He Who Watches Delivers the Most Tripping Portal-Style Puzzle Experience of 2026
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Developed by Bobby Vanden and published by Draknek and Friends, He Who Watches is a mind-bending gravity-flipping puzzle game that channels the innovative spirit of Portal.
Portal fundamentally shifted how we thought about first-person puzzle design back in 2007, and very few titles have managed to capture that same impossible magic trick since. Nearly two decades later, developer Bobby Vanden and puzzle publisher Draknek and Friends have delivered a worthy successor in He Who Watches. As Polygon notes in their review, this mind-bending 3D puzzle game puts players in the shoes of an archer exploring strange structures, using arrows to manipulate boxes and solve spatial challenges while hunting for a trapped deity.
What sets He Who Watches apart from standard block-pushing puzzle games is its gravity-flipping mechanic, which lets you walk on walls and ceilings to fundamentally change how objects interact with the environment. As you progress, Vanden introduces ingenious layers of complexity like transport beams that double as bridges and programmable mechanics that effectively turn you into an engineer. It is wonderfully challenging, occasionally a bit dizzying, and easily stands out as one of the smartest puzzle experiences you can play across PC and console this year.
Crucially, the game avoids the frustrating progression walls that often plague the genre by implementing a brilliant hint system. Instead of leaving you completely stranded, optional mini-puzzle chambers teach you the specific mechanics required to clear the main room, ensuring that your failures always stem from execution rather than confusion. For players looking to dive into a deep, creatively euphoric single-player experience that requires genuine brainpower, He Who Watches is an essential addition to the rotation.
Tags: Puzzle Games, PC Gaming, Indie Games, Single Player
Original article: Polygon