Blue Prince, Dogubomb’s debut puzzle indie game, has taken the gaming world by storm. When it launched, both critics and gamers found its overarching mystery perplexing. Many were captivated by its intricate world-building and puzzle mechanics, which become increasingly interconnected the deeper you progress through its campaign. For others, however, the game’s seemingly intimidating roguelike design wasn’t immediately apparent.
Fans who aren’t well-versed in the roguelike genre might find Blue Prince’s heavy reliance on RNG (random number generation) daunting. That’s why a lot of players have taken to social media and the game’s subreddit to vent about how RNG has ruined their attempts to finish the game.
But before diving into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about how Blue Prince actually works. It’s not your typical game where players move from point A to B or defeat bosses. It’s primarily built around puzzles. If you’ve played titles like Lorelei and the Laser Eyes or Outer Wilds, it gives off a similar vibe. Still, Blue Prince’s intricate roguelike elements set it apart.
The rules are simple: reach the game’s elusive 46th Room by drafting rooms inside an ever-changing house. As Simon, the protagonist, players must carefully curate a sequence of rooms to reach the Antechamber—aka the 46th Room. The twist? You have a limited number of steps. Once you run out of steps or hit too many dead ends, the game resets, taking you to the next day. No items are carried over, and you start from scratch.
Avoiding dead ends and locked doors is part of the journey, but RNG doesn’t always work in your favor. Sometimes you get multiple keys but no matching doors. Other times, you’re down to your last room draft and missing one crucial key. It’s every roguelike’s cruel irony: you're almost there, but the game’s logic isn't ready to let you win.
Which brings us to the Blue Prince drama. While it may be a strong Game of the Year contender thanks to its clever puzzles and layered narrative, it’s still a niche title meant for a very specific audience. But with its sudden mainstream success—enough to get every major outlet talking—new players curious about the genre are giving it a shot. It helps that the game is free for PlayStation Plus Extra subscribers and costs around $20 on major storefronts.
On the subreddit, players are voicing frustrations about how severe the RNG can be, saying it’s enough to make them quit. Others echo the sentiment, sharing stories of spending nearly 10 hours without even scratching the surface, let alone reaching the 46th Room. Meanwhile, lucky players boast about how RNG worked in their favor and got them to the Antechamber in just a few hours.
Obviously, this is a case-by-case basis—that’s just how roguelike games work. But Blue Prince is so steeped in mystery that many players still haven’t figured out everything it has to offer. Unfortunately, for those who find the RNG frustrating early on, it might already be too late to uncover how the gameplay truly works.
That said, not every game has to be your cup of tea. And if the roguelike mechanics don’t click with you—or if you're simply not having fun—there’s no shame in stepping away and picking up something else.