Okay, I might be exaggerating—but I’ve been playing Dogubomb’s roguelike puzzler for the past few days, and I can’t seem to stop. It’s a spellbinding, addictive experience that captures the same feelings I had with games like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Outer Wilds, where knowledge and context can help you win the game.
Blue Prince is a cerebral experience—not just because it demands serious brain power every time you boot it up, but also because of its absurdly bonkers RNG, which seems hell-bent on working against you. It’s the kind of randomness that has discouraged players from continuing their runs, thanks to how increasingly unpredictable and ridiculous it becomes.
As for me, though? The RNG is the very challenge that keeps me going. And I haven’t stopped playing since.
The Search for Room 46
If Hades II had you slaying the Titan of Time, and Enter the Gungeon had you killing the past as the endgame, Blue Prince is a very different beast. Its roguelike mechanics aren’t rooted in combat or bullet-hell chaos. Instead, it’s a hybrid of walking simulator and puzzle game, evoking the spirit of titles like The Talos Principle or The Witness. But there’s a strange, specific caveat to its appeal that’s had me hooked these past few days.
Like a less-twisted version of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, the Manor in Blue Prince is never quite what it seems. Its rooms constantly shift. The game drops players into this massive, secret-laden abode. As the heir to the land, you’re tasked with finding the elusive Room 46 to get your inheritance. To get there, you’ll have to navigate a labyrinthine nightmare of puzzles and randomness.
You don’t exactly die in Blue Prince, but since it’s a roguelike, you’re given limited resources to explore each day. Every step you take, or rather, each room you enter, consumes that resource. Hit zero (or find yourself at a dead end), and the day ends, resetting all progress. It’s the game’s clever way of saying, "You died."
The Nightmare That Follows
The reason I can’t put this game down? Every time I hit a roadblock or dead end, I need to push forward to the next day, hoping for something—anything—worthwhile. Maybe a document with a cryptic clue. Perhaps a new room that peels back another layer of the Estate’s mysteries.
There’s no limit to how many runs you can take, which is probably for the best. Right now, my biggest enemy in Blue Prince is pure probability—and let’s say I may or may not be built for that kind of fight.
I’m currently on Day 44—or in roguelike terms, my 44th run. I’ve barely cracked the overarching puzzle of finding Room 46, but I’m inching closer to the truth. I’ve found secret keys, uncovered potential leads, and plunged deep into the game’s rabbit hole of lore. And yet, that damn room continues to elude me.
As of writing, I’ve probably sunk nearly 20 hours into Blue Prince since its launch on April 10. That’s two full weeks of wandering through every cursed corridor of this godforsaken Manor, hunting for answers.
And I won’t stop until I find them.
READ: 5 Games To Play If You Love Blue Prince