The second I knew Blue Prince was my type of recreation was when I discovered a scrap of paper strongly encouraging me to take notes in a journal. You see, I’m one thing of a note-taking recreation aficionado. I need to jot down codes, diagram a puzzle, join the dots. And Blue Prince could be among the best note-taking video games I’ve ever performed.
First, in the case of organizing my notes, Blue Prince makes it quite simple: I simply add a brand new part for every room I uncover. Whereas I benefit from the aesthetics of my incomprehensible Fez and Animal Nicely notes, they had been a bit of arduous to comply with at occasions. It was arduous sufficient determining what I ought to be taking notes on in these video games, which will be a part of the problem, but additionally makes it arduous to maintain issues orderly.
My notes in Blue Prince nonetheless have a bit of little bit of the conspiracy cork board look to them, however by merely organizing them by room it’s a lot simpler to web page by means of and discover what I’m in search of. If I discover a new clue in a single room and have a eureka second, I do know precisely which room I must draft to finish the puzzle. It even bolstered what I feel is the only bit of recommendation I may give gamers who get hung up on a sure puzzle: simply draft some new rooms. The pleasure of including a brand new room to my notes lastly acquired me to attempt some lifeless finish rooms I didn’t notice may very well be so essential.
That’s precisely why I feel taking notes works so nicely with the sport’s roguelite construction. Many roguelikes and roguelites offer you a style of progress on every run, and Blue Prince isn’t any completely different: With out revealing an excessive amount of, there are “upgrades” you could find that may make your future runs extra profitable. However typically what you acquire on a run is just one thing new to jot down in your pocket book. Will it matter for a future puzzle or the story? Perhaps, however both method I’ve at all times felt like I’ve made progress on almost each run (I don’t suppose I wanted to attract an image of the billiard desk, but it surely does make my notes look cooler).
In fact, the sport encourages taking notes as a result of it makes fixing most of the recreation’s puzzles a lot simpler. Deciphering what’s price taking a notice of is a part of roleplaying as a detective: Discovering the solutions you want means realizing what inquiries to ask. Fixing a puzzle is at all times a excessive level of note-taking video games, however I’m usually extra thrilled after I determine how to unravel a puzzle. Cracking that nut is what notes, particularly bodily notes, actually show you how to accomplish as a result of you may lay out the knowledge you may have, rearrange it, and discover new connections.
I notice that not everybody enjoys taking notes whereas enjoying a recreation or choose to take digital notes as a substitute of bodily ones. Some video games, like Return of the Obra Dinn and The Roottrees Are Lifeless have distinctive in-game note-taking that made it straightforward sufficient to put aside my journal. Considered one of my favourite video games of all time, Outer Wilds, has an ingenious in-game chart for visually connecting your clues. However Blue Prince jogged my memory how good it feels to carry the pen and pad in my arms once more.
