The Portal series is composed of two groundbreaking video games that have indelibly impacted the genre of puzzle games due to their clever design and intelligent storytelling. These games leave players craving for more.
Instead of Steam, there’s a variety of unofficial Portal modifications and spin-offs, such as Portal Stories: Mel and Portal: Reloaded, which are generally quite good. However, at times, one might crave a more unique adventure.
It’s been great to see an abundance of games over the past ten years since Portal 2 was launched, many of which draw inspiration from or aim to meet the high standards established by Aperture Science, and some of these games have truly excelled in doing so.
If you’re a fan of Portal, I believe you’ll find these ten games captivating due to their ingenious puzzle designs, futuristic and realistic visuals, or perhaps just because they share a similar atmosphere with Portal.
10. Splitgate
Shot In Two
As a gamer, I must say that Splitgate isn’t your typical puzzle game; rather, it’s an exhilarating first-person shooter that incorporates portal mechanics remarkably similar to what you might have encountered before. The twist here is that instead of using these portals for solving puzzles, we use them in a high-octane competitive multiplayer setting, adding a layer of strategy and unpredictability that keeps me coming back for more!
This design draws substantial influence from Portal, featuring a convincing futuristic atmosphere and portals enabling uncommon vantage points and shooting at foes from hidden spots they cannot perceive.
If you’re seeking an action-packed arena shooter experience that offers a unique twist, and enjoying fast-paced travel through dimensional portals is your thing, then this game should definitely be on your radar.
You might want to get ready because Splitgate 2 is soon to arrive! Some enthusiasts are already dominating the open alpha tests, making it tough for others to enjoy. So, if you’re planning to join in when the full release drops, it would be a good idea to brush up on your skills beforehand.
9. The Witness
Brain Breaker
If you’re looking for an immersive experience filled with stunning landscapes and challenging, intricate puzzles that might even seem impossibly difficult at times, then The Witness could be just what you’re after, regardless of its uniqueness compared to other games.
The puzzle structure shares a comparable degree of exploration and problem-solving depth with Portal, even though the overall atmosphere is distinct. It’s an excellent choice for satisfying your craving for puzzles that demand good spatial skills.
As a puzzle enthusiast, I found myself immersed in “The Witness,” a game that revolves around intricate line puzzles. The challenge lies in connecting dots in increasingly complex patterns. What’s fascinating is that there’s no hint or guidance given; instead, the satisfaction of solving these brainteasers becomes even more rewarding.
This game is artfully designed, boasts a delicate narrative, and can consume your time indefinitely if you persevere past the challenges without resorting to solutions found online. Rest assured, it’s perfectly fine if you need assistance.
8. Outer Wilds
You WILL Love It
It seems that whoever I know who enjoys Portal 2, also tends to have a strong affection for Outer Wilds, provided they’ve given it a try.
In Outer Wilds, you explore a vast, open-ended universe where your movements are unrestricted, allowing you to journey to virtually any location at any stage of the game, provided you have the necessary means for travel.
Exploring the entire solar system is like solving a complex mystery. It involves acquiring fresh insights and gathering wisdom hidden in old texts from a long-forgotten civilization, unveiling an astonishing tale as you go along.
If you’re more into science fiction puzzle games that lean towards realism rather than futuristic aesthetics, sassy narrators, or portals, then you might find yourself smitten with Outer Wilds.
7. Manifold Garden
Spin Me Right Around
In a unique, mind-bending gaming adventure, Manifold Garden immerses you into a geometrical and inexplicable universe, challenging you with intriguing physics-based puzzles and navigation.
Manifold Garden offers an extraordinary gaming adventure that’s truly distinct from other games I’ve encountered. It’s challenging to articulate its uniqueness, as it seamlessly blends cube puzzles similar to those found in Portal with a surreal, geometric landscape resembling a lattice-like hellscape, making for a captivating and immersive experience.
The settings are basic, yet strikingly effective at conveying a sense of vastness unmatched by others. Each space carries an air of abstraction, but the challenges within remain approachable, making it enjoyable to solve the mysteries they present.
If you appreciate the intricate puzzle structure of Portal and are looking for a game that challenges your mind with its unique visuals, then Manifold Garden certainly lives up to this concept, particularly with its cube-based puzzles and immersive exploration.
6. Cocoon
Not Super Buggy
A game featuring mind-boggling spatial manipulation mechanics: You’ll position orbs to enter one orbit, retrieve an orbit within that orbit, then move it to another orbit.
This version is more concise and easier to understand for the average reader while still maintaining the original meaning.
In the realm of Cocoon, I find myself captivated by several fully-realized, unique universes, each existing entirely within a sphere. These spheres serve as portals where I can immerse myself or transport them like a treasured artifact between different worlds, pushing the boundaries of this fascinating concept to its limits.
