Blue Prince: A Roguelite Puzzle Game Preview

Stepping into the fifth room during my preview of Blue Prince, I immediately felt a sense of impending doom. While I didn’t have much background on this narrative-driven puzzle game, the moment I realized it was a roguelite experience, I was instantly hooked. This game has the potential to consume my attention for days when it finally releases.

Blue Prince sets the stage for its mysterious plot within the opening minutes. As the heir to your recently deceased great-uncle’s fortune and estate, you must uncover the elusive 46th room in the mansion, which supposedly only contains 45 rooms. However, there are strict rules to follow – no overnight stays, no removing items from the mansion, and daily changes in the mansion’s layout beyond the initial foyer.

Upon entering the foyer, players are faced with a choice of three random rooms behind each door. These rooms may contain keys to unlock doors or chests, currency for purchasing items, or food for energy to facilitate exploration. The journey unfolds room by room until you either run out of energy or reach a dead end, forcing you to restart from your tent outside the mansion.

Blue Prince incorporates roguelite mechanics that allow for incremental progress. Players can discover rooms that store items for future runs or freeze currency for subsequent attempts. There are also mysteries and unlocks outside the mansion, such as an apple orchard that requires a combination found within the mansion to access.

In terms of gameplay, Blue Prince offers a straightforward experience. Players navigate the 3D space of each room in first-person, unraveling the narrative threads of the mansion and piecing together the mystery of the 46th room. The game’s minimal exposition and immersive gameplay mechanics are reminiscent of titles like The Forgotten City and Outer Wilds, challenging players to master the mechanics and uncover the secrets of the mansion.

Blue Prince is set to launch for PC, promising an intriguing blend of narrative-driven puzzles and roguelite elements that will keep players engaged and immersed in its enigmatic world.