Bombuzal

Part puzzle, part platformer, part “what is even happening,” Bombuzal (1989, DOS) is a game where your job is to blow up every bomb on the screen—while not accidentally turning yourself into pixel confetti. Each level is a tiny tile-based puzzle of doom, requiring careful planning, reckless courage, and a few lucky guesses. The hero looks like a rejected Smurf, and the graphics are cheerfully murderous. It’s cute, yes, but also absolutely punishing. You’ll fail, retry, and swear vengeance on geometrically shaped islands. But once it clicks, it’s hard to stop. It’s the kind of game that lures you in with a smile… and then explodes.