Recently, I was between games, having just finished Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Resident Evil Village. I loved these games immensely, and have been working through a lot of the remakes and major releases that I’ve missed due to a busy schedule. I’ve been a lifelong gamer, but with the stress of adult life, I don’t get to play every major release right when it comes out; and with the price of games going up, I’ve had to be a bit more intentional about the games I purchase. All of that led me to take advantage of my Xbox Game Pass membership, as it allows me to try games for “free” and to not feel guilty if the game doesn’t hit with me—I can just move on.
I’d heard a lot about Blue Prince, so I decided to download it and give it a try—and wow—I’m glad I did. For those unfamiliar, Blue Prince is a roguelite puzzle game, where you play as a young man who has inherited a strange and supernatural mansion on a large estate. You only keep the inheritance if you can make it to the mysterious Room 46, but the catch is that the rooms change each day you enter the mansion and you have a limited number of steps to explore with. Players must solve puzzle and riddles to progress deeper into the mysterious mansion.
What I loved about this game is that it forced me to keep a gaming journal—something I haven’t done since I was eleven years old playing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. While exploring the mansion in Blue Prince, I wrote down ciphers, decoded messages, jotted down hints, sketched maps, and noted theories. Even after I’d turned the game off for the day, I found myself looking over my notes and planning my next run. I’d forgotten how much fun a game like this could be, one that challenges the player on such a level that “props” are needed to truly face the adventure. I felt like a real explorer and somehow like I was a kid again. Not too bad for a download off Game Pass, right? Honestly, if a sequel comes out, it’ll be a day one purchase for me.
Tell us what you think! Have you played Blue Prince or another game like it that forced you to jot down notes? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on our Boss Rush Network Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: Raw Fury
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