Room Escape Artist

TR-49 is a puzzle investigation video game created by inkle Ltd.

Format

Style of Play:

• Research and investigation

Who is it For?

• Story seekers
• Readers
• Best for players with some experience

Required Equipment: Computer with internet connection, or a Steam Deck

Recommended Team Size: 1-2

Play Time: Expect 3-5 hours

Price: $6.99

Booking: Purchase and play at your leisure

Description

TR-49 is a puzzle investigation game in which the player is tasked with exploring and understanding the titular TR-49 machine in an alternate history universe.  Gameplay revolves around exploring an archive in nonlinear fashion by finding and entering codes into a machine. The story also unfolds via voiceover with subtitles.

Sarah Wilson’s Reaction

TR-49 shares DNA with investigation games like The Roottrees Are Dead, Immortality, and Type Help, with the gameplay consisting entirely of exploring a database to unspool a larger story. Normally I love this type of deduction game, but TR-49’s design choices made it more frustrating than fun for me.

The machine at the center of the research had some quirks and unpredictability that departed from the genre’s conventions in interesting ways, but also proved aggravating at times. The frequent chatter between the two main characters interrupted my flow; even though it was usually optional, I couldn’t be sure whether their conversation might be relevant to the puzzling. And the interface provided automatic note-taking, but the filing system wasn’t always explained, and the notes sometimes stated a connection I hadn’t yet put together myself. Side note: I’d recommend making your own notes, especially if you prefer less guidance in puzzle games.

Story-wise, TR-49 was somber, complex, and urgent—a demanding combination. I enjoyed the fact that a few clever deductions revealed more about the characters, but in the end I still wasn’t entirely clear about what was going on. Ultimately this game wasn’t for me, but I can see how people with more patience and a literary bent would appreciate it more.

Jacky Chang’s Reaction

I found the first 90% of TR-49 reasonably interesting and thought the core mechanic was fun. The game was very atmospheric, and I enjoyed discovering how I was meant to connect the various sources to their titles. For the bulk of the game, I had a lot of great aha moments as I pulled together all the scraps of information, and the voice acting and personal stories woven into the puzzles were very engaging.

I did have some issues with the interface being clunky and the overlapping text/ audio content being overwhelming. Eventually there was too much information for me to keep track of effectively, and I wish there had been some way for me to annotate in the game where I needed to still follow up. If you have ADHD, I would recommend only playing this when you’re fresh and haven’t exhausted your executive function for the day. Being able to chase a thread and then pop back up the stack to explore another path is important for not getting too lost. I ended up getting very frustrated at the end of the game when I just needed to find one last piece of information – I think a third of my play time was spent chasing the last source. That frustration sadly marred the rest of the experience for me, and by the ending sequence, I just really wanted the game to be done. It’s a real shame because the game has a number of alternative endings and some Easter eggs that I probably would have enjoyed uncovering if I hadn’t been so annoyed.

Lyra Levin’s Reaction

An eerie, story-rich deduction game that does a lot with a little — delve into the mysterious interface of TR-49 to discover the secrets of this enigmatic machine and the people caught in its gears. Though the pacing and urgency of the story and gameplay didn’t always align, both were excellent with completionists rewarded by a depth of material to explore and several satisfying endings. The texture and sound design of the game’s interface also deserve a call-out, though I found playing on a Steam Deck clunkier than I expect a keyboard and mouse would have been. Recommended for fans of The Roottrees are Dead, Her Story, and Type Help.