This review was supposed to have been done a long time ago. At least that's what I'm telling myself as I write this. The reason why this review wasn't done earlier? Because I couldn't stop playing this fascinating brain teaser.

The Room is a puzzle game for the iPad only. (iPad2 and above, actually.) Your goal is to solve the many intricate puzzles that stand before you. The tutorial tells you what to do, but also sucks you into the engaging gameplay. Before you know it, you've beaten the tutorial, then found yourself wanting to move on to the next chapter before you even knew what was happening. You forget that you were learning how to play because you were so focused on the puzzles.

I could tell you the plot of The Room if I knew it. I'm still trying to figure it out myself. An inventor has apparently discovered some sort of otherwordly force that can only be seen through a special eyepiece. The eyepiece is your critical tool in solving a lot of the puzzles found within the room. Of course, you don't have the eyepiece when you start. You have to solve some puzzles first.

The Room
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If a solid wall seems to offer no clue, then click on the eyepiece. As you can from the picture above, you can see things through the eyepiece that you couldn't see with the naked eye. What's fascinating about this tool is that it isn't a hindrance in solving puzzles. It actually adds to the depth of the game.

And there is a ton of depth to The Room. There are puzzles within puzzles. Find an item? Better inspect it because the item itself may have a puzzle in it. Trying to unlock the intricate boxes and machines before you is all trial and error. Eventually, you'll figure out what to do, if you look long enough and clikc on the question mark that pops up at times in the upper left corner. It will provide you with just enough clues to keep you moving forward, without giving you the solution.

The Room
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You're never overwhelmed with items either. You'll usually never have more than two items at a time. When you acquire something, it's usually an item that will be used to help unlock the next piece of the puzzle.

The Room's controls are so simple, that you could play the game with one hand if you wanted to. Double tap to zoom on a particular area of the box or machine you're trying to solve. You can only use items when you're zoomed in. Pinch out to zoom back out. You'll end up tapping, turning, twisting and pinching your way through The Room. Sometimes the iPad's gyroscope will even come into play.

The Room
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The graphics are gorgeous, especially on the new iPad. Fireproof Studios really did a wonderful job with the look of the game. The boxes and machines are so intricately detailed. Everything looks incredible. The score is also fantastic, emitting chilling sounds at times. The Room starts out as an innocent puzzler, but as time goes on, it starts to turn into a thriller. You begin to hear ghostly sounds in the background. Spirits wailing and footprints behind you. It's a nice little touch as you try and discover all of The Room's secrets.

The Room
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I became addicted to The Room since I started the app. It's beautifully crafted, the puzzles are fun to try and figure out, and the game never gets so frustratingly difficult that you feel as if you could never solve it. It's a bit pricey at $4.99, but you get your money's worth, despite the game being a tad short. But there is the promise of future content. So what are the secrets of The Room? Sorry, pal. You'll have to play it to find out.

 

App Store Link: The Room for iPad | By Fireproof Studios | Price: $4.99 | Version: 1.0.0 | 125 MB | Rating 9+

9.5 out of 10 arcade sushi rating

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