Blue Prince OT: 92 on metacritic

Legend · Apr 15, 2025, 03:42 PM

Quote from: kitler53 on Apr 15, 2025, 03:03 AMOh, and you didn't really post about it but the "steps" thing is dumb. I had a breaker room that when i drafted i didn't really know what to do with. Later i drafted a mailroom and i found a note pertaining to the breaker.

Why the hell is it costing me steps to return to that room and engage in the puzzle?!? You really expect me to just "write thing down in a notebook" like that stupid note said and try again in the next day?!?!?

Yeah it's funny how the note at the very beginning says something about "don't go where it takes you, go where you want to end up"

Yet the game is the complete opposite of that. Basically the only way you can enjoy it is if you have a bunch of puzzles pending and whatever rng provides is what you work on that day.

And with that specific puzzle, there is still missing information. You'd keep playing, get a breaker room again, and then discover that the puzzle can't be solved. So it goes back in the pile until RNG gives the next clue.

I think the steps are just there to make it harder in the beginning. Eventually you get a permanent upgrade that adds 20 at the start of each day. But it's still crazy. When I got the credits, I had ~20 steps left. Yet I've read other reports of people fully having room 46 open, including secret stuff off the main map, and yet they run out of steps.

So they just have to grind until RNG provides again.

Also I've been looking up stuff I missed. Even with no RNG, these puzzles are often kinda bad.

There is a "secret garden" key. You run into it a lot but I never found the secret garden. The key does not work on normal locked doors.

Turns out the "secret" is to just randomly keep trying it on normal locked doors anyway, because in one area it works. Maybe there is a note that clarified that but I certainly didn't find one.

kitler53 · Apr 15, 2025, 04:47 PM

And with that specific puzzle, there is still missing information. You'd keep playing, get a breaker room again, and then discover that the puzzle can't be solved. So it goes back in the pile until RNG gives the next clue.

Yeah, i went back and found out pretty quick that the bit of information i got wasn't enough. The clue i got was i could turn things purple if i had blue next to red (or whatever) but to be honest i figured that out via random clicking on my first glance. so yeah, pretty useless to go back to.

I think the steps are just there to make it harder in the beginning. Eventually you get a permanent upgrade that adds 20 at the start of each day. But it's still crazy. When I got the credits, I had ~20 steps left. Yet I've read other reports of people fully having room 46 open, including secret stuff off the main map, and yet they run out of steps.

as i played i was looking for signs of any "permanent upgrades". the game was very clear i'd lose my inventory from day to day but i was assuming that something about the game could be carried forward to make it feel like i was progressing. for me personally playing only 2 days is not enough to deter me from hoping for that but then i read your comments and it felt like that was not the case. that's pretty much why i rage deleted the game soo quick.

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the thing i really wasn't sure of was is the strategy to get to the antechamber as quickly as possible of if i should try to strategically place each of the rooms so that i eventually placed all 45 rooms down. like,.. did i need to build as many rooms as possible in order to encounter stuff required to unlock room 46 or was just getting there asap the better idea.

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based on the opening it honestly feels like the game should be designed around the entire layout of the house being chosen for me like a rouge-like and the "puzzle" is around trying to traverse the random designs before running out of time/steps. i was honestly thrown for a minute when that's not how the game played.

from a game design i think it would have been more fun if i "earned rooms" via some system but when it came time to build out the houses layout i could choose from any/all of my "earned rooms". that would make it feel more like a puzzle and like i'm making actually progress in the game instead of just waiting for a better coin flip. it would be kind of a video game version of logic puzzles such as IQ six where you try to get everything to "fit":

so basically give me ~5 rooms to start. leave it to me to figure out puzzles using only those couple of rooms. this is a quick and dumb thought but something like putting a closet into the bedroom somehow leads to the nursery being unlocked. then as more and more rooms unlock the complexity of the designs i can make leads to greater possibilities and challenges.

Legend · Apr 15, 2025, 11:23 PM

Quote from: kitler53 on Apr 15, 2025, 04:47 PMas i played i was looking for signs of any "permanent upgrades". the game was very clear i'd lose my inventory from day to day but i was assuming that something about the game could be carried forward to make it feel like i was progressing. for me personally playing only 2 days is not enough to deter me from hoping for that but then i read your comments and it felt like that was not the case. that's pretty much why i rage deleted the game soo quick.

There are only a few permanent upgrades and they don't change any of the RNG problems. Most are unlocks outside the house and they just make you start with 20 extra steps, some starting coins, and some starting gems. Others upgrade rooms so like a specific hallway will now always contain a key.

However these are very rare. I got three room upgrades during my entire run.

There are also a few persistent changes, but again they are rare and don't change any of the other problems. Only ones I encountered were the boiler and pump room puzzles only needing to be solved once.

