The Room Two is the 2013 direct sequel of The Room which is an atmospheric horror-esque puzzle game developed by Fireproof Games, which builds on the first game’s mechanics and adds depth and broadens its scope.
The Room Two takes us on another journey following a person leaving clue-like notes. Unlike the first game’s confined puzzle quarters that opened up new layers with every chapter, The Room Two travels us across different rooms as the player solves puzzles to access a fragment that will send them through another portal. A ship deck, a cave enclosure, and a lab are only a few of these rooms, which need to be escaped via some rather intricate brain twisters. In each of these areas, the atmosphere really helps sell the immersiveness and the uneasiness with its environmental sound effects. For example, the ship’s hold level in Chapter 2 has echoes of waves crashing violently on the ship.
The Room Two, despite being a sequel, starts its first chapter with a tutorial. This helps ease in new players as well as players of the first game because the puzzles now require its player to move around the surroundings and access other puzzles in its vicinity, making it as much about observation as it is about memory and the logic to figure out what piece goes where in that specific room. With this expansion of depth, there are more elements to consider. It is exactly the upgrade in puzzle design that is needed to give it more of the same with a broader scope. More pieces make it more challenging and the best feeling about solving the puzzles and finding the exit is the sense of satisfaction. In the most challenging moments, the hint system still remains the same and is a welcome option when in need of help.
Each room has its own theme in The Room Two. They all take its player on a different journey with an immersive experience. The rooms have their own ambient sounds. The strength of Fireproof Games is not only in its complex puzzles but in their ability to build a game so immersive, with Chapter 4’s The Seance not only clever but also highly atmospheric, making it feel like whatever was channeled here never quite left the room. It channels that horror very well of the room as we slowly approach the solution. Ultimately, The Room Two embraces its story from where they left off in the original that only superficially explained the Null element. Now players learn what the Null element is able to achieve, sending them from one area to the next. At the same time, each room hold their own stories.
The Room Two is an even more immersive experience than its predecessor and takes its players on a multitude of atmospheric environments in its collection of rooms and not only successfully expands its scope on its puzzles but also the depth in its story and the Null element. A must play.