Puzzle Mode

Puzzle Mode is a game mode that contains two (three in the iOS) separate puzzle types.

Vasebreaker
See also: Vasebreaker

In this puzzle, the player has to break open all the vases and collect plants to defeat the zombies hidden inside. Different Vasebreaker levels have different plants and zombies, but there are some features common to most of them. Most contain Left-facing Repeaters, and all after "To the Left" have two green plant-containing vases with leaf symbols on them. Also, Planterns in "Ace of Vase" and "Vasebreaker Endless" show the contents of the vases adjacent to them. In "Ace of Vase" and Endless Mode, there will always be a Gargantuar in one of the Vases, and after every streak of ten, two will appear. After a streak of twenty, three Gargantuars appear. A level of Vasebreaker is also in level 4-5.

I, Zombie
See also: I, Zombie

I, Zombie, its name a reference to the book and movie I, Robot, is a group of levels where the player must deploy zombies to overcome cardboard plants and to get to the end of each row, where there is a brain. The level is over when all of the brains have been eaten. At the beginning of the first level, Crazy Dave tells the player that the zombies want practice invading houses, and as he didn't want any plants harmed he put cardboard plants on the player's lawn. It is believed that Crazy Dave made the plants come to life with his Magic Taco.

Last Stand
See also: Last Stand

In this Puzzle, which is exclusive to the iOS version, players are given an initial amount of 3000 (Day & Night levels), 4000 (Pool & Fog levels) or 5000 (Roof level) sun. Crazy Dave has chosen several plants suited for that level for the player. The difference between the Mini-game & Puzzle Last Stand is that between zombie waves, removing plants give a refund of sun equivalent to it’s cost, although damaged plants are removed without refund (applies to Pumpkin, Garlic, Wall - & Tall-nut).

Trivia

 * The music playing during all the Puzzle Levels is "Cerebrawl" (by Laura Shigihara). This is both because the player is both fighting the zombies (plants in I, Zombie) but must also use strategy to win.
 * I, Zombie and Vasebreaker both take place at night as there are mushrooms in both I, Zombie and Vasebreaker.
 * Both puzzle games appear as seperate game modes in the Windows Phone 7 version.
 * The cardboard plant sprites in the DS version of I Zombie look exactly like non-cardboard plants.
 * The cardboard plants on iPhone version look a little different and more realistic, but they look slightly leaning.