The Room

The Room is a point-and-click game about exploring intricate puzzle boxes. You must figure out how to open each box by interacting with the clockwork mechanisms it contains. The detailed contraptions and brooding atmosphere create an immersive and mysterious experience.

The premise is straightforward: there’s a large vault in an attic, and a letter challenging you to open the vault. It turns out to contain a series of nested puzzle boxes, each of them being filled with levers, dials, locks, and clockwork mechanisms that must be interacted with in order to unlock its contents.

The camera is mostly fixed, and there is no free movement involved. You look around simply by double-clicking (or double-tapping) on elements you want to zoom in on, or by dragging the view to a different angle. The boxes are very detailed, so you may need a sharp eye to spot all the interactables. And just in case you don’t see what to do, there’s still an in-game hint system to point you to the next step.

The Room has a small twist on the puzzle-box formula, in the form of a magical eyepiece. Equipping it causes hidden messages and elements to become visible, guiding you to hard-to-find interactables or providing secret codes. It also renders certain surfaces transparent, allowing you to interact with the mechanisms underneath.

The story, which takes place in a clockpunk Victorian setting, is told sparely through notes scattered in the boxes. A possibly-mad scientist is searching for a fifth element which he calls “the Null.” Its unusual properties point to promising applications, but it may have unexpected side effects as well.

The Room was created by a team of six environment artists and one programmer, their proficiency showing in the lavishly detailed boxes and in the realistic precision of the machinery. Solving each puzzle triggers satisfying animations of hinged pieces unfolding or gear trains turning. And for those who can’t get enough tinkering, the game also kicked off a whole series of sequels.

This description was written by Gwen C. Katz.