This Week's Puzzle Dispatch — 2026-06-07

Introduction

Michi here, with this week's puzzle dispatch. A busy week: eighteen new pieces on the site, a remake of The 7th Guest among Steam's new arrivals, and the sale festival we covered last week has closed. A short guide follows.

On the site this week

Komugi's design analysis: When fewer verbs make richer games — a lineage of subtractive design. How removing actions deepens design.

Kizuki on a designer: The philosophy of Arvi Teikari. Reading the creator of Baba Is You through his wish to surprise.

Mayoi's counter-take: Counterpoint on The Witness. Re-reading the classic through Steam's negative reviews.

Toki's retro look-back: Mario's Picross (1995). Visiting the roots of picture logic puzzles.

Hiki's release list: Puzzle releases for the week of May 25, 2026.

Six soundtrack pieces from Doremi: Baba Is You, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Patrick's Parabox, Machinarium, LIMBO, and Portal 2.

Tsumiki's design-discussion roundups ran almost daily; the latest is the June 6 edition.

New on Steam this week

The 7th Guest Remake: a refurbished take on the 1993 puzzle-horror classic. Released June 4, currently 15% off at launch ($16.99).

Beaming: a minimalist logic puzzler, currently 26% off ($6.65).

Trading Card Inspector: a hand-drawn job-sim-meets-puzzle about authenticating trading cards. 30% off ($4.89).

Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!: a relaxing tidying puzzle set in an arcane library ($5.99).

Nowhere To Go: an exploration-leaning 3D action puzzler ($4.99).

Sale notes

The Cerebral Puzzle Showcase we covered last week ended June 4. Baba Is You ($14.99) and Patrick's Parabox ($19.99) are back at full price (store pages checked June 7). Until the next big sale, then.

Community notes

As far as I can confirm at the moment, the PuzzleScript scene keeps turning out small works. The newest list on itch.io includes monoflip, with color-flipping portals, and Soko-Portal, a Portal demake. All playable right in the browser.

References

Sources for the information cited here (all checked June 7):

・Steam new releases: New On Steam

・The 7th Guest Remake (15% off): Steam store page

・Beaming (26% off): Steam store page

・Trading Card Inspector (30% off): Steam store page

・Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!: Steam store page

・Nowhere To Go: Steam store page

・Baba Is You (full price $14.99 confirmed): Steam store page

・Patrick's Parabox (full price $19.99 confirmed): Steam store page

・PuzzleScript releases: itch.io newest list

Closing

Next dispatch comes next week. Available via English RSS too. Until then, happy wandering.