Puzzle Agent

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Nelson Tethers, from the U.S. Department of Puzzle Research, is sent to investigate the Scoggins Eraser Company when they respond to White House inquiries with puzzles. The small town of Scoggins is full of brainteasers, riddles, and cryptograms that Tethers must solve to uncover the town's secrets and the core mystery. With its unique narrative and visual style, Puzzle Agent offers a thrilling and engaging experience for those who love puzzles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,018 reviews

story592 positive mentions

replayability14 negative mentions

Interesting and quirky story with a unique art style.
Fun and varied puzzles that range from easy to challenging.
Great voice acting and humor that adds to the overall charm of the game.

Some puzzles are poorly explained, leading to confusion and frustration.
The game is quite short, taking only a few hours to complete.
Ends on a cliffhanger, requiring the purchase of the sequel for resolution.

story
1,284 mentions
46 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of "Puzzle Agent" is a quirky and engaging narrative that blends elements of mystery, humor, and a touch of horror, reminiscent of shows like "Twin Peaks" and "Fargo." Players follow FBI agent Nelson Tethers as he investigates a bizarre eraser factory closure, encountering oddball characters and eerie situations along the way. While the story is captivating and well-written, it concludes on a cliffhanger, necessitating the purchase of the sequel for a complete resolution.
- “You don't just solve puzzles; you unravel a story where each solution moves you deeper into a thickening plot filled with conspiracies and oddball characters.”
- “Whether or not you're a puzzle enthusiast, the story itself is worth the journey, especially with its cinematic nods and cleverly scripted dialogue that often brings a chuckle.”
- “The story is quirky and strange in a fashion that keeps you engaged.”
- “Most conversations seem to drag on and the story isn't that interesting.”
- “The game presents half of a story, and it concludes abruptly with a cliffhanger.”
- “The story does not end in a way that is happy or sad, it does not highlight certain themes or messages, it barely follows an idea of slow escalation into mystery and instead leaves you confused from the first cut-scene.”
graphics
339 mentions
43 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Puzzle Agent" are characterized by a charming, hand-drawn art style that evokes a quirky, cartoonish aesthetic reminiscent of newspaper comics. While many players appreciate the unique visuals and their fit with the game's atmosphere, some note that the graphics can appear low-budget or inconsistent, with occasional glitches and a lack of polish. Overall, the art style is a significant highlight, contributing to the game's quirky narrative and engaging puzzles, despite some criticisms regarding clarity and execution.
- “The art style is wonderful and the voice acting is great.”
- “Puzzle agent is a pleasantly quirky concoction of mysterious adventure, smart puzzles and offbeat humor, wrapped in a refreshing 2D art style.”
- “The graphics may not be the sharpest, but they perfectly suit the game's almost chalkboard-like art style, which features some zany characters that will keep you entertained throughout.”
- “The graphics of the game could’ve fit well with its charming story and lore, but often it was pixelated and blurry instead of looking hand-drawn like intended.”
- “I encountered several puzzles that were hard to understand and solve because of the abstract, cartoon art style.”
humor
324 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Puzzle Agent" is widely praised for its quirky, dark, and often absurd nature, drawing comparisons to the works of David Lynch and the Coen Brothers. Players appreciate the clever dialogue, strange characters, and the balance of lightheartedness with eerie undertones, which contribute to a charming and engaging experience. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, many enjoyed the game's ability to elicit genuine laughter through its unique storytelling and character interactions.
- “The humor is subdued, mostly down-to-earth and character-based, with the occasional bouts of weirdness using contrast and shock very effectively to hit above their wit class.”
- “This is a comedic gem with tons of different puzzles, which masterfully balances eerie mysteries with absurdly funny moments.”
- “The dialogue is often witty, and the awkward social interactions between Nelson and the residents add a humorous touch.”
gameplay
152 mentions
20 % positive mentions
76 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is heavily inspired by the Professor Layton series, featuring a mix of point-and-click mechanics and a variety of puzzles that range in difficulty. While many players appreciate the charming story and humor, some criticize the puzzles for being overly simplistic or repetitive, with a linear structure that limits exploration. Overall, the game offers a short but engaging experience, appealing primarily to fans of puzzle-solving games.
- “The puzzles range from short word problems and logic puzzles to rotation puzzles and string puzzles, providing a wide variety of mechanics and difficulties.”
- “With a gameplay really similar to that of the Professor Layton series, and with a more than obvious influence from Twin Peaks, Puzzle Agent offers a short (around 3 hours), interesting and entertaining adventure accessible for anyone, even beginners with no experience in puzzle or logic games.”
- “The gameplay consists of puzzles and basic point-and-click navigation which is mostly linear.”
- “The gameplay is extremely similar to the Layton games.”
- “The puzzles range from ridiculously easy to frustrating, with the difficulty mostly stemming from inadequately described or poorly implemented puzzle mechanics.”
- “Once you get into a puzzle, gameplay is halted until you complete it, which is annoying, and on top of that, it is oftentimes a stretch in relating the puzzle to the actual game in the first place.”
atmosphere
117 mentions
56 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of eerie, whimsical, and mysterious elements, often drawing comparisons to the styles of "Twin Peaks" and "Fargo." Players appreciate the captivating art style, immersive sound design, and engaging voice acting, which together create a rich and memorable experience. While some reviews note inconsistencies in tone and puzzle difficulty, the overall consensus is that the game's atmosphere is its standout feature, enhancing the storytelling and player engagement.
