The Room is a 2012 mobile puzzle mystery game developed by Fireproof Games which was ported to Steam. In this review, we are looking at the PC version.
The Room franchise is an acclaimed franchise. This year, we should see the release of the 4th title in this puzzle game franchise called The Room: Old Sins late 2017. In anticipation for that, we decided to catch up with the previous titles and start with the game that kickstarted the franchise.
The Room is the first game in this franchise and one well worth all its praise. Its intricate puzzles are both well-thought out and mind-boggling but always never frustrating with well-timed clues to use when needed. There is a fine balance in great puzzle games to make it challenging and logical. The Room achieves this rather flawlessly. It creates puzzles that start off simple in introductory tutorial way in Chapter 1 and get more and more complex with each next level unlocked. The puzzles itself are a variation of motions. At times, it can be fitting together the right pieces, searching for keys or figuring out a sequence that will unlock something else.
The game introduces an eyepiece early on that we can use in the 3D environment to look at various surfaces that see something more, such as markings for additional clues or simply putting together a hidden puzzle. This adds depth to the puzzles. There are a few puzzle styles that are similar and do at times feel repetitive by the end of the game. However, the complexity of building a puzzle that starts from a box and pushes out more layers with more puzzles to make it believable is an incredible feat that Fireproof Games has mastered and this is just the first game which sets a brilliant stepping stone.
What makes this more engaging is that The Room also adds a mystery. Although we only learn through a series of spread out notes which don’t usually hold any clues to help solve the puzzle, it does help give the puzzle some purpose. The notes follow a scientist in search for something called the Null Element. The final chapters of the game becomes more cinematic and sets up the stage to want to continue the search to uncover more of the mystery in the sequel. The additional engagement comes with the sound design. Aside from the clicks and clacks of the mechanisms, there is always a creeping sense in the dark surroundings with its creaks and other subtle sounds in the background, which almost makes it have an unsettling vibe like someone is moving around as we try to figure out the puzzles.
Overall, The Room is an outstanding puzzle experience. The story could be fleshed out however as a starting point, it sets a decent stage to create intrigue to jump back into the sequel. One of the most mesmerizing parts is the intricate and clever puzzle designs. To answer our question at the beginning, for puzzle game lovers, The Room is well-justified in all its praise. If you haven’t tried it out, we highly recommend it.