about this upcoming MMORPG in Game Informer magazine and promptly flipped out. Funcom’s The Secret World is set in the contemporary world as we know it, but the creatures and demons we know as myths and fairy tales are actually very real, and very dangerous. Players choose to join one of three international secret societies — the Dragons, Templar, or Illuminati. Each of these groups do their part to combat the evil forces in the world, all while vying against each other for power and control. The Secret World promises to do things a little differently than traditional MMOs, particularly when it comes to leveling and classes. As for gameplay, a recently released press demo level had players searching the (in-game) streets of London for clues and using Google to crack codes. I’ve never really gotten into any MMORPGs I’ve tried, but the modern setting, mysterious storylines, and puzzle-centric gameplay of The Secret World make me think that’s all about to change!
Platforms: PC
Release date: April 2012
#3 – Quantum Conundrum
The lead designer of the smash-hit puzzle-platformer Portal has left Valve and is working on a new puzzler called Quantum Conundrum. While the first-person, 3D, and puzzle aspects of the game seem pretty similar to Portal, the aesthetic and mechanics will bring something new. You play as a 12-year-old boy trying to navigate your way through your eccentric scientist uncle’s mansion/laboratory, where physics play by new rules. You’re given a device that lets you switch between various dimensions, such as Anti-gravity, Slow-motion, and “Fluffy” (lightweight), to solve physics-based puzzles. The aesthetic is light, bright, and colorful, with chunky, stylized models and goofy characters. From what I’ve seen so far, Quantum Conundrum promises to deliver the same kind of satisfying, truth-revealing puzzles that made Portal so fun. If Portal and Portal 2 left you wanting more, well, here’s some more!
Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, Windows
Release date: Q1 2012