Recent reviews by Shortchen

If I had to describe Blue Prince, I'd call it a "rogue-lite puzzle-style exploration game." Your goal is it to reach the 46th room by drafting and arranging a series of randomized room blueprints to create an optimal layout that leads you there.

As you draft your applied strategy is important. You’ll need to carefully choose rooms that synergize with each other and provide the resources necessary to overcome obstacles on your path. Some rooms also drop clues, which may unlock permanent benefits or help with puzzle-solving.

The puzzles vary in complexity: some are simple, self-contained challenges (like solving a riddle with three boxes), while others stretch across multiple rooms and require you to draft them strategically.

A common complaint is the game's RNG, where certain rooms need to be drawn in specific positions to progress. Though frustrating at times, I didn’t mind it since there are plenty of other puzzles to solve and you could somewhat change the odds of a certain rooms appearing, when you need them.

In terms of lore the game does a fantastic job of keeping you hooked. With regular backtracking and the lore hints/drops in each room the story unfolds in a way that feels rewarding without becoming tedious. I think this aspect is one of the reasons the game stands out.

It’s worth noting that the game offers so much more if you take your time and explore. RI reached the 46th room in about 15 hours on Day 33, but there's much more to explore if you take your time. Rushing through means missing out on extra puzzles and vital lore for the ending.

If you enjoyed games like 'Return of the Obra Dinn' or 'Outer Wilds' and don't mind a bit of backtracking or RNG, you'll likely enjoy Blue Prince.

While the concept of the puzzles itself isn't exactly groundbreaking, I really like how Blue Prince puts its own spin on it. In my opinion it absolutely deserves the "Most Innovative Gameplay Award" for 2025.

absolute cinema and peak gameplay 11/10

great concept, but in desperate need of additional content
also seems like the game has been abandoned, at the time of writing the last real content update was July 12th (over 15 months ago)

got stale super quickly and public lobbies are nearly non-existent at the moment..

the gameplay itself is like most social deduction games (e.g. Among Us), but in my opinion the tasks are uninteresting and sometimes really annoying to do; the downtime between rounds is also terrible and scales really badly the more players you are
Also there's a heavy imbalance which really favors the non-slackers, which makes winning as a slacker really difficult and unfun to do so

Additionally it isn't getting updated that frequently,
the last major update at the time of writing was on January 10th (over 10 months ago) and the last real content update/map addition was on March 14th (over 8 months ago)

maybe fun for a few rounds, but would definitely not get it at full price, if at all

If I had to describe Crow Country, I would say it's a PS1-style survival horror puzzle game.
It's a really well-made, fun, and interesting experience, which can be completed in about 3-7 hours.

The game's world-building and atmosphere is so well done. In combination with the art style it really emanates a charming vibe. Without going into details, how the story unfolds really gave me the itch to continue exploring and see what mysteries I will unravel.

Gameplay-wise it's not that challenging on survival horror (moderate) difficulty. There are plenty of points available for you to stock up on healing items and ammo. The puzzles are also not too trivial, but not too hard. Save points are spread evenly across the map, if you tend to die often.
In my opinion, I'd recommend the highest difficulty (Murder of Crows) for a first playthrough.

If you're not a big fan of horror, there's an option to disable enemies and explore only, so that you'll still be able to enjoy the experience.
I highly recommend this game and it's well worth the price. One of my favorite games so far.

Maybe everything will be ok. And maybe it won't.

A really well-made detective game 8.5/10

The main goal of the game is to identify and determine the status/cause of death of every crew member on the ship. However the game really doesn’t hold your hand. Instead, it gives you a ship full of corpses, a magical watch that shows their final moments, and asks you to figure out everything yourself. Every answer has to be carefully deduced from visual clues, dialogue fragments, accents, uniforms, and positions in freeze-frame scenes.

It’s like a massive logic puzzle wrapped in a haunting historical mystery. When a deduction clicks into place, it feels incredibly rewarding.

If you like games that challenge your observation, reasoning, and attention to detail, Return of the Obra Dinn is a masterclass.

The game is a fast-paced, multiplayer game that’s perfect for short, competitive sessions with friends. The controls are smooth, and the gameplay is full of chaotic fun. A great way to end friendships.

10/10 would trip on a mine again

10/10 would get scared in the corner again

Skibadee, skibadanger! I am the rearranger!