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Best games by Matthew Brown
14th Feb 2026
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Matthew Brown, though not a household name, has quietly shaped the landscape of interactive entertainment with his innovative designs and engaging narratives. From sprawling RPGs brimming with lore to tightly-designed strategy games that test your tactical prowess, his work has left an indelible mark on the gaming community. This poll celebrates the diverse range of his creations, giving you the opportunity to highlight the titles that resonate most deeply with you and perhaps even rediscover some hidden gems you may have missed. We've assembled a curated list of Matthew Brown's most acclaimed and beloved games, ready for your discerning judgment. Now it's your turn to weigh in! Browse the selections below and cast your vote for the Matthew Brown game you consider the best. Let your voice be heard and help us determine the ultimate champion in his impressive catalog.
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#5.
Cypher (2018)
5/10
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**Cypher (2018)** Cypher (2018) is a unique first-person puzzle game that plunges players into the intricate world of cryptography. Set within a meticulously designed virtual museum, the game invites exploration and learning, chronicling the fascinating history of secret communication. From the foundational concepts of simple substitution ciphers to the mechanical complexities of the Enigma machine and beyond, players are guided through the evolution of encryption and decryption. The experience culminates in over 40 challenging puzzles, each designed to test real-world deciphering skills, encouraging players to grab a pen and paper for an authentic code-breaking challenge. For fans of Matthew Brown's distinctive design philosophy, Cypher stands as a testament to his continued mastery of the puzzle genre. Known for the acclaimed *Hexcells* series, Brown brings his characteristic precision, elegance, and escalating challenge to the world of cryptography. While *Hexcells* offered abstract logic, *Cypher* grounds its intricate puzzles in rich historical context, blending genuine educational content with compelling gameplay. This title earns its place on a "Best Games by Matthew Brown" list because it exemplifies his commitment to deeply intelligent and satisfying puzzle design, offering a unique blend of intellectual stimulation and historical education that solidifies his reputation as a premier designer of engaging, highly polished, and thought-provoking experiences.
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Hexcells (2014)
Hexcells, released in 2014 for PC, Mac, and Linux, is an exquisitely crafted ambient logic puzzle game that masterfully reinterprets the classic Minesweeper formula. Players navigate a field of hexagonal tiles, using numerical clues to deduce the location of blue cells while avoiding empty orange ones. The game distinguishes itself with several clever mechanics, including numbers that indicate exact counts of adjacent blue cells, numbers in curly brackets `{}` denoting contiguous groups of blue cells, and negative numbers `X-` indicating at least X blue cells. Its minimalist visual aesthetic, coupled with a calming soundtrack, creates a serene atmosphere that encourages pure, methodical deduction, free from time limits or pressure. Hexcells firmly belongs on a list of "Best games by Matthew Brown" because it represents the pinnacle of his design philosophy in the logic puzzle genre. Brown, known for his ability to craft elegant and challenging deduction games, truly hit his stride with Hexcells. It’s not merely a clone; it innovates significantly on its inspiration, introducing layers of complexity and unique hint types that elevate the gameplay beyond simple pattern recognition into deep logical reasoning. The game's perfect difficulty curve, its commitment to pure solvability without guesswork, and its subsequent expansion into the equally acclaimed Hexcells Plus and Hexcells Infinite cemented its status as a seminal work, solidifying Matthew Brown's reputation as a master of intelligent, accessible, and profoundly satisfying puzzle design.
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Hexcells Infinite (2014)
Hexcells Infinite, released in 2014, is a serene yet demanding ambient logic puzzle game available across PC, Mac, and Linux. As the third installment in the acclaimed Hexcells series, it builds upon its predecessors with a fresh set of 36 meticulously crafted and challenging puzzles that require deductive reasoning to clear a grid of hexagonal cells. What truly sets "Infinite" apart, however, is its commitment to endless gameplay: players can dive into a random puzzle generator for limitless new challenges, and even explore or create user-made puzzles, significantly extending its lifespan and fostering a vibrant community. Hexcells Infinite firmly earns its place on a list of Matthew Brown's best games by representing the culmination of his elegant puzzle design philosophy. Brown is renowned for creating minimalist, pure logic experiences where every solution is derived through deduction, never guesswork, and Infinite refines this Hexcells formula to near perfection. The game maintains his signature clear rules, a satisfying difficulty curve, and a calming aesthetic that belies its intellectual demands. The inclusion of a random puzzle generator and support for user-made content speaks to his understanding of player desire for longevity, transforming a finite set of brilliant puzzles into an endless wellspring of intellectual challenge and making it a definitive highlight in Brown's esteemed portfolio.
