Professor Layton and the Curious Village is one of those DS games that just nails the "cozy mystery" vibe. You start off as this sharp-dressed professor rolling into a weird little town where everyone talks in riddles—literally. Every villager has some puzzle for you, from sliding block challenges to logic brainteasers, and solving them actually moves the story forward.

The art style’s got this warm, storybook look, and the music’s all accordions and violins like you’re wandering through a French countryside. At first I thought the puzzles might feel tacked on, but they’re woven into the world in a way that makes stopping to help some guy figure out how to divide his apples feel weirdly urgent.

Fair warning though: some of these will make you stare at the screen like a confused pigeon. I still remember getting stuck on that one with the two doors and the lying guards for way too long. But when you finally crack a tough one? Pure satisfaction.

If you like mysteries where the clues are in the details—and don’t mind scribbling solutions on scrap paper—this one’s a gem.