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In puzzle roguelike game Blue Prince, you play as a younger boy named Simon who has inherited his nice uncle’s property. Nonetheless, Simon’s inheritance is based on the notion that he’ll uncover the fabled Room 46 – the very existence of which is doubted by others. What follows is a surreal journey like no different, one which’s full of thriller not simply due to how the environments are designed, but additionally resulting from all of the cryptic notes and hidden secrets and techniques that you simply uncover alongside the way in which.
Evaluation information
Platform reviewed: PC
Obtainable on: PS5, Xbox Collection X|S, PC
Launch date: April 10, 2025
The gargantuan manor that you end up in has a 9×5 grid-like format – 9 rows and 5 columns – and it’s important to place rooms in every slot. You may suppose that one of the best ways to do that is to simply plop down hallways with easy connections to the Antechamber to the north, however that’s not the case.
That’s as a result of Blue Prince makes use of ideas much like deck-building video games besides, as an alternative of playing cards, you draw from a set of three rooms, every with its personal pathways and distinctive results. Some have objects or paperwork mendacity round, whereas others trigger debilitating penalties or result in useless ends. As a result of attracts are randomized, you’ll by no means know what you’ll get. You can have a good run the place you make it midway via the mansion, just for the subsequent set to include rooms with no exits. That, or the rooms themselves are locked or they require you to search out gem sources first.
As a substitute of well being, you have got steps in Blue Prince, which could be replenished by coming into bedrooms or consuming meals mendacity round. If you happen to run out of steps, the day ends. You’ll have to begin again on the Entrance Corridor as room slots and objects are reset.
The architect of rogues
Inside the first few hours of taking part in Blue Prince, I used to be already engrossed. Whereas it’s a sport during which I can really feel like an architect, inserting down rooms wherever I would like, there’s additionally a deep strategic layer to it. Quite a few ideas crossed my thoughts every time I ventured into the manor.
As an example, earlier than inserting a Stroll-In Closet, I debated if this dead-end room was value it – certain, it had 4 objects, however I’d block off that part slightly than having an open pathway. Conversely, each time I drew a Hallway – which has three exits – I questioned if I ought to be utilizing it so quickly or if I ought to put it aside for later after I actually wanted it.
This strategic layer additionally coincides with the aforementioned steps mechanic. If my placement of rooms isn’t optimum, I might find yourself backtracking so typically that I’d waste dozens of steps simply to get from Level A to Level B.
There was even one second after I debated the place I ought to place the Basis, a room that has an elevator that results in the underground part of the manor. In contrast to most different choices, the Basis’s placement doesn’t reset every day/run. Since I wanted it to progress additional, I made a decision to plop it down subsequent to the Entrance Corridor for simple entry. Had I drafted it nearer to the top, that may’ve meant relying closely on randomness (and the RNG gods) simply so I might make a path to it.
Randomness is much more impactful within the sport – at one level, I used to be so near Room 46, solely to attract room playing cards that didn’t have connections to the one open doorway. In one other try, I used to be planning to open a locked deposit field within the Vault, however the important thing by no means appeared in any of the areas I checked. These cases had been irritating, in fact, but it surely’s par for the course in roguelite titles. The problem itself makes attaining the purpose much more rewarding.
Perplexing puzzle perfection
Blue Prince encourages you to plan your makes an attempt rigorously and, when you’re at it, you’re certain to come upon puzzles that should stymie you. Some even step by step turn out to be harder the extra you full them in successive runs.
For instance, a math-based Darts Puzzle includes wanting on the colours on the board and performing algebraic operations – i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Little did I do know that dozens of profitable completions would trigger migraine-inducing equations that concerned exponents, fractions, adverse numbers, and symbols that I’d by no means seen in my life. Fortunately, I discovered a method of upgrading rooms with perks, and I used to be in a position to revert the Darts Puzzle to easy addition. I’m horrible at math anyway.
Finest bit
A number of hours after I began taking part in Blue Prince, I lastly found out why every room had an odd pairing of work. I then deciphered the hidden message, a 44-character phrase representing 44 rooms I positioned across the mansion, and I exclaimed out loud. No, I didn’t obtain a fabric reward. My reward was a delicate trace that helped me clear up one other puzzle. I felt like a genius.