- “The atmosphere manages to be both playful and terrifying (seriously)!”
- “The music is great, the melodies will certainly stick in your head but for good reasons and they support the sinister atmosphere.”
- “Brilliant atmosphere, and story, it's a great mix of Twin Peaks, Fargo, Delta Green and The Wicker Man.”
- “This unsettling atmosphere runs throughout the entire game, which unfortunately ends on a massive cliffhanger.”
- “The tone is also weirdly inconsistent, like it can't decide if its atmosphere should be one of comedy, horror, or an off-putting mystery.”
- “While the puzzles aren't the hardest thing in the world, they are still for the most part fun, but where this game truly shines is in the atmosphere and setting.”
music
102 mentions
50 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, contributing significantly to its atmosphere and enhancing the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack memorable and fitting, others note that it can be unremarkable or easily overlooked. Overall, the combination of atmospheric and eerie music, along with effective voice acting, helps create a unique and engaging environment that complements the game's quirky narrative and art style.
- “The music is surprisingly very good.”
- “The music is fitting and doesn't really stand out, but it doesn't detract from the experience at all.”
- “Great atmosphere created through the music, and the art style and bare-bones voice work really worked well together.”
- “The music is nothing to write home about, but it sets the tone well.”
- “The sound quality and music were at an acceptable, but not very impressive level.”
- “When doing puzzles, the music becomes very soft and low to mask the fact that it obviously has to loop.”
replayability
45 mentions
11 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has very low to zero replayability, with many players noting that once the puzzles are solved, they offer little challenge or incentive to replay. While the story and characters are enjoyable for a single playthrough, the lack of choices and static puzzles diminish the potential for repeated enjoyment. Most reviews suggest that the game is fun to experience once, but does not warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “There's also the replayability value of trying to get a perfect score.”
- “It has quite a bit of replay value, as I feel as if most people may miss a few things the first playthrough.”
- “However, it has replay value.”
- “No replay value in my book; when you finish, you are allowed to free-play all the puzzles.”
- “Replayability is sadly nonexistent, with static puzzles and no decision points to reconsider.”
- “The main negatives are that the game is quite short (I beat it in around 4 hours) and there is zero replay value whatsoever after you've beaten the game aside from redoing the puzzles, which you can't improve your score on unless you start a new game anyway.”
emotional
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the charming visuals and find the story intriguing, many feel that the lack of character development and unresolved mysteries prevent a deeper emotional investment. The abrupt ending leaves some feeling cheated, though others find themselves increasingly engaged with the characters as they progress. Overall, the emotional connection varies, with some players feeling smart and others frustrated by the puzzles.
- “The art is created by a renowned artist who holds incredibly charming and emotionally deep visuals that help connect the player to the characters of the story.”
- “Puzzle Agent - the puzzles are decent, but the story is absolute genius. The more you play, the more emotionally involved you get with the characters, right up to the abrupt, yet timely end.”
- “None of the main mystery elements really get resolved, and unfortunately you're just not given enough time with the characters to get emotionally invested in the outcome anyway.”
stability
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches, particularly on Windows 10 and Mac systems, leading to unplayable experiences for some. While a few players noted minor issues and found the game generally enjoyable, the prevalence of freezing and graphical problems has raised concerns about its overall reliability.
- “A fun concept, but a very buggy run for an established game (could be that it's just not happy running on Windows 11, though).”
- “Unplayable on Windows 10 with a GTX 1650, freezes constantly.”
- “Great...a game that looks like fun until the graphical glitches on Mac prevent you from playing.”
grinding
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
-14 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
Reviews on "grinding" highlight a mixed experience; while some players find the lack of repetitive puzzles refreshing and appreciate the focus on solving challenges, others feel that the slow text scrolling and the need for additional lives can make the gameplay tedious and frustrating. Overall, the game attempts to minimize traditional grind elements but may still leave some players feeling overwhelmed by the constant puzzle-solving.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “I really expected to like and enjoy this game based on other reviews, but I found it frustrating and tedious.”
- “You can't fast scroll through text - you have to choose between reading it the slow way or skipping it entirely - which makes the plot segments as tedious as the puzzling.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
optimization
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized for touchscreen devices, providing a smooth gameplay experience. While it features a linear narrative, it effectively engages players for a few hours, supported by strong voice acting that enhances the overall experience. Performance ratings are notably high, with a score of 10/10.
- “The gameplay was very smooth, and clearly optimized for touchscreen.”
- “Performance: 10/10”
character development
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game features strong character development, enhanced by unique designs from Graham Annable, known for his work on "The Boxtrolls." While the sketchy graphics may appear unfinished, they contribute to the overall charm and depth of the characters and story.
- “Good story and character development.”
- “The art, world, and character design are linked to Graham Annable.”
- “The sketchy graphics may seem unfinished or unusual, but they still look fine, and especially the unique character designs (done by Graham Annable, who also co-directed the Oscar-nominated animated movie 'The Boxtrolls') make the game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development made my gameplay experience feel linear and unengaging.”