Gordian Rooms: A Curious Heritage
- September 22, 2020
- Crimsonite Games
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Gordian Rooms: A Curious Heritage" is a challenging escape room game that transports players to various historical eras. Solve intricate puzzles, find hidden objects, and unravel a mysterious family legacy across multiple rooms and levels. With a unique blend of history, logic, and adventure, this game offers a mentally stimulating experience in a richly detailed setting.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Challenging and enjoyable puzzles that require critical thinking and observation.
- Great atmosphere with beautiful graphics and a well-designed environment.
- Effective hint system that helps players without giving away solutions.
- Frustrating movement controls that can lead to camera spinning and difficulty interacting with objects.
- Some puzzles are unintuitive or rely too heavily on pixel hunting, making them tedious.
- The game is relatively short, leaving players wanting more content.
- graphics45 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the clean, detailed visuals and appealing art style. While some noted minor issues with lighting and object visibility, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere and immersive experience. However, a few comparisons to higher-tier games suggest that while the graphics are good, they may not reach the level of excellence found in top-tier puzzle games.
“Awesome music, complex and challenging, yet satisfying puzzles, awesome art-style.”
“The graphics are well done, and the music is varied enough to avoid being annoying.”
“An excellent puzzle game with superior graphics.”
“This game is not in the league of 'The Room' or 'House of Da Vinci' series - the puzzles, interaction, and graphics are not on that level.”
“2-3 hour long escape room game with basic and sometimes even repeating puzzles and really bland graphics.”
“Some of the puzzles were more tedious than challenging though, and I had some issues with not being able to see clues because of the way the graphics were designed (like clues being in a shadow and such).”
- story36 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally described as simple and somewhat generic, revolving around the death of an estranged uncle and the exploration of his secrets. While some players find the narrative intriguing and atmospheric, others feel it lacks depth and coherence, often serving as a backdrop to the puzzles rather than a driving force. Overall, the story has potential for future development, but many reviewers note that it could benefit from more engaging writing and complexity.
“The first thing that immediately impresses is its unique and original storyline.”
“The story is mysterious and intriguing without getting too dark or scary.”
“Great puzzles and story, highly recommended if you enjoy escape room puzzle games.”
“The story isn't much to talk about; however, it does build up to the upcoming second game!”
“The story is ok, but it is only surface level and could have gone a bit deeper.”
“Nothing really new as far as puzzle types go, and the story felt like it needed more depth.”
- music36 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and atmospheric, enhancing the overall experience, though it tends to be repetitive with a limited number of tracks. While some players appreciate the cheerful and fitting soundscapes, others find the music can become distracting or mismatched with gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's ambiance, but many players wish for more variety and length in the musical offerings.
“The stunning and detailed environments are mesmerizing, and the atmospheric music adds to the overall ambiance of the game.”
“The game has pleasant-to-the-eyes graphics and visual design, good soundtrack, and interesting puzzles.”
“Lovely music and graphics and an interesting storyline.”
“The music is mediocre and gets repetitive soon, though.”
“The music consists of about three tracks which cycle over and get a bit repetitive.”
“I had to mute the music as it didn't fit the situation.”
- gameplay21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of experiences, with some players finding it tedious and repetitive due to similar puzzle mechanics, while others appreciate the immersive exploration and logical challenges. The game features typical point-and-click mechanics reminiscent of titles like "The Room" and "The House of Da Vinci," but some users criticize the lack of clarity in object interactions and the need for excessive clicking. Overall, while the graphics and polish are noted positively, the gameplay could benefit from more variety and improved mechanics.
“This sense of free exploration makes the gameplay even more exciting and immersive.”
“Gameplay-wise, you have your typical 'Unreal Engine' puzzles where you open, unlock, slide things, etc. while chasing down various clues in each room.”
“Each area has a host of objects to find and use, mechanical puzzles, and codes to locate or decipher.”
“Garbage tedious gameplay.”
“My biggest complaint is that the game used the same puzzle mechanic three times, and although the hardest version was certainly more comfortably solvable because you had seen the same puzzle twice already, I don't consider this type of puzzle to be interesting enough to warrant the repetition.”
“It doesn't add anything to the gameplay, and after a while, it makes it simply annoying to find/reference things around the room.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its stunning visuals and atmospheric music, creating a cozy and engaging environment. While some reviews note that the atmosphere could be enhanced with better writing and flow, it is still considered charming and enjoyable, particularly for fans of puzzle games. Comparisons to other titles suggest that while it offers a pleasant ambiance, it may lack the depth and spookiness found in similar games like "The Room" series.
“The stunning and detailed environments are mesmerizing, and the atmospheric music adds to the overall ambiance of the game.”
“Apart from that cozy atmosphere, nice music and great visuals.”
“It's a nice little puzzle game with a charming atmosphere.”
“Nice puzzle game, reminds me of The Room series, but with a less spooky atmosphere and more focus on logic puzzles and hidden object hunting.”
“Just buy one of The Room games if you want better puzzles, controls, looks, and atmosphere.”
- stability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in early puzzles and camera actions. While there have been patches that addressed some issues, others remain unresolved, leading to frustration for certain users. Conversely, a few players noted a relatively bug-free experience, indicating that stability may vary among different playthroughs.
“No glitches.”
“Almost bug-free, and some of the bugs were fixed very quickly.”
“The first one you have to solve is a trial-and-error 'puzzle' that was so buggy it almost made me quit not even 5 minutes in.”
“It wasn't an expensive game, but your time is worth more than fussing with the bad camera action and unsolvable glitches.”
“I noted that there were some patches released, but I still found some bugs: a) the 'secret messages'; the book icon in the reading screen did not work.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow initial gameplay and cumbersome interactions that require manual input. While some feel the game improves as it progresses, others criticize certain puzzles for being more tedious than challenging, compounded by graphical issues that obscure important clues.
“Garbage tedious gameplay.”
“The only suggestion for improvement I have for this game is making tedious interactions (e.g., opening drawers/cabinets, turning keys, moving boxes) automatic rather than requiring the player to mimic the correct action with their input device.”
“Some of the puzzles were more tedious than challenging, though, and I had some issues with not being able to see clues because of the way the graphics were designed (like clues being in a shadow and such).”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers moderate replayability, primarily due to hidden messages and objects that encourage players to revisit levels for a deeper experience. While it may not be a frequent choice for immediate replay, it holds potential for future playthroughs after some time has passed.
“I believe it has replay value; though you're looking at the long game, store it and it's one to dust off in a couple of years for another shot.”
“I believe it has replay value, though you're looking at the long game; store it and it's one to dust off in a couple of years for another shot.”
“At the end of the game, it's revealed that there are hidden messages and objects scattered throughout the levels, which gives the game a bit of replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mix of frustration and satisfaction, as overcoming challenging puzzles leads to a rewarding sense of achievement.
“The puzzles were fun (and frustrating at the same time), but I got there in the end, and achieving the final puzzle made me feel fantastic.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report significant issues with optimization, particularly noting random FPS stuttering that affects gameplay fluidity.
“The movement feels clunky, and the random FPS stuttering is frustrating.”
“Optimization is a major issue; the game frequently drops frames at critical moments.”
“I can't enjoy the gameplay when the performance is so inconsistent.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is subtly integrated, complementing the enjoyable music and enhancing the overall experience.
“The music is also very good and has a bit of good humor thrown in.”