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Hexcells Plus (2014)
**Hexcells Plus (2014)** is an ambient logic puzzle game available for PC, Mac, and Linux, building directly upon the critically acclaimed foundations of its predecessor. As the second game in the Hexcells series, it significantly expands the experience by introducing 36 new, more challenging puzzles. These levels push players to refine their deductive reasoning through subtle rule variations and increasingly complex layouts, all while maintaining the series' signature minimalist aesthetic and calming, atmospheric soundtrack. This title is an indispensable entry on any "Best games by Matthew Brown" list, as it perfectly embodies and refines his unique approach to puzzle design. Matthew Brown is renowned for crafting games that demand pure, unadulterated logic, eliminating any need for guesswork, and Hexcells Plus is a prime example of this philosophy in action. Its sophisticated yet intuitive mechanics, combined with its elegant progression of difficulty, solidified the Hexcells series' reputation and cemented Brown's status as a master of the logic puzzle genre, offering a deeply satisfying and intellectually rewarding experience that remains a benchmark for others.
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SquareCells (2015)
**SquareCells (2015)** is an ambient logic puzzle game that challenges players to reveal a hidden pattern within a grid using only the numerical clues surrounding it. Each number outside a row or column indicates the quantity and arrangement of filled cells within that line, requiring careful deduction and strategic thinking. With its 36 brain-teasing puzzles, the game offers a serene yet intellectually stimulating experience, free from timers or extraneous distractions, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the elegant challenge of pure logic. Its minimalist design and intuitive mechanics make it accessible, while the escalating difficulty ensures a satisfying mental workout. This title is an indispensable entry on any "Best games by Matthew Brown" list, solidifying his reputation as a master of sophisticated puzzle design. Released in 2015, *SquareCells* built upon the success and design principles of his acclaimed *Hexcells* series, translating its ingenious deduction mechanics from a hexagonal to a square grid. It exemplifies Brown's signature style: deceptively simple rules that hide layers of complex logical interactions, presented with a clean aesthetic and an emphasis on the player's cognitive engagement. *SquareCells* stands out for its refined puzzles and elegant solutions, showcasing Matthew Brown's ability to craft deeply engaging and replayable logic games that are both challenging and immensely satisfying.
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Cypher (2018)
**Cypher (2018)** Cypher (2018) is a unique first-person puzzle game that plunges players into the intricate world of cryptography. Set within a meticulously designed virtual museum, the game invites exploration and learning, chronicling the fascinating history of secret communication. From the foundational concepts of simple substitution ciphers to the mechanical complexities of the Enigma machine and beyond, players are guided through the evolution of encryption and decryption. The experience culminates in over 40 challenging puzzles, each designed to test real-world deciphering skills, encouraging players to grab a pen and paper for an authentic code-breaking challenge. For fans of Matthew Brown's distinctive design philosophy, Cypher stands as a testament to his continued mastery of the puzzle genre. Known for the acclaimed *Hexcells* series, Brown brings his characteristic precision, elegance, and escalating challenge to the world of cryptography. While *Hexcells* offered abstract logic, *Cypher* grounds its intricate puzzles in rich historical context, blending genuine educational content with compelling gameplay. This title earns its place on a "Best Games by Matthew Brown" list because it exemplifies his commitment to deeply intelligent and satisfying puzzle design, offering a unique blend of intellectual stimulation and historical education that solidifies his reputation as a premier designer of engaging, highly polished, and thought-provoking experiences.
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CrossCells (2017)
**CrossCells (2017)** CrossCells is an exquisite ambient logic puzzle game that debuted in 2017, offering a tranquil yet intellectually stimulating experience. Players are presented with a grid of cells and must strategically remove them by interpreting numerical clues, which dictate the arrangement and quantity of active cells. This deceptively simple premise evokes the satisfying deductive reasoning of games like Picross or Sudoku, but with its own minimalist twist. Its "ambient" nature is reflected in its serene presentation and lack of intrusive timers, encouraging thoughtful contemplation over frantic action. With 50 meticulously crafted and progressively "brain teasing" puzzles, CrossCells provides a substantial and increasingly complex journey for the mind. CrossCells rightfully earns its place among the best games by Matthew Brown, perfectly embodying the design philosophy that makes his work truly stand out. Like his acclaimed *A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build*, it strips away unnecessary complexity to focus purely on the elegance of its core mechanic. Brown excels at crafting deep, satisfying experiences from minimal rule sets, and CrossCells is a prime example of this masterful puzzle design. Its tranquil aesthetic and absence of competitive elements encourage a meditative approach to problem-solving, a hallmark of his 'ambient' approach to game design. For its clever deductions, peaceful atmosphere, and impeccable, escalating challenges, CrossCells stands as one of Matthew Brown's finest and most representative puzzle games.
