Looking for something fun to play on your favourite portable device? We’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re lounging at home, sipping a cup of joe at your favourite café or looking for something to do on a rainy day at the cottage, there’s no shortage of fun puzzle games for your smartphone or tablet.

Best of all, both the App Store (for iPhone and iPad) and Google Play (for Android devices) are packed with extraordinary downloads that won’t cost you a dime.

In fact, therein lies the problem: with more than two million downloads at each app store, finding something to play can be an overwhelming endeavour.

But don’t worry. We can help.

Here are a half-dozen free puzzle games to lose yourself in this summer. Be aware, though, that many of these games offer in-app purchases — for additional content — but it’s entirely optional.

Each of the following games are available for both iOS and Android.

A screenshot of a tetris-like puzzle game.

1. Puzzledom

Quite simply, Puzzledom is a collection of several puzzle games all in one place. Easy to pick up but difficult to put down, these games include popular classics like Escape (a sliding block puzzle), Connect (use your finger to connect dots with the same colour) and Tangram (place shapes on the screen to complete the puzzle), to name a few. Not only will you unlock new games the more you play, you’ll also earn daily in-game prizes. In total, Puzzledom (published by Chengwei Wu for iOS or MiniCasualGames for Android) delivers more than 8,000 free-to-play levels.

2. Word Link

If you love word games, look no further than Word Link from Worzzle Games (Android) or Zhou Jiaping (iOS) where you’ll tap and swipe across letter tiles to create words. It starts off simple enough but, in due time, will become more challenging (plus you can create bonus words for extra rewards). In between word puzzles, you’ll also find minigames (including Snake and Hangman). There are no time limits, and you replay tougher challenges and share levels with friends. No Wi-Fi is required to play. As for similar games, also consider Wordscapes, Word Cookies and the Scrabble-like Words With Friends.

3. Puzzle Page

Love Sudoku? Crossword puzzles? Word searches? You can have it all inside of this one free game, Puzzle Page, as well as other fun digital diversions including Picture Cross, Xs and Os, Futoshiki, Kakuro and other word, logic, number and picture puzzles. Use your fingertip to tap and type, with a simple interface and fast load times.

To keep things fresh, AppyNation’s Puzzle Page also dishes up daily challenges, special bonus games and “achievement” trophies, and rewards you can unlock. I love the minimalist look of this game with its clean look to see and play puzzles.

4. 1010!

This highly addictive puzzler challenges you to place different-sized pieces on a 10 x 10 board of squares (think graph paper). One shape might be a small “L” that takes up three squares, while another game piece might be a straight line of 5 squares. Completing a horizontal row or vertical column removes the pieces from the board; if you run out of space to place a shape, it’s game over. From GramGames, this minimalist game of “pentominoes” includes a night mode (dark background) and lets you compare your high score with friends on Facebook.

A screenshot of the game speaker notes. A messy room with books shelves and stairs leading up to a den.

5. Seekers Notes

In case you’ve never played a “hidden object” game before, you’ll have a list of items you need to find and tap on the screen amid a busy scene.

By layering in a great story and attractive graphics, Seekers Notes from MyTona is an atmospheric adventure worthy of your time, especially on a tablet as you’ll have more screen real estate to look for those hidden items (and yes, you can zoom in, too).

An animated photo of a market in an old town.

What’s more, there are diary entries and bonus mini games you can unlock as a reward for completing main puzzles tied to the storyline.

6. HQ Trivia

The only live game in this round-up, HQ Trivia lets you participate in a multiple-choice trivia game at 3 p.m and 9 p.m ET on weekdays and 9 p.m ET on weekends.

You can even win real money if you successfully answer all twelve questions.

A screen with a trivia question from a smart phone.

Once you download the app, you’ll be notified when a game is about to start and then greeted by the affable host Scott Rogowsky before the questions kick in. You’ll have 10 seconds to answer questions like “Which city has two of the four longest suspension bridges in the U.S.?” (San Francisco, New York City or Tacoma) or “Who wrote the most No. 1 hit singles after Paul McCartney and Lennon?” (Michael Jackson, Max Martin or Taylor Swift)?

Intermedia Labs’ HQ Trivia is great fun!