The Best Nintendo Wii Puzzle Games

Time to solve some puzzles!

The Nintendo Wii is one of the most iconic video game consoles of all time, and while its puzzle games may be some of the lesser-known titles as the years have gone on, they’re still some of the best titles to grace the platform.

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Whether they take the form of an exciting new (for the time) physics-based title, a new spin on a classic, or a remake of a forgotten game from years ago, the Wii had something for puzzle enthusiasts of all ages and interests. These puzzle games will hopefully live on as some of the best examples of their genre, and will continue to delight retro games enthusiasts for years to come.

Create is one of those stellar Wii games that has fallen to the wayside with time, but it’s well worth digging a copy out of the depths of the internet if you love a good puzzle game. The goal in this title is to create scenes and scenarios where objects will interact in a domino-like effect, so it’s essentially about creating some digital Rube Goldberg Machines.

This game made great use of the Wii’s motion controls to move objects around the various stages, but it also worked with mouse and keyboard for those who wanted more precision.

When it comes to puzzle games, you can’t get much more classic than Tetris. Of course, this title added all kind of new mechanics and gimmicks to make the game feel fresh, from multi-line clearing bombs to local multiplayer to an actually pretty cool online co-op versus co-op mode.

Tetris tends to be one of those 'If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it' kind of game series, but Tetris Party Deluxe adds enough new features to justify itself, especially when it comes to playing with other people.

If you’re looking for a little bit of adventure to go along with your puzzle-solving, definitely check out Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. This adorable title has you take on the role of Zack, who is hunting for treasure along with his monkey companion Wiki, as any good pirate would.

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Taking inspiration from graphical adventure games, Zack & Wiki utilizes point-and-click mechanics combined with the use of the Wii’s motion controls to bring classic genre conventions into the twentieth century.

Yet another title that uses the Wii’s motion controls to great puzzle-solving effect — Marble Saga: Kororinpa has you tilt the Wii remote to move a marble through the game’s environment. The game’s story has you take on the role of Anthony the Ant on a quest to find a magical Golden Sunflower.

Marble Saga’s mechanics have drawn some similarities to the Super Monkey Ball series, so if you’re looking for something comparable with more of a puzzle-oriented view, this game is one to check out.

Big Brain Academy is another one of Nintendo’s classic puzzle series, and has provided players with brain-teasing fun for years now. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is a direct sequel to the original title for Nintendo DS, and includes plenty of new minigames to stimulate even the most seasoned of Big Brain Academy veterans.

Wii Degree also included a variety of multiplayer modes, as well as an online feature that allowed you to share your Student Record Books with friends who also own the game.

There’s nothing more impressive than a video game that was created by a super small team — and World of Goo certainly fits the bill seeing as only two guys made it. This title is an award-winning physics-based puzzle game that requires you to build bridges and other various structures using “living, squirming, talking globs of goo.”

Doesn’t seem like the most sturdy of building materials, but who are you to question the world of World of Goo? That goo certainly seems like it gets the job done.

A Boy and His Blob is one of the best-remembered puzzle games from the Nintendo Wii, but it’s actually a remake of a 1989 game for the NES with the only slightly different name of A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolnia.

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The 2009 2D side-scrolling puzzle-platformer remake was designed to bring the title to a more modern audience, and by all accounts it was a successful attempt to do so. The game’s new art style also drew inspiration from influences like Hayao Miyazaki, and it really shows in the charming final result.

Boom Blox is — believe it or not — the only video game series ever directed by famed film director Stephen Spielberg. Why he signed onto this project and its sequel is anyone’s guess, but this physics-based puzzle game series is considered one of the best examples of its genre on the Nintendo Wii.

The game uses a realistic physics system where you use the Wii remote to simulate throwing or otherwise interacting with objects in the game. With over 300 single-player and 100 multiplayer stages, Boom Blox is a puzzle game that can keep you busy for quite a while.

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Noelle is a writer and narrative designer with a passion for interactive storytelling. While she has worked as a games journalist for nearly five years, she has also worked as a game developer for franchises like The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. She even gave a TEDx Talk about video game storytelling while she was in college!Her favorite game genres include roguelikes, choice-based adventure games, and farming/community simulators. She lives in Los Angeles with her two feline fur babies, Deku and Bakugo.