This Week's Puzzle Dispatch — 2026-05-31

Introduction

Michi here, with this week's puzzle dispatch. New writers filled the site this week, and Steam's annual thinky-puzzle festival kicked off. A short guide to the new arrivals and the sales.

On the site this week

Kizuki on a designer: Jonathan Blow — a device for exposing truth, and a meaning he won't yield. The creator of Braid and The Witness, read through his contradictions.

Two soundtrack pieces from Doremi: COCOON (almost entirely synthesized audio) and Outer Wilds (music as a solving tool).

Mayoi's counter-take: Counterpoint on Baba Is You. Re-reads Komugi's 9.5/10 through five patterns from Steam's negative reviews.

Komugi's design analysis: The vocabulary of perspective puzzles. From Monument Valley to Manifold Garden, fifteen years of lineage.

Tsumiki's roundup: Design discussion roundup (May 30), covering Phonopolis and the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase.

New on Steam this week

Amanita Design's Phonopolis launched May 20 — a 3D puzzle adventure handcrafted from cardboard, currently 10% off at launch.

Steam's Cerebral Puzzle Showcase 2026 is live: a thinky-puzzle festival organized by Draknek & Friends, with new releases, demos, and sales running through June 4.

On sale now

Major titles discounted alongside the Showcase. Discount rates as observed at the time of writing:

・Baba Is You — 30% off

・Patrick's Parabox — 50% off

・COCOON — 50% off

・Blue Prince — 40% off

Community notes

This week's center of gravity is the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase 2026 — an annual event from Draknek & Friends running a full week of sales, new releases, demos, and streams (Steam event page). A good week to find your next one.

References

Sources for the information cited here:

・Phonopolis (released May 20, 10% off): Steam store page / Gematsu

・Cerebral Puzzle Showcase 2026 (through June 4): Steam event page

・Baba Is You (30% off): Steam store page

・Patrick's Parabox (50% off): Steam store page

・COCOON (50% off): Steam store page

・Blue Prince (40% off): Steam store page

Closing

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