This game features puzzles that build upon a basic concept, starting from moving an object between worlds via unseen stages, to employing a ball as a guide for a thrown item to strike another objective. With each challenge, the fundamental principle becomes increasingly complex.
Among all the games I’ve ever played, only a handful have left an impact as profound as Portal 2 did at my initial playthrough. This new game shares the same captivating emphasis on a straightforward yet brilliant mechanism, and uncovering each of its applications is equally satisfying.
5. Q.U.B.E. 2
Sealed Away
The Q.U.B.E. series has often been overshadowed by Valve’s more famous puzzle series, yet it remains genuinely remarkable. Its futuristic aesthetic is strikingly realistic, and its block mechanics offer an engaging experience similar to that found in other well-known titles.
In the case of Q.U.B.E. 2, it stands out due to its continuous voice-acting throughout, a sprawling facility layout, and significant improvements in both graphical aesthetics and puzzle complexity.
As a gamer, I can customize various aspects of the game’s chambers according to my preference. This includes setting up jumping pads for traversal across rooms, or finding the optimal sequence to deploy blocks and make the room operate smoothly.
This task becomes quite intricate when you’re dealing with multiple panels of various colors, figuring out which ones to activate or deactivate, effectively creating about half of the puzzle from the ground up. It’s remarkably intuitive, gradually introducing you to it much like Portal does.
4. The Talos Principle
I Wanna Go Home
Ultimately, we’re delving into games where witty narrators chatter about various topics while you work on puzzles, and The Talos Principle stands out as the epitome of this genre, with a character frequently expounding poetically to you throughout the game.
It offers an array of intriguing puzzles involving the strategic positioning and linking of refractors with lasers, which in turn guide light beams in cunning ways, allowing you to navigate corners skillfully and avoid encounters with security orbs.
As a gamer, I find this game incredibly soothing. The dialogue is truly captivating, offering insightful snippets from characters about life’s purpose and continuing the legacy of ancient civilizations. It’s like they’re providing a guiding light when I’m stuck in my own thoughts.
At times, it can be surprisingly complex, even though the concept seems straightforward – rerouting beams. It frequently challenges your problem-solving abilities, prompting you to come up with creative solutions for every challenge that arises.
3. Death Squared
Co-op Confusion
Among the games listed here, I’d say Death Squared stands out as one of the few multiplayer options. Although it may not look like Portal at first glance, it excels in creating a unique atmosphere, particularly with its engaging narrative.
If you’ve played the cooperative mode in Portal 2, the puzzle mechanics in Death Squared may seem quite similar, often resembling a turn-based game, where one player activates a switch to create a pathway for the other.
This setup is ideal for collaboration, particularly because it accommodates as many as four participants. Each individual has a specific function, and a designated spot, creating an impression of a well-orchestrated teamwork to finish any given space.
It’s quite strategic, and it’s really enjoyable to bounce ideas off your friends while you all try to find ways to deflect a laser or shift a platform we’re all linked to, without harming each other.
2. Superliminal
Mind-Bending, Mind-Frustrating
Superliminal appears to be constantly attempting to captivate fans of Portal, often successfully, through its ingenious mechanic of manipulating perspective for visual illusions and dialogue that I find only mildly irritating.
Despite the occasional overly self-conscious and witty tone, the game stands out with its exceptionally creative puzzle design and captivating set pieces. Even something as simple as picking up a tiny item and later using it as a large object never fails to impress me.
While you hold objects, their size remains constant. However, when considering them from a realistic viewpoint, they change size according to what their actual dimensions would be in the real world. This transformation often leaves me bewildered.
It deliberately confuses you, and I find it delightful. Things seem illogical, but the solutions are surprisingly consistent with the game’s rules, and solving the puzzles feels immensely satisfying because everything fits together perfectly in the end.
1. The Entropy Centre
If Portal-like Were a Genre
In essence, if the offspring of Braid and Portal were to create a game, it would be something akin to The Entropy Centre. This game adheres to nearly every principle and design element that Valve established, all the while incorporating an equally inventive mechanic involving time rewinding.
In simpler terms, the visual style (aesthetic) you see in the Portal series would be what it might look like if these games were designed using today’s technology. The time-manipulation gun fits seamlessly with puzzle elements based on physics, adding a surprising level of complexity to the challenges you encounter.
Occasionally, you receive narrative tidbits from a robotically-inflected voice, which gives a personal touch to your journey through these rooms, making it seem more immersive and authentic. Moreover, the design of everything around you appears tailored to captivate fans of Portal, enhancing the overall experience.
Regardless of the inspiration and similarities, it seldom appears imitative. Instead, it consistently creates original designs using a distinctive rewind feature, resulting in a nostalgic yet fresh feel.
It may seem inspired by other works, but it’s rarely a copy. Its unique rewind function allows for entirely new designs, giving off a comforting sense of familiarity while still feeling remarkably unique.
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2025-03-28 20:41