Joseph Mansfield
@josephmansfield.uk
I play, make, and share thinky games!
🤔 Sharing great games at @thinkygames.com
🧩 Puzzle playthroughs on https://www.youtube.com/@JoePlaysPuzzleGames
https://josephmansfield.uk/
🏴 Edinburgh
🤔 Sharing great games at @thinkygames.com
🧩 Puzzle playthroughs on https://www.youtube.com/@JoePlaysPuzzleGames
https://josephmansfield.uk/
🏴 Edinburgh
Gone skiing in the mountains for the first time!
January 13, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Gone skiing in the mountains for the first time!
Yep! Season 2 is already well in development. There'll probably be a little gap between the seasons, but we'll probably have some bonus content to entertain you during the wait.
Really glad you're enjoying it!
Really glad you're enjoying it!
January 8, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Yep! Season 2 is already well in development. There'll probably be a little gap between the seasons, but we'll probably have some bonus content to entertain you during the wait.
Really glad you're enjoying it!
Really glad you're enjoying it!
Right, for a small site that's mostly static content, it's not going to matter. It's really causing problems for the Thinky Games site though.
January 5, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Right, for a small site that's mostly static content, it's not going to matter. It's really causing problems for the Thinky Games site though.
And half the pages they go to are not even valid pages. What is the actual point? The waste of energy must be horrendous.
January 5, 2026 at 10:48 PM
And half the pages they go to are not even valid pages. What is the actual point? The waste of energy must be horrendous.
Anyone else run a website and shocked by how much AI bot traffic there is these days? It's genuinely horrific.
January 5, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Anyone else run a website and shocked by how much AI bot traffic there is these days? It's genuinely horrific.
I'll be starting a new video series of yet another short puzzle game tomorrow, so please do subscribe if you want to see more games like these! www.youtube.com/@JoePlaysPuz...
Joe Plays Puzzle Games
Greetings, folks! I'm Joe and I play puzzle games. Lots of puzzle games. You'll mostly find full unedited playthroughs of many amazing games, including some of the more well known titles and also plen...
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM
I'll be starting a new video series of yet another short puzzle game tomorrow, so please do subscribe if you want to see more games like these! www.youtube.com/@JoePlaysPuz...
The Apothecary of Trubiz - cure the townsfolk's ailments, but your book of potions is written in a fictional language that needs deciphering. Cool mix of Strange Horticulture and language deciphering puzzles.
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/4083190/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjP...
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/4083190/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjP...
January 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM
The Apothecary of Trubiz - cure the townsfolk's ailments, but your book of potions is written in a fictional language that needs deciphering. Cool mix of Strange Horticulture and language deciphering puzzles.
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/4083190/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjP...
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/4083190/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPjP...
Sisyphus is a Bug - a very condensed metroidbrainia experience. Learn platforming tech to roll your ball of dung up a hill within 60 seconds. Lots of great discoveries. The second level was maybe a little too fiddly.
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/3971000/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPfM...
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/3971000/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPfM...
January 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Sisyphus is a Bug - a very condensed metroidbrainia experience. Learn platforming tech to roll your ball of dung up a hill within 60 seconds. Lots of great discoveries. The second level was maybe a little too fiddly.
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/3971000/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPfM...
Buy: store.steampowered.com/app/3971000/...
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPfM...
Here's a few great, short puzzle games I've played recently!
Starting with nuworm, a sokoban game where you're an eyeball that can jump between tube-like blocks... Will make more sense if you play it! Excellent puzzles.
Play: cubestudio.itch.io/nuworm
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XlX...
Starting with nuworm, a sokoban game where you're an eyeball that can jump between tube-like blocks... Will make more sense if you play it! Excellent puzzles.
Play: cubestudio.itch.io/nuworm
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XlX...
January 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Here's a few great, short puzzle games I've played recently!
Starting with nuworm, a sokoban game where you're an eyeball that can jump between tube-like blocks... Will make more sense if you play it! Excellent puzzles.
