Mobile Watch: The Room Two

I never played The Room, and it’s taken me some time to get round to the sequel, but it’s a very impressive game and certainly one of those unique experiences that you can only really find on mobile and tablet devices.

The best way to describe The Room Two is a first person adventure puzzler, where you’re stuck in one room at a time. It’s no longer about singular puzzle boxes – although they’re still a big part of it – but instead, each room often has multiple tables, puzzles on the walls, and even ones which involve objects other than boxes, such as crossbows and cameras. Each room has a distinct setting, from pirate ship to poker room, and the interplay of the puzzles is an important part of the game.

You’ll essentially start with a puzzle box, pressing switches and moving parts as you go, in order to solve miniature puzzles around the object, but it’s likely you’ll have to stop halfway – or less – through opening the box and go somewhere else in the room, perhaps to get a key or another object. There are often three or four areas in the room, and puzzles play out between them all, with you often finding a solution by switching over to another area every time you hit a brick wall.

It’s a very smart system and there’s always an air of mystery as well as hints at the supernatural, as you not only try to solve these puzzles, but read notes relating to your situation or even open up mystical portals which lead to the next room. It’s a perfect tone which isn’t scary as such – don’t expect a horror game – but is often quite dark, with just the right level of creepiness.

In case you get stuck, there’s the option to show a hint, which usually gives you just enough to figure out what you need to do, but it can still be quite a difficult game. You often have to steer away from thinking about the obvious and explore the room as much as you can, even using mirrors to your advantage to twist your view of the situation. There are some wonderful camera tricks which make this more than just exploring a room from a first person perspective.

room2

One of those tricks includes the eyeglass – and object which you always carry with you, and one which shows you mysterious symbols or even lets you see through surfaces at times. It’s quite useful, and really just adds another layer to proceedings, while adding a purple tint to everything.

When you’ve not got the eyeglass equipped, everything in the game looks marvellous. From wood to stone, each surface is sublime, even when zoomed in extremely close. It’s complimented by the dark tone, rather than hindered by it, and the different themes from area to area can be quite distinct. It’s a visual and aural treat, so worth playing in the dark with headphones on to soak in that atmosphere.

The Room Two is one of the best puzzle games available. The ability to switch from one object in a room to another is impressive, with these often affecting each other alongside the smaller puzzles on each object. It’s a real visual treat, too, and a great game to sink time into.

7 Comments

  1. It’s also available on the latest Humble Mobile Bundle right now.

  2. The Room is a fantastic series, well worth the time and money.

  3. I love them. Just wish there was more!

  4. Both Room games are cracking, very atmospheric and rich for mobile games. It’s definitely worth playing the first one first, there’s a bit of cryptic plot going on which builds towards some sort of a revelation in the second game, but mostly both are worth playing so you may as well do them in order. Looking forward to the third now!

  5. Will have to give this a whirl :-)

  6. Both games truly excellent and well worth the full asking price on IOS but often on sale or reduced. Only grumble (aside from the almost unintelligible story, though even that has its strange charm) is the ending to the second one came about rather suddenly but still two corking games.
    On a side not, and don’t be put off by the fact that its a hidden object game (its very different to most of those) can I take this opportunity to recommend the equally excellent Tiny Bang Story (also IOS) which is equal to the Room games in it’s ‘ahhh so that’s it’ (lightbulb) moments. Really worth a play and i personally don’t get on with most of the puzzlers on tablet that I’ve played as they just don’t seem to hold my long term interest.

  7. definetely a good way to kill a few hours

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