Review: Blue Prince

Game At A Glance:

• Release Date: April 10th, 2025
• Developer: Dogubomb
• Publisher: Raw Fury
• Genre(s): Puzzle, Mystery, Investigation
• Platforms: PC, Playstation 5, Xbox Series S/X
• Recommended if you Like: Puzzle games with an intriguing backstory and a hint of mystery.

Blue Prince showed up on my Steam feed one day, and when I saw it I thought, “Hmm, I bet Jay would like to play that.”. Sure enough, a couple weeks later, Jay told me that there was a new game he was interested in playing and, of course, it was Blue Prince.

I’m often very cautious of puzzle games. I’m not great at them myself. My eyesight is crap and if any of the puzzles rely on that I’m sunk. But when Jay and I open Discord and start a puzzle game together, it’s likely that something really great, or really terrible, is about to happen.

Ironically, we each have our opinions on where Blue Prince fits on that scale, and the results are…unusual.

Is Blue Prince worthy of its crown or should it be exiled? Let’s find out.

Story:

You are Simon, heir to a manor that used to belong to your uncle, the former Baron of Reddington. But in order to truly claim your heritage, you will need to complete a challenge that your uncle left for you in his will. You are required to find Room 46 inside the manor. A manor which, you will soon learn, has much more to it than it would first seem.

As you explore the manor, you will discover a variety of different mysteries and strange occurrences, learn secrets about your family and their associates, and piece together a rich and compelling lore that will have you promising yourself, “Just one more run.”, as you try to piece together all that has happened.

This kind of collective, lore based storytelling can be hit or miss for me, but in Blue Prince it struck like lightning, and even when Jay was at his most discouraged because he’d run out of steps, our shared curiosity encouraged us to keep going back to find out more.

Gameplay:

The room selection mechanic at the heart of Blue Prince was one of the key things that kept me engaged despite the fact that I was not the primary person playing. I found myself eager to find out what each new room would contain, and was constantly pointing out to Jay when we had something show up that we hadn’t seen before.

The way that various rooms could have parts that connected to a puzzle, and piecing out which were needed for what problem, made the presence of the steps, and the limitation of how much could be done per day, carry enough weight to be worth their inclusion. At the same time, there are means to improve this, and many other challenges, as a player gets more familiar with the house, how rooms work, what they contain, and a myriad of other things.

It’s not just the rooms and their layouts that change with each run. The player’s potential knowledge, and how thoroughly they are tracking things, can also be essential. Jay and I have a whole room in our Discord server that is full of nothing but notes, ideas, and images from the game that we can reference later. Despite any other potential complaints, we REALLY got into this part.

I found our discord section cute and charming. But as the more experienced puzzler, Jay was concerned that if someone was playing this on the go via Steam Deck or Switch, the lack of ability to take images of things found could be a major problem. There were some rooms that we found once, randomly, but then did not re-encounter for hours. Since rooms are capable of having clues or insights into puzzles in other house areas, there is a risk of this being annoying.

Presentation:

The first person 3D aspect of the game, paired with the room designs that put me in mind of a Clue board, worked together beautifully to draw me in. The majority of things in the manor had a quaint, retro feel to them that spoke of another era. While at the same time, old styled computer terminals in certain rooms made it clear that there was still a connection, via technology, to the outside world. The careful blend of old and new, and the use of all of it to create intricate puzzles and lore, was very well handled.

I loved how unique and detailed each room was. I could not wait to unlock each and slowly, methodically take it all in. While Jay was busy looking for clues and puzzle pieces, I was busy seeing how each design both connected to the manor’s overall look and was its own distinct space that had clearly, at some time, been lived in.

The voicework here does not cover everything, but the things that do receive voice are well done and fit with the atmosphere and mood of the game perfectly. I particularly liked the fortune teller who would give us cryptic readings each time we entered the Rumpus Room. Another subtle and appreciated touch was making one of the dogs in the Kennel able to be pet by the player.

Purchase or Pass?

With its interesting mix of puzzle and roguelite elements, Blue Prince kept my interest and drove Jay crazy in equal measures. As someone mainly watching the game be played, and assisting in solving puzzles, the addition of the roguelite elements kept things interesting. As a seasoned puzzler, this new wrinkle made Jay want to tear his hair out.

The fact that we were learning, advancing, and keeping things made runs feel worthwhile to me. The fact that the number of steps we had worked as a pseudo health or time mechanic kept each run engaging, and kept us from lingering on any single puzzle for too long all at once.

If you are not the biggest puzzle fan, or have trouble memorizing locations and the items contained within them, I would caution that this is a situation where, “It’s dangerous to go alone”. But if you love puzzle games and are looking for something with a twist, or if you have a more puzzle inclined buddy or significant other, I cannot recommend Blue Prince highly enough.