New puzzle games of 2026

One of the most talked-about new puzzle games of 2026 is a cat sudoku. Meowdoku! mixes sudoku with minesweeper, and sort and block puzzles are the other big trend on phones. Here are the popular picks with their catch, a few fresher ideas, and Roam puzzles with lasers, portals and sorting.

Checked November 3, 2026.

The popular picks and their catch

Meowdoku! (Oakever Games). Sudoku crossed with minesweeper, with cats. You place cats into territories so each cat gets its own area. On iPhone and Android. The catch: it is free, so expect ads between levels.
Magic Sort! Pour colored liquids until each tube holds one color. Easy to learn, and the later levels need real planning.
Block Out! Slide colored blocks to exits of the same color. Level by level, not an endless board.
Pips (The New York Times, August 2025). A daily domino logic puzzle. You place dominoes so the board meets every condition. It is free to play without a subscription.

Fresher puzzle ideas

Most chart puzzles are about order: sort, fit, clear. The fresher ones change the material. Light that bounces, a blob you squish, a portal that moves you, a stamp that decides someone's fate. Here is what Roam has in that direction.

Bend the Light. Bounce a beam off mirrors to wake the planets.
TEST CHAMBER. A first-person portal puzzle with a narrator who is watching.
Squish to Shape. Squish, poke and flick a blob into the target shape.
Chambered. A turn-based shooter puzzle: one shot, four walls, beat par.
Pour, Cork, Shelve and Stamp Or Sink. Sort the potions then shelve them, or decode wartime messages and choose the stamp.

Play it on Roam

Make your own puzzle game

Describe the rule and what you are trying to reach. Roam builds the levels on your iPhone and makes them harder when you ask. Roam is rated 13+ on the App Store.

Try: "puzzle where I bounce a laser off mirrors to wake up my sleeping cat, 20 levels, harder each time"

Create it with Roam Pre-register on Android See Roam

Roam ("Roam - Make Games" on the App Store) is an iPhone app where you play games and make your own by describing them or from a photo. It is free to download and play, and making games works without a subscription; optional Spark and Reality plans and credit packs add more creation. Android: pre-register on Google Play.

Questions people ask

What is Meowdoku?

A cat-themed puzzle game from Oakever Games that mixes sudoku logic with minesweeper-style deduction. You give each cat its own territory.

What is NYT Pips?

A daily logic puzzle from The New York Times, released on August 18, 2025. You place dominoes to meet the conditions on the board.

Is Meowdoku on iPhone?

Yes. It is on the App Store and Google Play.

Sources, checked November 3, 2026

Meowdoku by Oakever Games: sudoku plus minesweeper, cats in territories, App Store and Google Play: oakevergames.com
Pips released Aug 18, 2025 by NYT Games, domino logic puzzle, no subscription needed: en.wikipedia.org
Bend the Light, Roam light-reflection puzzle: roam.gg
TEST CHAMBER, Roam first-person portal puzzle: roam.gg