Quote from: kitler53 on Apr 15, 2025, 04:47 PMthe thing i really wasn't sure of was is the strategy to get to the antechamber as quickly as possible of if i should try to strategically place each of the rooms so that i eventually placed all 45 rooms down. like,.. did i need to build as many rooms as possible in order to encounter stuff required to unlock room 46 or was just getting there asap the better idea.

The best "strategy" is to fully fill out the house as you go, just so you get enough keys and gems and items to not get stuck. But of course with just 50 steps a day that doesn't really work, so you need that upgrade first.

The antechamber is locked so if you reach it, nothing happens. Along the way you have to unlock a door and reach that specific door. The south door can be opened...

Spoiler for Hidden:

However, getting inside the antechamber is not enough.

Spoiler for Hidden:

I was super lucky that this all worked out for me the first time I got inside the antechamber. I skimmed through a streamer's vid to see what things I missed in the game, and he had to go into the antechamber 3 times before everything worked out for him.

Then of course the game expects you to repeat this all again if you want to explore room 46 and get puzzle clues from it. The first time you enter it just triggers a cutscene and kicks you to the next day.

Quote from: kitler53 on Apr 15, 2025, 04:47 PMbased on the opening it honestly feels like the game should be designed around the entire layout of the house being chosen for me like a rouge-like and the "puzzle" is around trying to traverse the random designs before running out of time/steps. i was honestly thrown for a minute when that's not how the game played.

from a game design i think it would have been more fun if i "earned rooms" via some system but when it came time to build out the houses layout i could choose from any/all of my "earned rooms". that would make it feel more like a puzzle and like i'm making actually progress in the game instead of just waiting for a better coin flip. it would be kind of a video game version of logic puzzles such as IQ six where you try to get everything to "fit":

so basically give me ~5 rooms to start. leave it to me to figure out puzzles using only those couple of rooms. this is a quick and dumb thought but something like putting a closet into the bedroom somehow leads to the nursery being unlocked. then as more and more rooms unlock the complexity of the designs i can make leads to greater possibilities and challenges.

Yeah exactly. The core RNG gameplay is just so antithetical to puzzles. I can tell they were going for something where the odds of success start at 0.001% and each major discovery bumps that 10x. But it still caps out at like 20% or lower depending on your goal at the time.

It should be the case where knowledge, not time investment, is the thing that matters most.

It's very weird because there are a few good puzzles in it. A version with removed/overhauled RNG could be fairly good.

And there is a single puzzle in the game that actually works great with the RNG.

Spoiler for Hidden:

Each room has two pictures. Eventually at some point you'll realize they all follow a pattern.<br><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px"><b>Spoiler</b> for <i>Hidden</i>: <input type="button" value="Show" style="width:60px;font-size:10px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" onClick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.value = 'Show'; }"></div><div class="alt2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 6px; border: 1px inset;"><div style="display: none;">First room has a queen playing card picture and an ace playing card picture. They are "face" and "ace" with F being the difference.<br><div style="margin:20px; margin-top:5px"><div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px"><b>Spoiler</b> for <i>Hidden</i>: <input type="button" value="Show" style="width:60px;font-size:10px;margin:0px;padding:0px;" onClick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.value = 'Hide'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.value = 'Show'; }"></div><div class="alt2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 6px; border: 1px inset;"><div style="display: none;">The type of room doesn't matter. It's only about location. So your goal just becomes to reach every cell in the house in order to record the message.<br><br>Once I discovered that, that's when I thought the game was about to reveal its true self. That this was all just a cover of the real secrets.<br><br>But no. The decoded message is:<br>IF WE<br>COUNT<br>SMALL<br>GATES<br>EIGHT<br>DATES<br>CRACK<br>EIGHT<br>SAFES<br><br>And it's just a hint for the safes in various rooms, doesn't lead to anything. And it's a really bad hint too. Only one safe has to do with gates. A second has to do with small "gaits" while the rest have nothing like that. For example in the office their is a note saying "March of the Count" so the solution is to count the count statues in the room, and then put March (03) before it. Another is to just enter 1225 because there is a picture from Christmas in the room.<br><br>Why didn't this secret message lead to something cooler!? It was a great setup! </div></div></div></div></div></div>

I think the problem though is that if you removed the RNG, all the puzzles could be solved in 3 hours.

SWORDF1SH · Apr 23, 2025, 11:46 AM

I'm surprised by your reviews. I'd say I'm about halfway in but I love the mix of the RNG puzzle and standard puzzles and how they intertwine.

I do have a tendency to be very forgiving of janky puzzle games. If there's a little something there , I will still enjoy the game even if the puzzle element are poorly implemented. That said, after the slow start of Blue Prince, I thought the game had little to fault. I'm starting to second guess if it's a genuinely good game or I'm thinking it's a lot better than it is because I've played a lot of janky puzzle games. In my mind I had it up there with The Witness.

Legend · Apr 23, 2025, 05:57 PM

Quote from: SWORDF1SH on Apr 23, 2025, 11:46 AMI'm surprised by your reviews. I'd say I'm about halfway in but I love the mix of the RNG puzzle and standard puzzles and how they intertwine.

