BRAIN WANTS BIGGER

February 9, 2009 11:56 AM

I need a solid list of fun video games [esp. Xbox 360 and Wii] that will make (feel) smarter. For example: the game "Portal" absolutely stumped me at times and required me to literally contemplate -- but it was also fun. Half Life 2 had moments like that as well.

I know games like Big Brain Academy and Brain Age should be viable answers to my question, but I think of them as kind of dubious as far as "smart" games go. Sure, they make you think, but in very inane, un-fun ways that are more helpful for warding off neurological laziness (with things like memorization and simple math) than it is in actually making you debate a solution with yourself.

If I have been too vague, I will gladly clarify in the comments.

posted by AlbatrossJones to sports, hobbies, & recreation (14 comments total)

The most obvious response is that you should go get Braid, right now, this minute, this instant. Very hard, very brain-busting, but creates an incredible feeling of accomplishment and smart-ness when you figure it out.
posted by Tomorrowful at 11:59 AM on February 9

Seconding Braid. Also, haven't played it myself, but I hear World of Goo is good for this sort of thing.
posted by sinfony at 12:01 PM on February 9

Seconding World of Goo for the Wii. Great little game, and lots of challenging levels. (I have only ever played it on the PC though, so I can't speak of the quality on the Wii)
posted by Grither at 12:09 PM on February 9

I'll third Braid. Some of those puzzles have permanently damaged my brain, but it felt so freaking good to beat them.

Also, Catan, although it's a board game, definitely requires much thought and tactics in order to win. You feel good when you can win a game on hard.
posted by tracert at 12:24 PM on February 9

I'd suggest Zack and Wiki for the Wii. It's a great game- a good mix of puzzles that take a little trying before you get it, but aren't frustrating. It's aimed at kids, so it might be too easy for you, but I thought it was a fun game to relax with.
posted by tachikoma_robot at 12:41 PM on February 9

Yes yes yes to Braid. Yes to Catan, but also Carcasonne, for the same reasons.
posted by jbickers at 12:45 PM on February 9

Nthing Braid & Zack and Wiki
posted by gnutron at 12:52 PM on February 9

The Zelda games are pretty puzzle-y, if you're into that.
posted by NoraReed at 12:58 PM on February 9

Tomb Raider: Legend has some good puzzles in it. Eets is an older XBLA title that you might enjoy, check out the demo. Culdcept Saga is a tactical board-style game for the 360 that is required by law to be described as 'Monopoly meets Magic: the Gathering'. Not the prettiest game but deep and only around $20.
posted by mattholomew at 1:25 PM on February 9

Braid and World of Goo, for sure.

If you like puzzles, some of the old school adventure games might fit the bill, games like Indigo Prophecy and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. Both for Xbox, but I believe playable on the 360.
posted by gemmy at 5:04 PM on February 9

Another vote for Braid. But a caveat: DO NOT USE WALKTHROUGHS. Ever. No matter how unsolvable the situations seem at the time. There were several points where I was utterly stumped before recieving a stunning flash of insight out of nowhere. That feeling is just unbeatable. Don't pass it by!
posted by Rhaomi at 6:07 PM on February 9

If you don't have an aversion to ascii text or RPGs, nethack is insanely detailed and complex. Almost every object in the game can be used to interact with every other object, occasionally to hilarious results. there's a reason one of the nethack tropes is "The Dev Team thinks of everything!" There is a (fairly steep) learning curve, and YASDs (Yet Another Stupid Deaths) abound (Go Team Ant!), but the level of skill required to ascend makes finally doing so very rewarding.

and, once you play for a while, you'll fully understand the humor behind comments like
this
posted by namewithoutwords at 8:32 AM on February 10

I emphatically recommend Puzzle Quest, which I played on the DS, but is now available on the Wii and PC and Playstation. It is basically Bejeweled in an RPG structure, with several types of puzzles. The sequel comes out very soon and I am psyched. It is not by any means as hard as some of the others mentioned here (Zack and Wiki frustrated me to the point of tears) but those moments of desperation are not necessary for a certain level of satisfaction and pride upon completion.
posted by Isingthebodyelectric at 6:54 PM on February 10

LostWinds on the Wii Virtual Console had some challenging moments. If you're willing to try side-scrolling adventure games, this one would be great for you.

Have these answers been what you're looking for, opp?
posted by nayten at 12:53 AM on February 13