Play: cubestudio.itch.io/nuworm
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XlX...
Starting with nuworm, a sokoban game where you're an eyeball that can jump between tube-like blocks... Will make more sense if you play it! Excellent puzzles.
Play: cubestudio.itch.io/nuworm
Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XlX...
Really wish I could link profiles and scenes together in OBS, because I almost always need to change both together.
December 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Really wish I could link profiles and scenes together in OBS, because I almost always need to change both together.
Reposted by Joseph Mansfield
It's been another year packed with excellent thinky games! Team Thinky reflect on their favourite games from the past twelve months✨
Team Thinky's favourite puzzle games of 2025 · Thinky Games
After another thinky game-packed year, Team Thinky reflect on their favourite games they've played from the past twelve months.
thinkygames.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:12 AM
It's been another year packed with excellent thinky games! Team Thinky reflect on their favourite games from the past twelve months✨
Reposted by Joseph Mansfield
WOW! Puzzle Spy International has been nominated for a Thinky Award for Most Anticipated Game! I'm beyond stunned... Thank you so much @thinkygames.com for the honor! 😊
#indieGame #indieGames #puzzleGame #thinkyGame #indieDev
#indieGame #indieGames #puzzleGame #thinkyGame #indieDev
December 17, 2025 at 7:51 PM
WOW! Puzzle Spy International has been nominated for a Thinky Award for Most Anticipated Game! I'm beyond stunned... Thank you so much @thinkygames.com for the honor! 😊
#indieGame #indieGames #puzzleGame #thinkyGame #indieDev
#indieGame #indieGames #puzzleGame #thinkyGame #indieDev
Reposted by Joseph Mansfield
Announcing the nominees for the 2025 Thinky Awards! 🎉
Announcing the nominees for the 2025 Thinky Awards! · Thinky Games
Our annual awards show is returning for another year: you can now see the nominees in every category and cast your vote for the various audience awards.
thinkygames.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Announcing the nominees for the 2025 Thinky Awards! 🎉
FWIW, I personally really enjoyed the demo! 😄 My video is embedded in the article in case you want to hear my thoughts on it.
December 16, 2025 at 4:45 PM
FWIW, I personally really enjoyed the demo! 😄 My video is embedded in the article in case you want to hear my thoughts on it.
Yeah, it becomes a lot harder to draw that line. But for something I was stuck on late in the game, I asked others if there's a clue for what I need to do, and they responded "not really, you just have to 'get it'", which feels like way too far away from wherever the line might be, haha.
December 13, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Yeah, it becomes a lot harder to draw that line. But for something I was stuck on late in the game, I asked others if there's a clue for what I need to do, and they responded "not really, you just have to 'get it'", which feels like way too far away from wherever the line might be, haha.
Reposted by Joseph Mansfield
In case you missed it, our award-winning puzzle game LOK Digital is OUT NOW on Nintendo Switch.
Learn the rules as you go and uncover how each new word has its own special ability to change the world around you in deep and surprising ways.
lok-digital.com/switch
Learn the rules as you go and uncover how each new word has its own special ability to change the world around you in deep and surprising ways.
lok-digital.com/switch
December 13, 2025 at 3:30 PM
In case you missed it, our award-winning puzzle game LOK Digital is OUT NOW on Nintendo Switch.
Learn the rules as you go and uncover how each new word has its own special ability to change the world around you in deep and surprising ways.
lok-digital.com/switch
Learn the rules as you go and uncover how each new word has its own special ability to change the world around you in deep and surprising ways.
lok-digital.com/switch
I guess in general I'm fine with community puzzles that actually require multiple people to be involved and are clear about that (maybe each person gets different info). I'm more bothered when they're only really "community" puzzles because you need 1000 players just so 1 stumbles into the answer.
