In a year full of big releases, A small independent title has managed to sneak into the top-rated category by specialized critics. Its name is Blue Prince, and although its media presence has been muted so far, this strategic puzzle game with exploration elements is generating a lot of buzz. From its appearance at events like the Steam Next Fest to its recent release on multiple platforms, it has managed to stand out on its own merits.
The game, developed by independent studio Dogubomb and distributed by Raw Fury, presents a simple but well-executed idea: explore a mansion with variable rooms while unraveling family and political secrets. The player must explore, make strategic decisions, and solve multiple puzzles scattered across an environment that changes daily. This original offering has landed on the radar of fans and critics alike as one of the most interesting games of 2025.
A mansion in constant transformation
Blue Prince puts the player in the shoes of Simon, a young man who has inherited a mansion with an unusual condition: You must reach room number 46 to claim your inheritance. The problem is that the house, located in Mount Holly, has only 45 rooms, and its layout changes daily. The game's main mechanic is to choose, each time you open a door, one of the three possible rooms that can appear behind it. This seemingly trivial decision will determine the course of each game.
Each room has a specific function: libraries that unlock special rooms, pantries with food to restore energy, closets where key items are found, and others where puzzles and secrets are hidden that challenge the player to think laterally. This layout, combined with a limited grid on which to build, requires careful planning. There's no single valid route, making each exploration unique. Furthermore, this design is reminiscent of other distinctive titles that employ the concept of exploration and puzzle-solving, such as the best narrative role-playing games.
Mechanics that combine chance with strategy
Although the random component plays a significant role, Blue Prince is not a game without control or direction. Each day in the game begins with a limited number of steps, which are consumed as you move between rooms. If you run out of steps or no more paths become available, the day ends and the mansion resets, erasing visual progress and collected items. However, the knowledge remains, giving the game that "roguelite" feel that many have compared to experiences like Return of the Obra Dinn or, more recently, Incryption.
Players are forced to balance risk and reward: entering a dead-end room can be a dead end, but also a unique opportunity. Some rooms offer items such as hammers, lock picks, metal detectors, or coins that provide access to useful resources. The key is knowing when to take a risk and when to save energy for future sessions.
A story camouflaged among riddles
The narrative of Blue Prince unfolds incrementally and organically, amidst hidden clues, old documents, emails, and encrypted messages. The search for Room 46 gradually turns into a deeper investigation into Simon's family past and his connection to a missing children's storyteller. What begins as a personal challenge transforms into an intricate web of political intrigue and secrets from the past, hidden within the mansion's walls.
This non-linear approach invites the player to reflect, take notes, and even keep a journal to record theories, codes, or connections. Many have compared the game to an escape room that, instead of making you want to quit, draws you in even more as you progress. Every small detail can be relevant: a peculiar decoration, a highlighted word on a note, or the location of an unusual door can be key pieces in a larger puzzle. It's also interesting how other video games develop complex narratives from a single environment, maintaining the player's interest over time.
Outstanding critical reception
Since its release, Blue Prince has received almost unanimous praise from international critics. Specialized media outlets such as Eurogamer, Hobby Consolas, and 3DJuegos have hailed the experience as one of the most immersive of the year, highlighting its originality, the depth of its mechanics, and the game's ability to stay fresh with each playthrough. On aggregation platforms such as Metacritic, it has achieved an average score of 92 out of 100, even surpassing highly anticipated titles like Split Fiction.
Some reviews have described it as “a strategic masterpiece” or “a mind-changing experience.” Others have particularly praised its ability to surprise players even after several hours of play, with new layers of complexity slowly revealing themselves. The game's success also echoes how other titles have managed to capture audiences' attention, often through innovation in mechanics and narrative design.
Perhaps its only negative point is that, for now, it is only available in English. This can be a challenge for those who aren't fluent in the language, especially given the importance of text and wordplay in solving many puzzles. Even so, the developers have hinted that translating it would require an effort almost equivalent to reworking much of the content due to the nature of its puzzles.
Free exploration, beyond the mansion
One of the most striking aspects of the game is how it plays with the player's perception. Although at first you might think everything takes place inside the mansion, you soon discover that there are elements that transcend its walls. Some puzzles require combining clues from different games or recalling details from previous days that, at the time, went unnoticed. This feeling of deciphering something larger, a mystery that expands with each session, is one of the keys to its success. As in some expanded narrative stories, attention and connection between the different elements are required to achieve full understanding.
Additionally, the game appears to be designed to encourage off-screen cooperation between players. Taking notes, sharing discoveries or theories with friends—even playing side-by-side to compare progress—is part of the experience. In this sense, it's reminiscent of those video games that build a community of amateur detectives eager to unravel the most complex secrets together.
Availability and platforms
Blue Prince is available from April 10, 2025 on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium members can access the game from day one at no additional cost. The pre-release demo, released during the Mount Holly House Tour festival, already anticipated the title's potential and received an avalanche of positive reviews on Steam, paving the way for its commercial launch.
The game hasn't needed any major promotional campaigns to stand out; it's been the direct experience of players and enthusiastic reviews on social media and in the media that have catapulted it to the top. Many agree that its greatest strength is that it arrives unexpectedly, without any prior expectations, and manages to engage you thanks to its unusual but well-paced approach. This makes it similar to some of the year's best titles, which have surprised with their quality and originality.
Blue Prince has achieved what few independent games manage: becoming a cult phenomenon just after its launch. Its blend of strategic architecture, twisting puzzles, and enigmatic narrative has sparked the interest of veteran players and genre insiders alike. The search for Room 46 is just an excuse to get lost, time and again, in an experience that proves there's still room for surprises in the world of video games.