The App Store isn’t exactly known for generous discounts these days. With so many apps built around subscriptions and in-app purchases, there’s not much developers can do to make “free to download” more appealing. One corner of the store still bucks that trend, though: puzzle games. If you enjoy slow, thoughtful games that make you feel quietly clever when everything clicks into place, there are some excellent deals worth grabbing over the holidays.
These titles are perfect to stock up your gaming library, and a good chance to grab some last-minute Christmas presents too. Just hit Share > Gift App on any of these to purchase for a friend. You can even schedule their gift email and download code to arrive on Christmas Day. They won’t know you only paid the discounted rate!
All prices are accurate at the time of writing, but please be mindful that they could change at any time.
A big highlight is the work of studio Amanita Design, whose beautifully animated puzzle adventures are pretty much all on sale. Titles like Machinarium, Botanicula, and Samorost 3 (below) are down from their usual $5-plus price tags to $2 apiece. These games combine tactile, logic-driven puzzles with a distinctive hand-drawn style, and they’re a perfect fit for a quiet afternoon on the sofa. If you’ve ever been curious about Amanita’s games, now is the ideal time to dive in.
For something a little more mischievous, Rusty Lake Hotel is also on sale. Already inexpensive at $2, it’s currently half price. Expect surreal characters, dark humor, and a series of bite-sized mysteries that gradually reveal something much stranger lurking beneath the surface.
One of the smartest puzzle games of the past decade, Baba Is You, has also seen a rare discount. It drops from $7 to $5, and remains a must-play if you enjoy rules-based puzzles that constantly reinvent themselves. It’s deceptively simple at first glance, then becomes wonderfully mind-bending as you start rewriting the logic of the game itself.
There’s an even bigger price cut on The Witness, Jonathan Blow’s landmark first-person puzzler. Often cited as one of the greatest puzzle games ever made, it’s currently down from $10 to just $4. If you’ve never explored its mysterious island of line-drawing puzzles and environmental clues, this is an absolute steal.
A few honorable mentions: 7 Billion Humans is reduced from $5 to $3 and offers a playful take on automation and logic. Klocki and BardCard are both down to $1, both of which deliver clever ideas at impulse-buy prices.
If you’re looking to treat yourself to something a little more substantial to pass the time over the next week or two, this year’s Christmas sales are well worth a look!