December 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I guess in general I'm fine with community puzzles that actually require multiple people to be involved and are clear about that (maybe each person gets different info). I'm more bothered when they're only really "community" puzzles because you need 1000 players just so 1 stumbles into the answer.
So things I love:
- Games with deep secrets
- Games that have stuff that many players might not see
Things I don't love:
- Puzzles/secrets that are only difficult by being very obscure and underclued.
It's often assumed that to do the first 2 things, you have to do the 3rd, but I don't think so!
- Games with deep secrets
- Games that have stuff that many players might not see
Things I don't love:
- Puzzles/secrets that are only difficult by being very obscure and underclued.
It's often assumed that to do the first 2 things, you have to do the 3rd, but I don't think so!
December 13, 2025 at 2:33 PM
So things I love:
- Games with deep secrets
- Games that have stuff that many players might not see
Things I don't love:
- Puzzles/secrets that are only difficult by being very obscure and underclued.
It's often assumed that to do the first 2 things, you have to do the 3rd, but I don't think so!
- Games with deep secrets
- Games that have stuff that many players might not see
Things I don't love:
- Puzzles/secrets that are only difficult by being very obscure and underclued.
It's often assumed that to do the first 2 things, you have to do the 3rd, but I don't think so!
I agree with you! I think it's easy to conflate my "why are these puzzles being made difficult through obscurity?" with "I want to solve 100% of a game". I'm generally fine with not 100%ing something, but regardless, I think the puzzles should be designed for a satisfying solve.
December 13, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I agree with you! I think it's easy to conflate my "why are these puzzles being made difficult through obscurity?" with "I want to solve 100% of a game". I'm generally fine with not 100%ing something, but regardless, I think the puzzles should be designed for a satisfying solve.
This is all sounding quite negative, so just to repeat that I really love a lot of the game and admire how much heart has been put into it. It's incredibly impressive.
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 PM
This is all sounding quite negative, so just to repeat that I really love a lot of the game and admire how much heart has been put into it. It's incredibly impressive.
I don't necessarily think that the goal of a puzzle game should be to solve every puzzle, but I do think puzzles should be designed for people to enjoy solving them. I find it jarring for a game that's about a love of problem solving to then be so adversarial to players who want to solve it.
December 13, 2025 at 12:51 PM
I don't necessarily think that the goal of a puzzle game should be to solve every puzzle, but I do think puzzles should be designed for people to enjoy solving them. I find it jarring for a game that's about a love of problem solving to then be so adversarial to players who want to solve it.
I think there could have been another off-ramp between the will and the next one.
And for that next one, it does get more dramatic and feels like an ending, but then that's not actually the ending of that bit. Instead it gives you one more thing to do for a very anticlimactic ending. It's so weird.
And for that next one, it does get more dramatic and feels like an ending, but then that's not actually the ending of that bit. Instead it gives you one more thing to do for a very anticlimactic ending. It's so weird.
December 13, 2025 at 12:32 PM
I think there could have been another off-ramp between the will and the next one.
And for that next one, it does get more dramatic and feels like an ending, but then that's not actually the ending of that bit. Instead it gives you one more thing to do for a very anticlimactic ending. It's so weird.
And for that next one, it does get more dramatic and feels like an ending, but then that's not actually the ending of that bit. Instead it gives you one more thing to do for a very anticlimactic ending. It's so weird.
Interesting, I felt like after the first ending, there weren't enough off-ramps. The will is maybe the next best stopping point, but it didn't feel like an ending to me. If it showed a cutscene and the credits, that would be clearer.
December 13, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Interesting, I felt like after the first ending, there weren't enough off-ramps. The will is maybe the next best stopping point, but it didn't feel like an ending to me. If it showed a cutscene and the credits, that would be clearer.
It feels like a design trend that's held up entirely by people who want to be smug about knowing things, but the only reason they know is because they looked it up.
December 13, 2025 at 11:48 AM
It feels like a design trend that's held up entirely by people who want to be smug about knowing things, but the only reason they know is because they looked it up.