The Room

In this mysterious puzzler, players find themselves in a dark room with a mysterious box set before them. Their goal is to open this box and reveal the mysteries within. Although there is very little to the storyline in “The Room,” if you love puzzles and atmospheric environments, this game is a solid entry in the puzzler genre.

Neat objects add interest to the game

Unlike other puzzlers, the game offers you some unique tools to help in unlocking the mysteries of The Room. The first is a special lens that when you look through it, will reveal images that couldn’t be seen before. The lens offers hidden images that couldn’t be seen before, but severely narrows your vision so it isn’t useful to keep it on all the time.

The game also offers several other items you will need through the course of the game in your inventory. These items can’t be combined, but they can be manipulated in unique ways to help you slve various mysteries.

Each box a new chapter in the game

Resolving the first box opens it to reveal a new box, and so on until the final box is opened. Each box requires a new take on the puzzle to help you open it, keeping it fresh and original. The sheer variety of puzzles that can take place in a single room truly help make this game stand out among other puzzlers, with just a few puzzles ending up on repeat. The puzzles are easier compared to The Witness or The Talos Principle, but by no means feel too easy. The game strikes a nice balance between challenge and frustration, which is a great place for a puzzler.

A light storyline follows through future games

Throughout the game you’ll find little notes hinting at a broader storyline. These notes mention a scientist who is searching for the “Null Element.” These notes carry through not just the Room, but also the 3 games in the series afterward. Although the notes are not useful towards solving the puzzle most of the time, they do give you a reason for solving the puzzles.

Roughly 3-6 hours of gameplay

The Room is relatively short, offering about 3-6 hours of gameplay. Although the game is worth playing through the first time, it has limited replay value since the joy is in solving the puzzles for the first time. If you’ve been looking for a short weekend game, The Room is a joy, but not suitable if you are hoping for many hours of gameplay or something you can go back to again and again.

Pros:

• Challenging but not frustrating
• Beautiful animation and sound
• Light storyline

Cons:

• Could use a touch more story