Reader Discussion: Walkthrough Or No Walkthrough?

I'm not above using walkthroughs when the situation is dire, but most of time I adamantly avoid them. How about you?

The Witness, a game I have been playing a lot since release, is one I have been vehemently avoiding using a walkthrough for. Even talking about puzzles in the office has become a strange, slippery slope where I don't want to hear anything in fear that it might offer some kind of hint for a solution. To use a walkthrough for The Witness would defeat the purpose of playing it to begin with – which is to arrive at the game's myriad solutions on your own.

For other games, depending on the game or course, I have dipped into a walkthrough from time to time. How about you? Do you avoid walkthroughs at all costs? Use them sparingly? Or is a strategy guide an automatic purchase alongside every game you buy?