With the release of Ron Gilbert’s highly anticipated Return to Monkey Island this week, we’re ready to take on some perplexing puzzles, but we’re also thankful that we can turn to our loyal friend, the internet.

It also reminded us of the MANY times video games had us stumped!

Check below for five times we were left scratching our heads, but beware of mild spoilers.

5. Dark Souls 3

Filled with subtle snippets of lore and minuscule details, it can be difficult to get a grasp on what’s going on in Dark Souls without help, let alone uncover some of the secrets lurking within the game!

Take, for example, the Show Your Humanity puzzle from Dark Souls III’s The Ringed City DLC.

After being whisked to the aforementioned city on the wings of gargoyles, you’ll eventually find yourself beside a broken statue that asks you to “Show your humanity” to proceed.

Well, a Humanity was a healing item in Dark Souls I, so maybe we need to find an item to use here?  Nope.

• Everything Announced At TGS 2022 - All New Games & Announcements
• Top 5 Underrated Games That (Desperately) Need To Be Remastered
• Sonic Frontiers - Release Date, Trailer, Gameplay & PC Specs
• How To Download The Sims 4 For Free

Oh…Well, showing Humanity could also mean a gesture, so we should use our “Quiet Resolve” or our “Prostration” action to show that we’re actually human and filled with thoughts and feelings!

Nope. So, what’s the solution?

Well, obviously it’s to run into the nearby swamp, use the Chameleon spell or an item that is usually just for purely cosmetic use, known as the White Branch, over and over again until you become a little ghost that resembles the Humanity item from Dark Souls 1, before drifting back to the statue.

We’re eternally grateful that the Dark Souls III Wiki exists.

4. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

First hitting shelves back in December 1991, many of us would have eagerly run downstairs to unwrap the game, waiting quietly in our stockings.

Taking on the role of pirate, Guybrush Threepwood, players were treated to a fun and hilarious adventure, filled with witty dialogue, interesting puzzles, and strikingly colorful visuals.

But little did we realize that LucasArts knew we’d clearly been bad that year, because deep inside the game was a single little lump of coal, waiting to confuse us.

The monkey wrench puzzle…

Guybrush’s journey will eventually take him to Phatt Island, upon which players will be faced with a valve that needs to be turned using some kind of tool in order to uncover a secret passage.

The solution is to (brace yourself) visit Scabb Island and go to the Bloody Lip Bar and Grill, where you can attach a banana to a metronome to distract a piano-playing monkey, who will then permanently freeze.

This money can then be used as a monkey wrench. Get it?

Not if you were from the UK or Europe, you wouldn’t, because here a ‘monkey wrench’ is often called an adjustable spanner…

We think we’ve made our point.

3. The Council: Episode 3

Filled with political intrigue, famous faces, and occult mystery, 2018’s episodic adventure The Council has a lot to offer to the budding detective.

Just expect to spend quite a bit of time during chapter 3 writing notes, drawing diagrams, and scratching your head in confusion.

Faced with an ornate vault door, players are encouraged to solve a puzzle in order to unlock the next part of the game, however, mess this up and you could find yourself struggling with future puzzles.

An incorrect answer door will slice off your arm, meaning the stakes are pretty high.

We’d love to explain the puzzle here, but it involves cross-referencing two bibles and charting the passage of the moon.

2. P.T. Demo

Want to be scared out of your wits whilst solving a puzzle?

Initially thought to be a new horror game, P.T actually stood for Playable Teaser and was a short snippet of gameplay that hid a small trailer for a new Silent Hill game by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro, which starred Norman Reedus as the protagonist.

Players had to traverse the halls finding obscure flags, such as listening to a talking paper bag, listening for specific audio cues, collecting hidden picture pieces, and more.

Some players have even reported finding additional secrets after saying certain things into their microphones.

Unfortunately, the PT demo is no longer available, with Konami apparently having severed all ties with Kojima due to a supposed disagreement.

We just hope Kojima makes something equally as horrifying in the future!

1. Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars

You knew we HAD to have this one somewhere on the list.

Overflowing with wit, sarcasm, and comedy Revolution’s Broken Sword series was a joy, filled with obscure puzzles, however, mention The Goat of Lochmarne to someone who’s played The Shadow of the Templars and expect them to let out a long, exasperated sigh.

Upon descending the steps in a decrepit castle, series protagonist George Stobbart is faced with an angry goat, eager to give him a swift headbutt to the buttocks.

The goat blocks the ladder that we need to descend, so how can we get past it?

Well, this is THE ONLY time-sensitive puzzle in the game, so players had to click on the nearby plow at a precise moment during the animal’s animation in order to move the belligerent billy-goat.

What do you think of our choices?

Can you think of harder puzzles and confusing conundrums?

For more information on the latest games, news, guides, and more, check out our dedicated video game section 

Featured image courtesy of Focus Entertainment