This indie collection introduces you to puzzle games Rock Paper Shotgun Support us Join our newsletter Visit our store Sign in / Create account If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Puzzle game collection CosmOS 9 is a gentle introduction to the genre Games sent from space to puzzle neophytes News by Alice O'Connor Associate Editor Published on May 19, 2022 A new collection of indie puzzle games released today aims to give a broad and gentle introduction to many puzzling subgenres. Wrapped up in that idea that they're all pulled from a mysterious alien games console, CosmOS 9 packs nine games that are each meant to take 30-90 minutes. I've played a few and they seemed puzzle game staples, having me drawing paths through blocks, figure out how a mysterious computer interface worked, and such. See the breadth of the cosmic puzzling experience in the trailer below. Watch on YouTube So, the CosmOS 9 is a fictional console found floating in space. It contained nine games, which offer a fair range of typical puzzle experiences: Sokoban block-pushing, giving machines instructions to follow, tinkering with the unexplained interface of a strange computer to figure out what anything even does, a puzzle-platformer, a simple city-builder, and more. "Puzzle games are still quite a niche genre, an alien experience to most players out there. This is a message to them," the makers say. Each game is by a different person or team. The group say the games "have been fine-tuned to provide inviting difficulty curves, friendly challenges and constant thought-provoking surprises." Yeah, seems so. I've played four of the CosmOS 9 games. Linelith is perhaps the one I like most, a game of drawing routes through irregular grids while making contact with specific squares a certain number of times. It's nice and gentle to drag out lines, and unwind them if you take a wrong turn. The puzzles are scattered across a space you can explore freely (we play as a cute legged rock), tackling them in the order you want, which is nice. They escalate gently, eventually introducing new ideas like Sokoban-y rock-pushing or using your rock critter as a puzzle piece. Yeah, I'll keep on at this. I did also quite like Frequency Dissonance, a small game about a wee robot with simple orders to charge a gun. But it's about not doing what you're told, of poking around to discover new opportunities, unlocking different endings. It's small and short, but I like the idea of someone discovering they can break rules. The CosmOS 9 bundle is available on Steam and Itch for £10.20. You can buy the games individually too, but the bundle offers a 55% discount on the lot. See the CosmOS 9 website for more info. More News Jack King-Spooner's next handcrafted game has a teaser demo out Judero brings chat and action in the Scottish Borders Alice O'Connor 17 hours ago 1 If you were hoping for any Overwatch 2 balance changes then you'll have to wait until season two The next season begins in December CJ Wheeler 18 hours ago 3 The Dead Space remake will chuck random Necromorphs at you as you wander the Ishimura In space, no one can hear you proper bricking it CJ Wheeler 18 hours ago 8 Valve register mysterious new Neon Prime trademark in the US It doesn’t seem to be for a particularly colourful Steam Deck CJ Wheeler 20 hours ago 11 Latest Articles What are we all playing this weekend? Well? Alice O'Connor an hour ago 21 Past Wordle answers Here's an archive of previous Wordle words Ollie Toms 2 hours ago 1 Wordle answer today (Saturday 15 October) Hints and the answer to today's Wordle word Rebecca Jones 9 hours ago Overwatch 2 hero tier list Which are the best heroes in Overwatch 2? Ollie Toms 16 hours ago Supporters Only You're probably better than me at One Many Nobody You go on without… uh, you? Sin Vega 17 hours ago Supporter podcast - The Nate Files episode 13: dry bones Bad science is also FUN science! Alice Bell 18 hours ago Japanese dating show Love Wagon has surprising parallels with Yakuza and Persona My new obsession Ed Thorn 2 days ago If you're hankering after Bayonetta 3, Valkyrie Elysium might be a good substitute It's not out on PC until next month, but the console demo has been a surprise charmer Katharine Castle 1 week ago 4 We've been talking, and we think that you should wear clothes Total coincidence, but we sell some clothes Buy RPS stuff here