Blue Prince Review

 

Platform Played: Xbox Series X
Developer: Dogubomb
Publisher: Dogubomb
Genre: Puzzle
Completion Status (How Long to Beat): Yes (22 hours)

I always enjoy the thought experiment: if you could wipe your mind of any game you've played, what game would that be? For me, I have a new game to add to the list, Blue Prince. Traditionally in modern games, you unlock skills or abilities to progress, in Blue Prince, you unlock knowledge. Blue Prince is a game in which you “draft” rooms to reach the mysterious 46th room of a mansion you inherited. Along the way you’ll encounter countless puzzles and mysteries which are solved through careful observation and continued play. It’s incumbent on the player to take copious notes of their observations - I wrote down 50+ pages of notes during my playthrough. While it feels trite, I can’t help but compare this game to The Witness, because my feelings towards both games are so eerily similar. Both games throw you in head first, and it’s on you, the player, to solve its mysteries and puzzles through trial and error. Unfortunately, both games struggle with bringing a satisfying conclusion to their mysterious plots, but as the saying goes, it’s the journey, not the destination. With time, I feel strongly that Blue Prince will age as one of the all time great games. It’s unlike any piece of art, and the experience is one in which the player loses themself completely. While Blue Prince may not have stuck the landing, I will forever cherish my time with it. 

Pros:

• One of the most unique game concepts. I mean, who would ever think drafting rooms in a house would be fun?
• Brilliant game design. The game manages to minimize RNG frustrations in a myriad of clever ways.
• Nearly every run in my first twenty hours felt like it yielded some accomplishment or garnered some piece of knowledge to be used in future runs.
• Each solved puzzle felt like a major accomplishment.

Cons:

• Post game content can be aggravating. When there are fewer tasks to complete, the need to hit the RNG lottery becomes greater. 
• Later puzzles become opaque and teeter on unreasonable. 

Engagement Factors:

Two of the biggest signs that I’m really enjoying a game are how hard it is to stop playing and how much I’m itching to jump back in when I’m not playing.

• Difficulty to Stop Playing: 10/10
• Desire to Return: 10/10

Note: These scores reflect my personal engagement with the game and are separate from the overall score, which considers all aspects of the game.

Overall Score: 10/10