Update 3/30/21: If you enjoy The Room Two, we hope you’ll check out our interview with co-creator Barry Meade of Fireproof Studios on The Reality Escape Pod.
The Room Two… It should probably be called “Many Rooms.”
Platforms: iOS & Android
Release date: December 2013
Price: $2 to $3 depending upon the platform (as of February 2016)
Story & setup
Picking up exactly where The Room left off, The Room Two brings more.
Each stage is now a standalone room. Each room has multiple puzzle boxes that interplay with one another.
Just as the puzzles are bumped up in volume, so is the story. While The Room had a very limited story, The Room Two reveals a more complex, but still fuzzy plot.
Increased scale, reduced intimacy
The Room Two brings more of absolutely everything: More puzzles. More puzzle boxes. More settings. More story.
More is great.
However, this comes at the cost of reduced intimacy.
The Room derives much of its exceptionality from its small size. Because you only had one puzzle box, everything was always right in front of you. The game had a plot that was so limited that it didn’t feel like the stakes were any higher than satisfying your own curiosity. The Room was refreshing because there was so little on the line.
The expansion of scope and scale in The Room Two is generally positive, but it comes at a price.
Should I play The Room Two?
If you enjoyed The Room, then playing The Room Two is an easy decision. It’s everything you enjoyed about the first one, with a lot more going on.
The larger game takes away some of what made The Room a special experience, while also adding new aspects to it.
It’s a grand puzzling adventure.
Download it on iOS, Android, & Amazon.
(Images via Fireproof Games)
