Blue Prince is a puzzle game shrouded with mystery, featuring over 40+ craftable floorplans, many permanent upgrades to improve your runs onward, and reaching the mysterious 46th room to claim your inheritance to the manor.
Developed by Dougbomb and published by Raw Fury, Blue Prince is a charming puzzle game incorporating RNG and roguelike elements. When I started the game, I felt a Resident Evil vibe. But instead of solving puzzles in Spencer Mansion filled with zombies, you are solving puzzles from the rooms you crafted, learning about the family history that is shrouded with mysteries regarding an unsolved case, and finding access to the mysterious 46th room to claim your inheritance to the manor.
Stepping into the manor, you are greeted by a letter from your uncle explaining that the manor is your inheritance—but only if you can reach the 46th room. To achieve this goal, the letter outlines that players cannot stay overnight or use objects outside the manor residence. As you embark on your quest, you can enter three doors to craft rooms and form a path to the Antechamber. But it’s crucial to plan your next move, as you must manage the limited resources encountered throughout the manor and are restricted to 50 steps per run at the start.
“Blue Prince is one of the most interesting and addictive puzzle games I’ve played this year, filled with charm and secrets to uncover.”
To understand the fundamentals of Blue Prince, the player begins with 50 steps, with each step consumed upon entering a room. However, you’re not strictly limited to 50 steps—these can be replenished or boosted using fruit and food or by crafting a bedroom or sauna, the latter increasing your steps by 20 for the following day. A permanent upgrade can also increase your step count to 70. When you run out of steps, your character becomes tired, and the next day begins, resetting everything you have done in the manor.
It is also crucial to plan your next move when crafting a room, as players can create different types of rooms that may either benefit or hinder a run. Room selection relies heavily on RNG to determine which room can be crafted at any given moment. Breaking down the room types: a Blue room can benefit players by rewarding gems or keys for completing a puzzle; Green and Orange rooms can often lead to multiple paths or provide access to the Antechamber; a Bedroom grants extra steps; and Red rooms may take your money, reduce your step count, or lower the chances of finding items within the manor.
Shifting to the overall design of Blue Prince, I found the game’s art style beautiful. Each room is uniquely designed and incorporates clues about the manor and its family secrets. Two of my favourite rooms in the game were the rare Aquarium room—because, let’s face it, having a personalized aquarium in your manor is just cool—and the Darkroom, which must be powered by the Utility Room for players to fully explore. Inside, players can learn more about the family’s history and uncover a clue to unlock a permanent upgrade.
“Each room is uniquely designed and incorporates clues about the manor and its family secrets.”
But you can’t talk about Blue Prince without mentioning the puzzles it offers. From doing math on the dartboard to gaining access to the underground fountain, the game includes plenty of puzzles—just don’t expect to solve them on your first try. Time and again, you’ll need to explore and unlock more rooms before you can complete a challenge. For instance, the breaker box in the Utility Room requires players to read an email in the Office to understand the puzzle’s objective, then visit the Mailroom to view a picture showing how to solve it. Completing the puzzle rewards players with a permanent upgrade to benefit future runs.
What stands out to me when playing Blue Prince is how much freedom the game offers. There is no wrong way to approach it—the experience is meant to be unique to each player and how they want their manor to look, whether it’s a greenhouse-themed retreat, a cozy inn, or a devilish red manor to reflect a thirst for challenge. Your ideal manor won’t interfere with your progress—unless, of course, you choose to experiment with the many types of manors you can craft.
My only gripe with Blue Prince is the RNG system. My progress was often halted because the game wouldn’t allow me to overcome obstacles when I was near the end. There were times I needed jewels to draft rooms, a security key card to reach a higher rank, or keys to unlock a lane—and the required items were nowhere to be found during the run.
I lost count of how many times I was one rank away from reaching the Antechamber because of a lack of resources to craft a room for access, or the risk of blocking a path. While frustrating—especially when you’re close to finishing a run—it never stopped me from jumping back in for another shot at reaching the Antechamber and room 46.
Blue Prince is one of the most interesting and addictive puzzle games I’ve played this year, filled with charm and secrets to uncover. Even though the RNG can be annoying at times, it didn’t stop me from pushing forward to find room 46 and uncover the mysteries surrounding the family and manor.
