10 Best Puzzle Games Like Pokémon Friends 2026

Strip away all of the Pokémon creatures and adorable extravaganza, and Pokémon Friends becomes one of the many puzzle games you might have played before. “Connect the dots to form a straight line,” “climb the levels to reach the goal,” and “break blocks to make a path” are all different forms of familiar brain teasers, on mobile phones, Switch, or otherwise. Still, it doesn’t take away from the coziness of the puzzle designs and the joy of unlocking a new Pokémon plush. 

Pokémon Friends is perfect for kids and adults alike. It can help develop problem-solving skills while at the same time relieve the stress of everyday life. If you’d like to switch franchises, though, and explore a different vibe, check out the best puzzle games like Pokémon Friends we have for you below. 

10. Flipon

Space adventurers will love Flipon, a fast-paced arcade game that takes place on the planet Flipon. You’re tasked with defeating some cute but bad guys through solving puzzles, alongside a series of boss fights. 

The puzzles have over 75 levels and five game modes, challenging you to use different powers to destroy building blocks and climb an infinite leaderboard. By strategically aligning “flipoblocks,” you can come up with powerful combos that destroy the bad guys and snag you the win. 

9. The Case of the Golden Idol

One of the most archaic ways to solve puzzles is playing detective. And The Case of the Golden Idol is arguably one of the best puzzle games like Pokémon Friends out there. Over 40 years, a series of 12 strange murders have occurred. Gruesome and begging to be solved. 

You can take multiple pathways to arrive at the person(s) responsible. While you investigate, piecing together clues and gathering evidence, you’ll unravel a deeper mystery of the Golden Idol. You’ll pick your own suspects, deduce their motives, and arrive at the dark truth.  

8. Nature Matters

On the other hand, you could try Nature Matters, perfect for gamers driven by conservation and climate change. You’ll be working toward saving the planet by solving puzzles. With each puzzle you solve, you’ll restore nature and its vibrant color. 

Essentially, you’ll travel along grid-based tiles, planning your movement so you cover all tiles without backtracking your steps. However, Nature Matters is much more than a puzzle game. It incorporates themes of friendship and sacrifice, alongside the redemption of the planet we destroy. 

7. A Monster’s Expedition

Still, you could check out A Monster’s Expedition. It’s an open-world puzzle adventure, putting you in the shoes of monsters desperate to learn human behavior. 

The puzzles are fun, tasking you with pushing trees to make pathways through which you can explore hundreds of islands. And as you progress, you’ll learn about humanity’s past and future. 

6. Baba is You

Baba is You has received glowing recommendations from critics, thanks to its engrossing puzzles. These aren’t your typical puzzles, often incorporating absurd scenarios and solutions. 

You interact with physical objects, which define the rules of the game. However, you can manipulate these objects to come up with new rules. And with every manipulation, you’ll often discover new and surprising ways to beat the game.

5. A Little to the Left

When you’re feeling stressed out, you can always check out A Little to the Left. It has a playful side of a mischievous cat looking to interfere with your progress. While the cat’s away, you’re tasked with sorting out the mess of household items. 

You sort, stack, and organize things, navigating through over 100 messy scenarios, and leaving each level looking neat and tidy. 

4. Unpacking

In a similar vein, you might enjoy Unpacking. Don’t worry, the game makes “moving out” fun, featuring eight house moves. Each scenario has you pulling valued possessions out of boxes to fit them in a new home. 

Various considerations go into beating Unpacking. For instance, items have to fit nicely in their place. But they also need to look good, as you decorate different characters’ new homes. 

An added incentive is the opportunity to learn more about the homeowners, with each move giving you the chance to experience emotional and intimate moments. 

3. Puzzle Colony

Since Pokémon Friends is free on mobile, you might consider Puzzle Colony, also available on Android and iOS. It’s a pirate adventure, kicking off with recruiting your crew and dominating islands. Through tactical puzzle combat, you’ll defeat rival captains, occupy vacant islands, and transform them into thriving towns. 

The gameplay goes further to charge you with expanding your reach across the island through unlocking new buildings and resources, recruiting more powerful crew members, and gradually enforcing your dominance in the piracy world. Among the best puzzle games like Pokémon Friends, this one comes laden with more content to strategize and battle your way through. 

2. The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between sure does look beautiful, featuring breathtaking island gardens to navigate with your best friends. You’ll manipulate time to solve puzzles, while unfolding an illuminating story. For instance, you can rewind time or fast-forward it to reveal tantalizing secrets. You can also use light to illuminate hidden objects. 

The islands are filled with memorable items from your childhood. And by navigating the world, you’ll unravel a heartwarming story themed on a beautiful friendship. However, not all memories are magical, with some puzzles revealing experiences you’d rather leave behind.

1. Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure has quite a unique art style, charming across every tile. The adventure follows Jemma as she navigates a grid-based world. With each move forward, upward, or downward, she discovers interesting things about herself. 

Most of her self-discovery comes from her encounters with NPCs and enemies. She experiences intense emotions like fear, which impact her own growth in intriguing ways. 

Most of all, though, the puzzles are compelling. When you move, everything on the same row or column as you moves. And this leads to interesting combat strategies and exploration.