There are additionally puzzles that go hand-in-hand with exploration, such because the Chess Puzzle. You see, there are specific rooms which have chess items, just like the pawn, rook, queen, and king. To unravel the Chess Puzzle, I needed to keep in mind the place I positioned these rooms on the manor’s grid-like format, after which I needed to transfer the corresponding items on the chessboard based mostly on their areas. Oh, and the chess board itself was in a distant part of the property, too, which meant I needed to rigorously retrace my steps simply to reach on the right chamber.
Different mind teasers are equally perplexing. For individuals who’ve learn Maze: Clear up the World’s Most Difficult Puzzle – a e book that helped encourage Blue Prince – you’ll be glad to know that the creator, Christopher Manson, really designed the Gallery Puzzle. It has 4 summary work, and it’s important to select one phrase that greatest represents every illustration. Talking of illustrations, there are pairs of work in each room. At first look, you may suppose they’re simply there for design functions till you understand that they’re a part of an elaborate puzzle, too.
All in all, the puzzles in Blue Prince are nothing in need of excellent. That distinctive spark of creativity is showcased, as what begins out as little hints and clues remodel into greater arcs and intricately woven threads that I used to be wanting to observe. Even the unremarkable tidbits is likely to be a part of a broader and stranger enigma. No sample, merchandise, or fixture is there by chance; every part has a function.
C’mon gang, we’ve received a thriller to resolve
Blue Prince astonishingly goes past conventional puzzle rooms and objectives-based duties because the story slowly unfolds. Simon is the one individual within the property, however the remainder of the narrative, together with background data on different characters, is all informed by the use of paperwork, notes, books, and, in some instances, emails.
There’s an arc about somebody being blackmailed, which then led me to a number of purple envelopes stashed inside safes (and, in fact, I had to determine the passcodes). There’s one other a few lacking creator, with hints which might be present in plain sight, albeit inconspicuous at first look. At one level, I even needed to browse a number of books to discover a visible cue, piecing collectively a hidden message, which then allowed me to search out an merchandise in a selected spot although there was no icon telling me that one thing was there.
It’s this aspect that actually sunk its claws into me, pulling me additional down the rabbit gap effectively previous my arrival in Room 46. The story developed and unraveled organically the extra hints I got here throughout. There have been riddles upon riddles and secrets and techniques inside secrets and techniques, that I used to be discovering new issues hours later in areas that I’ve frequented quite a few occasions.
Maybe my solely criticism is that the sport doesn’t have an in-game journal. Even when you’ve already learn a letter, there’s no system that retains monitor of the knowledge in-game. You haven’t any different selection however to take a screenshot, jot down notes, or hope which you could draft the room once more sooner or later. In reality, as of the time of this writing, my Blue Prince screenshots folder has effectively over 3,000 photographs already, all organized per room and theme. This was arduous to handle even for me – and I write guides for a residing – and I’m certain it is going to be problematic for many who don’t commit too many particulars to reminiscence.
Even with this qualm, Blue Prince nonetheless stays a spectacular providing from developer Dogubomb. What I mentioned earlier than concerning the Antechamber and Room 46 are simply your preliminary targets. The most important shock on this sport is the truth that conventional development is simply the tip of a continent-sized iceberg.
Truthful warning: Blue Prince will occupy each waking second of your life similar to it did mine. You received’t be saying good night time to this candy prince anytime quickly. It’s that rattling good.
Must you play Blue Prince?
Play it if…
Do not play it if…
Accessibility
Sadly, Blue Prince options no accessibility options in any respect. Not to mention particular options like colorblind modes, the sport would not even help you alter subtitles in any manner and even customise controls. A disappointing aspect of such an in any other case incredible sport.
How I reviewed Blue Prince
I performed Blue Prince on a TCL P755 TV at 4K decision and most settings. My gaming PC has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, Intel Core i9-10900K CPU, and 32GB of RAM. I used a Razer Viper Mini mouse and a locally-made keyboard, in addition to a Logitech F710 wi-fi controller.
My progress as of the time of publishing this evaluation is round 70 hours throughout per week or so of taking part in. I used to be in a position to attain Room 46 a number of occasions, in addition to discover numerous areas in, out, and below the manor, all to find quite a few secrets and techniques alongside the way in which.
First reviewed April 2025