10 Video Games That Make You Feel Like A Genius

Video games are designed to challenge us, and we feel a great sense of accomplishment when we complete a particularly tough level, tricky puzzle, or arduous boss. Having said that, even the most brutal trials and tribulations can be beaten, purely by trial-and-error. Sometimes, you can crack a mindboggling conundrum through dumb luck.

But there are certain titles you can only be beat by relying on your grey matter. Nobody on the planet has won The Secret of Monkey Island or Lemmings through guesswork and chance. While playing head-scratchers like these, you can only come out on top by paying attention, deciphering clues, recognising patterns, scouring every nook and cranny, and above all, trying EVERYTHING.

If you were looking for a relaxing experience that allows you to turn off your brain, it's best to look elsewhere. These mind-benders require so much precision and strategy, you need to be a certified genius with a few PhDs and doctorates to emerge victorious.

If you wish to win any of the games on this list, you'll need to push each synapse, and tap into every neuron to its absolute breaking point.

Because The Talos Principle has the player perform dangerous puzzles on the behalf of an unseen entity pretending to be a benevolent force, you can see why Croteam's game is often compared to Portal.

But there is one major difference between the two properties. Upon entering each new room in The Talos Principle, you are not offered the slightest clue what to do next. The first few puzzles usually revolve around deactivate guns, hiding from mobile turrets, and opening gates to collect artefacts that look suspiciously like Tetris blocks.

As simple as that sounds, you'll be left scratching your head more often than not. And if you thought these first few perplexities were beyond you, wait until you see what the game has in store for you later.

As frustrating as the challenges in The Talos Principle can be, it's rarely unfair. By observing your surroundings and playing around with the positioning of each item, you should reach your destination.

At first, the majority of the puzzles seem impossible to solve. But upon completion, you'll wonder why you didn't crack them sooner.