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Sound Shift (2015)
**Sound Shift (2015)** offers a unique hybrid experience, masterfully blending a VJ-style music visualiser with the engaging mechanics of a simple arcade shooter. Players dive into a dynamic, reactive environment where they shoot targets to earn credits. These credits are then the currency for creative expression, allowing users to unlock an expanding library of new video sequences and visual effects, tailoring the aesthetic to their evolving preferences. A standout feature is its innovative audio integration: music is streamed directly from your computer's audio output, meaning any sound source—including popular online streaming services—can drive the visual spectacle, providing an infinitely customizable and deeply personal auditory and visual journey. Beyond its immediate appeal, *Sound Shift* earns its place among Matthew Brown's best for its embodiment of his distinctive design philosophy. Brown, known for his elegant and often minimalist puzzle games like *Hexcells* and the atmospheric music-exploration title *Fract*, frequently blurs genre lines and prioritizes unique sensory experiences. *Sound Shift* exemplifies this by taking the immersive audio focus seen in *Fract* and recontextualizing it within an interactive, reactive system. It's a testament to his willingness to experiment with mechanics that leverage core concepts of music and rhythm, transforming passive listening into an engaging, customizable game that feels both experimental and polished—a hallmark of Brown's inventive and critically acclaimed portfolio.
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Epigraph (2024)
**Epigraph (2024)** plunges players into a world of linguistic mystery as a short, challenging, language decipherment puzzle game. The premise is straightforward yet profound: uncover the secrets of the Nari civilization by meticulously studying inscriptions found across seven distinct artifacts. Success hinges on a keen eye for detail, requiring players to analyze intricate patterns, deduce the meanings embedded within cryptic images and symbols, and cross-reference all findings with provided contextual information. Each translation entered is a step closer to understanding an ancient, lost language, making Epigraph a deeply engaging intellectual challenge where the thrill comes from slowly piecing together a forgotten culture through its own words. Epigraph earns its place among Matthew Brown's best for embodying the very essence of his acclaimed design philosophy. Brown is renowned for crafting games that transform complex logical systems into accessible, yet profoundly satisfying, puzzle experiences. Like his previous works, Epigraph strips away unnecessary frills, focusing intently on the core mechanic of decipherment. It challenges players not through reflexes or brute force, but through elegant deduction, pattern recognition, and systematic thinking – hallmarks of a Matthew Brown game. The satisfaction derived from cracking an Epigraph puzzle mirrors the triumph of successfully programming a machine or optimizing a complex system in his other titles, offering a pure, unadulterated intellectual reward that defines his best work.
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Sentinel (2014)
**Sentinel (2014)** is an innovative interactive audio tower defense game that masterfully combines deep strategic gameplay with a truly dynamic music system. Players defend against a digital onslaught on a unique, sequencer-like grid, where every action – from deploying new defenses and collecting vital resources to eliminating encroaching enemies – directly triggers musical elements, seamlessly integrated and timed to the game's evolving soundtrack. The objective is to cleanse the system of a pervasive virus across 31 challenging levels, where the ebb and flow of battle are intrinsically linked to the shifting audioscape. Sentinel's inclusion on a "Best games by Matthew Brown" list is a testament to its clever design and elegant execution, hallmarks of Brown's distinctive approach to game development. While perhaps less known than his acclaimed *Hexcells* puzzle series, *Sentinel* showcases Brown's knack for taking established genres and infusing them with inventive, intelligent mechanics. Its unique integration of sound as both a gameplay element and an aesthetic driver elevates it beyond typical tower defense titles, demanding not just tactical prowess but also an appreciation for its evolving soundscape. It stands as a brilliant example of how Brown consistently delivers polished, thoughtfully constructed experiences that challenge players in fresh and engaging ways, proving his versatility beyond pure puzzle games.
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Alchemia (2018)
**Alchemia (2018)** is a truly unique and enigmatic cryptic puzzle game whose mysteries unfold not just within its digital confines, but through extensive real-world research. Players are presented with the digital recreation of a mysterious 17th-century alchemical tome. This ancient book purports to hold the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance capable of transmuting base metals into gold and granting immortality. To uncover its truths, players must decipher a complex web of riddles, ciphers, and symbols embedded within the book's pages, with success hinging on a player's ability to delve into historical texts, decode obscure languages, and connect seemingly disparate pieces of information found across the internet and beyond, transforming the player into a genuine digital alchemist. Alchemia earns its place among the "Best games by Matthew Brown" as a quintessential example of his groundbreaking design philosophy. Much like his previous cult hit *Frog Fractions*, Alchemia deliberately subverts player expectations and blurs the lines between game and reality. Brown masterfully crafts an experience that challenges conventional notions of gameplay, demanding critical thinking, an adventurous spirit, and a willingness to step far outside the traditional game client. Its brilliance lies in its meta-puzzle design, transforming the act of playing into a journey of genuine academic and intellectual discovery, rather than merely following in-game prompts. It represents a bold and innovative approach to interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving, showcasing Brown's unparalleled ability to create truly unforgettable and thought-provoking digital experiences.
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