The Room Review (Darkreaper_1)
TLDR: If you're after a visually impressive puzzler that isn't too difficult, The Room is an easy recommend considering the price.
The Room is basically a a series of puzzles contained in 5 different chapters. The puzzles start off easy and get progressively harder. The puzzles do get more intricate as you progress, meaning that you're going back and forth between a few puzzles, unlocking parts on proceed with a larger puzzle before looking elsewhere to help you proceed.
The first chapter is a short tutorial, showing that you have to manual turn a click by clicking, holding and rotating the mouse. Or that certain switches have to be dragged, that items can be rotated and sometimes are mini puzzles themselves. This does increase the interactivity as you're not just clicking here and there but actually make to turn keys, manually move switches and manipulate items. It sounds very simple and basic, which it is, but it does help draw you in to the game.
There is a hint system in place, giving you a maximum of 3 hints after a certain amount of time has elapsed. These start with gentle nudges in the right direction without actually telling you how to solve the puzzle. Although if you've played plenty of puzzle games, these puzzles shouldn't prove too difficult.
And I guess that's where this game will be a make or break for some people. If you're after puzzles or riddles similar to Myst or Raven then The Room shouldn't challenge you at all. Conversely if you're after something that will push you but not too hard, then The Room is for you.
Either way, the presentation of The Room is excellent. The visuals are crisp and the sound design is spot on. It never became unsatisfying to find a key and hear the noise of the mechanism as you turn it. Or the press of button sparking off movement somewhere else. While I said earlier The Room is a series of the puzzles, the presentation really elevates it.
There is somewhat of a story as you progress, finding pieces of paper with scribblings on but I won't spoil it here. It is interesting although given the short length of the game nothing too in-depth.
The game is pretty short. I was able to complete it it roughly two hours in one sitting. The latter being a statement as to how addictive it was to keep playing, solving the puzzles one after then other and finding out what was next! It does feel more like a taster or teaser for the other games that follow. I haven't played those so not sure if they're similar or more substantial.
Summary:
The Room is a short, somewhat easy puzzler but the presentation in all areas, from the sound through to how the puzzles are presented, make this a fun, quick and cheap recommend. I'll certainly take a look at The Room 2 to see how things have progressed.