Game: The Room
Platform: iOS, Android, PC, Nintendo Switch
Genre: puzzle
Style: heavy Lovecraft influences
Verdict: Recommended
Buy: Amazon | App Store | Google Play | Steam | eShop

The Room is an unusual game.

In some ways, it feels like an adventure game, but the entire game takes place in a single room. In fact, it largely focuses on a single object.

You have a puzzle box, and you’re trying to unlock it. This uses a tactile form of gameplay, hence the game being released on platforms that use or can simulate a touchscreen that gives the player direct control. You’ll need to look for secret codes, figure out complicated locks, etc.

Despite how simple The Room is, it actually does have a strong Lovecraftian tone. As you unlock new parts of the increasingly weird and complex puzzle box, you find journal entries and notes from the person whose letter first led you to the box.

These deal with strange research, the mysterious “Null” element, and the writer’s growing madness. Even though you’re just unlocking a box, the Lovecraftian elements become more and more apparent the longer you play, to the point where I consider this to have heavy Lovecraftian influences rather than light ones.

It’s an enjoyable puzzle game, and even though it’s pretty short, it’s also pretty inexpensive nowadays. So if you like puzzle games and want one with a Lovecraftian story in the background, check out The Room.

Buy: Amazon | App Store | Google Play | Steam | eShop