Most Addictive Puzzle Games

Here are a few of the most addictive puzzle games I've encountered over the years, and if you so feel inclined to add to this list, go right ahead.

Tetris

For many, Tetris is the be all and end all when it comes to puzzle games and for good reason. The incredibly addictive gameplay started more than twenty years ago, thanks to Alexey Pajitnov of the Academy of Sciences in Moscow in 1985. The concept is simple: arrange the slowly falling blocks in such a way that they create horizontal lines, which disappear upon completion, before the screen fills and the game ends. One of the most popular ports ever found its way onto the original Nintendo Game Boy. Later on, different spins on the franchise were born including a not-as-popular three dimensional version (Tetrisphere) and more recently, Tetris DS for the Nintendo DS.

Dr. Mario

Another timeless classic that made its biggest splash on a Nintendo console was Dr. Mario. Who would have known that everyone's favorite pudgy plumber was also a M.D. Mario dons the white coat and all in this game as you manuever around medicine capsules of different colors to clear out the viruses found on the screen. While the single player mode was entertaining and all, the real action was found in versus mode where you could take on your best friend (or rival, as the case may be). Each row or column of 4 identical colors (whether pill, virus, or a combination thereof) would eliminate it from the screen, taking any viruses involved with it.

Lumines

A surprise hit for the Sony PSP, Lumines may look very similar to Tetris on the surface, but has a slightly different take on the typical puzzle game template. The action is fast and furious, and incredibly addiciting. You may be able to set Lumines aside for a little while as you engage in other titles for your Sony portable gamer, but more likely than not, you will shove this game back in there before long and not want it to end... ever.

Minesweeper

Easily one of the most recognizable and simple games to be found on any computer these days is Minesweeper. Because it comes packaged in with virtually every version of Windows, any PC user is bound to have encountered this game and wasted away a few moments at school or at work trying to unearth all the hidden mines in this grid-based game. Mines are randomly distributed throughout the field, and it is your job to mark which squares they inhabit. You do so based on the numbers found in non-mine squares that indicate how many explosives are in its immediate vicinity. Be careful where you click though... then again, you can always just click on that happy face on top to start again.

Puzzle Fighter

Ken, Ryu, and friends found their way to the Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo in a gem-based battle of reflexes and strategy. While first appearing in arcades in the 90s, the title really caught on with its port over to the Sony PlayStation and later on to the Game Boy Advance. This is one of the titles that you either love or hate, and well, I love it. Maybe even more than Tetris, and that's saying a lot. Joining in on the action are four characters from Darkstalkers including Morrigan and Donovan. Because of its fighting game roots, there is no "single player puzzle mode" per se, but rather it is always a one-on-one match -- either against a human or computer-controlled opponent.