I do have a tendency to be very forgiving of janky puzzle games. If there's a little something there , I will still enjoy the game even if the puzzle element are poorly implemented. That said, after the slow start of Blue Prince, I thought the game had little to fault. I'm starting to second guess if it's a genuinely good game or I'm thinking it's a lot better than it is because I've played a lot of janky puzzle games. In my mind I had it up there with The Witness.

The big problem with Blue Prince imo is that solving puzzles is just based off RNG. Half the time the puzzle is trivial and you just need to grind until the game lets you input the solution. The other half of the time the puzzle is impossible with your current information and you just need to grind until the game gives you more information.

Fully spoil me on where you are in the game and what you've done so far. I had a moment during my playthrough where I thought it was going to be an incredible game up there with The Witness, and then it came crashing down. So I wonder if you are in about the same spot I was when I felt that way, or if your feelings are from different things.

kitler53 · Apr 23, 2025, 06:28 PM

i'll say that even though i didn't play that much legends review highly resonates with me. puzzle games should be overcome with learning and intelligence. as far as i'm concerned blue price barely qualifies as a puzzle game and that's why i didn't like it. it was more like baltro except without being fun.

SWORDF1SH · Apr 23, 2025, 06:34 PM

Really enjoying the game so I hope they don't fumble it.

Spoiler for Hidden:

SWORDF1SH · Apr 23, 2025, 06:36 PM

Quote from: kitler53 on Apr 23, 2025, 06:28 PMi'll say that even though i didn't play that much legends review highly resonates with me. puzzle games should be overcome with learning and intelligence. as far as i'm concerned blue price barely qualifies as a puzzle game and that's why i didn't like it. it was more like baltro except without being fun.

I think that's a bit harsh. How many days did you play?

Legend · Apr 23, 2025, 08:34 PM

Quote from: SWORDF1SH on Apr 23, 2025, 06:34 PMReally enjoying the game so I hope they don't fumble it.
Spoiler for Hidden:
I've unlocked 3 outside areas -mine, garden through garage and orchard. I've almost solved the message through the picture on the walls, almost solved the message from music sheets, not drafted the greenhouse yet, pumped water out the fountain but not opened that area, lit 3 torches and I presume the 4th will unlock another area, haven't worked out how to work the lift that goes into a hole below manor, there's something going on with the classrooms that I haven't worked out, not found the secret garden but I suspect it's through the greenhouse and I think that's about it

Wow. That is almost exactly where I was when I made this post. Don't read my spoiler though, I mention a thing you don't have yet. https://vizioneck.com/forum/index.php?msg=300636

Hopefully you keep liking it though. The time wasting is what really killed it for me but I'm more sensitive than most people with that.

kitler53 · Apr 23, 2025, 08:42 PM

Quote from: SWORDF1SH on Apr 23, 2025, 06:36 PMI think that's a bit harsh. How many days did you play?

1 real life day. 3 in game days.

SWORDF1SH · Apr 23, 2025, 09:04 PM

Quote from: Legend on Apr 23, 2025, 08:34 PMWow. That is almost exactly where I was when I made this post. Don't read my spoiler though, I mention a thing you don't have yet. https://vizioneck.com/forum/index.php?msg=300636

Hopefully you keep liking it though. The time wasting is what really killed it for me but I'm more sensitive than most people with that.

Understandable. I know you love to blast through games.
I'm ok with the slower pace and the repetitiveness as long as I'm making progress. From the post you linked, it sounds like that was peak enjoyment, so is it downhill from there? $:-\$

Legend · Apr 23, 2025, 09:38 PM

Quote from: SWORDF1SH on Apr 23, 2025, 09:04 PMUnderstandable. I know you love to blast through games.
I'm ok with the slower pace and the repetitiveness as long as I'm making progress. From the post you linked, it sounds like that was peak enjoyment, so is it downhill from there? $:-\$

I wouldn't say it is downhill. Rather at that point I thought the game was opening up and the RNG was just a cover of what the real game is.

If you're liking it though, do not stop at the credits. Wrap up all open mysteries and you should keep finding more. They'll be hidden behind hours of RNG, but they are there! I've been enjoying watching a playthrough on youtube because then I can just skip forward in the video to when RNG blesses him.

SWORDF1SH · Apr 23, 2025, 09:57 PM

Quote from: Legend on Apr 23, 2025, 09:38 PMI wouldn't say it is downhill. Rather at that point I thought the game was opening up and the RNG was just a cover of what the real game is.

If you're liking it though, do not stop at the credits. Wrap up all open mysteries and you should keep finding more. They'll be hidden behind hours of RNG, but they are there! I've been enjoying watching a playthrough on youtube because then I can just skip forward in the video to when RNG blesses him.

Although I don't mind the RNG part of the game, I still have my limits. If it starts feeling like a chore then the credits will be as far as I go.