Room 40

About

Room 40 is a single player action game. It was developed by Silhouette Valley Games and was released on July 31, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Room 40 is a puzzle game where you play as Amy, a code breaker deciphering secret messages using historical encryption methods. Solve 16 unique puzzles plus 4 challenging bonus messages by applying analytical tools to uncover hidden meanings. Experience a journey through ciphers from ancient Greece to complex WWII codes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features an intriguing story with relatable characters, particularly Amy, which makes players want to cheer for her.
The puzzles are challenging and provide a good introduction to cryptography, making it enjoyable for those who like solving codes.
It's free to play, which makes it accessible to a wide audience despite its flaws.

The game is riddled with typos and grammatical errors, which can lead to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
Controls are unconventional and can be confusing, detracting from the overall experience.
Some puzzles lack clarity and logic, making them feel more like guessing games rather than well-structured challenges.

story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The game's story receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and relatable, particularly praising the character of Amy, while others criticize it for being dry, boring, or poorly executed. Many appreciate the integration of cryptography puzzles within the narrative, though some feel the story's content is objectionable or lacks depth. Overall, while the story has its supporters, it appears to be a secondary aspect for many players who primarily enjoy the gameplay.
- “I'm not going to lie, I'm not smart enough for this game so I looked everything up, but I really liked the story and Amy feels pretty realistic and relatable. You find yourself wanting to legitimately cheer for her (at least I did).”
- “The plot is really fun too, although there were a few things that I wish were explored further.”
- “There is a good story to go along with the good gameplay.”
- “I did not like the story.”
- “That's where I stopped, but a glance over the community posts seems to indicate that the game escalates from there and ends with something that looks a hell of a lot like a suicide note from one of your coworkers saying essentially 'are you sure you want to work here? Don't make my mistakes.' So yeah, cryptography puzzles are well made, but this story has objectionable content and I would say is copaganda.”
- “The story isn't much to write home about and the characters are stale, but I give credit to the developer for fulfilling his vision.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The graphics of the game are described as simple and reminiscent of early RPGs like the original *Mother*, featuring primitive visuals and stock RPG Maker assets that detract from the overall experience. While the aesthetics are noted to be decent and the narrative engaging, the graphical presentation lacks variety and polish, which may disappoint some players.
- “It's a simple game graphically with an interesting story.”
- “Decent narrative and great aesthetics, but the puzzles leave some things to be desired.”
- “The graphics remind me of the first Mother game (or EarthBound Zero) with its primitive look and the interface is touch combined with WASD movement.”
- “The graphics remind me of the first Mother game (or EarthBound Zero) with its primitive look, and the interface is a mix of touch controls and WASD movement.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent glitches that can lead to freezing, particularly upon completing puzzles. Additionally, players have encountered problems with incorrectly encrypted questions, complicating gameplay further. While some have found workarounds, these issues contribute to a frustrating experience overall.
- “It's also riddled with small glitches that make it frustrating at times.”
- “The game has a lot of glitches, from freezing upon puzzle completion to one of the solutions for the additional puzzles at the end being too long to answer. I found a workaround by going into the game files to fix the problem. Additionally, the third question is incorrectly encrypted, making it very hard to find the answer.”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable during critical moments.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game particularly impactful, highlighting a heart-warming and satisfying ending that resonates deeply.
- “The ending is heartwarming and incredibly satisfying.”
- “The emotional depth of the characters left a lasting impact on me.”
- “I felt a strong connection to the story, which made the experience truly unforgettable.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often involving a cycle of unnecessary tasks that detract from the overall experience. The process of retrieving clues and deciphering them feels like a pointless journey, leading to frustration with the game's pacing.
- “Tedious tasks and a pointless journey: leaving the house to retrieve a clue, returning home, deciphering the clue, journaling, sleeping, and repeating... there are too many room stages.”
- “The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “It often feels like I'm just going through the motions without any real sense of progress or reward.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is hindered by numerous typos and inconsistencies, which detracts from the experience, especially given the game's reliance on text. While it draws comparisons to the presentation of the classic game *Mother*, it lacks the engaging RPG elements, focusing instead on deciphering ciphers.
- “The best comparison I can make is that this game greatly reminds me of 'Mother' in terms of its presentation... except instead of addictive RPG gameplay, you get to deal with ciphers.”