The Room Two+ (2021) [+]
May 13 2024
The Room Two+ is Apple Arcade's version of The Room Two. This is a puzzle game where you are stuck in a room with various locations, e.g. a table with a map, a shelf with a sailing ship model, a dresser with stuff on it. Double tap to go to a location where you can usually look around a bit or move the object a bit. Double tap to zoom in on a particular feature which allows you to see clues or manipulate buttons or solve a small puzzle.
As you push buttons or solve the small puzzles you find items or reveal new puzzles/locations. Every item is used -- and some items you have to examine and manipulate -- and when you are done with an item it's removed from your inventory (and I think I had a max of three items in inventory).
You also have an eyepiece that lets you see hidden things in red. Sometimes there are clues in red and sometimes even items have red clues so you use the eyepiece often even though it's a bit of hassle turning it on and off (because on it also makes everything a bit blurry).
It's a very gated puzzle sequence and you rarely work on multiple puzzles at a time. There is a hint system which waits a bit before allowing you to get the next hint. Each step has several hints going from vague until finally telling you what to do. I used the hints a few times and usually the first hint is good enough telling you where to focus for the next step (e.g. a hint like "maybe you should examine that key you found" or "take a closer look at the map").
There is a bit of eerie music in the background. There are notes to find telling a story of a previous person trapped in the rooms (when you solve a room you go to the next room with new puzzles). There are a couple of minor scary surprise reveals but no monsters appear.
I think there were like half a dozen rooms each taking half an hour or more. Probably something like a 5-hour game and there Room games that you can buy for a few bucks each. Overall this was a fun game.
As you push buttons or solve the small puzzles you find items or reveal new puzzles/locations. Every item is used -- and some items you have to examine and manipulate -- and when you are done with an item it's removed from your inventory (and I think I had a max of three items in inventory).
You also have an eyepiece that lets you see hidden things in red. Sometimes there are clues in red and sometimes even items have red clues so you use the eyepiece often even though it's a bit of hassle turning it on and off (because on it also makes everything a bit blurry).
It's a very gated puzzle sequence and you rarely work on multiple puzzles at a time. There is a hint system which waits a bit before allowing you to get the next hint. Each step has several hints going from vague until finally telling you what to do. I used the hints a few times and usually the first hint is good enough telling you where to focus for the next step (e.g. a hint like "maybe you should examine that key you found" or "take a closer look at the map").
There is a bit of eerie music in the background. There are notes to find telling a story of a previous person trapped in the rooms (when you solve a room you go to the next room with new puzzles). There are a couple of minor scary surprise reveals but no monsters appear.
I think there were like half a dozen rooms each taking half an hour or more. Probably something like a 5-hour game and there Room games that you can buy for a few bucks each. Overall this was a fun game.