Crimson Room Decade (PC) Review

By Gabriel Jones 06.10.2016

François Gordot was on his way to Japan aboard the cruise ship "La Crimson." Unfortunately for him, he never made to his destination. Instead, he was locked in a room, its walls a sickly shade of red. For weeks he was subjected to mental torture, until the ship was sunk by a terrible storm. Several years later, the ship is salvaged, and Jean Jacques Gordot is allowed the opportunity to investigate the tragedy that befell his grandfather. However, he ends up trapped in the same room. Irony is as cruel as it is twisted, but that's the story of Crimson Room Decade.

There's really not all that much to say about this game. Jean is locked in a room, and it's up to the player to figure out a means of escape. The room is quite small, and there doesn't seem to be any clues. Still, if someone is observant and patient, they're bound to figure out how to progress. Every corner and crevice has something to hide. It's important to pay attention to the smallest details. All the while, notes from François' journal are uncovered. It's a nice touch of backstory, but doesn't really service a purpose beyond that.

Screenshot for Crimson Room Decade on PC

The controls, graphics, and sound are suitable. The interface isn't obtrusive or complicated, and everything serves its purpose well. Some of the puzzles are pretty neat, too. Crimson Room Decade gets practically everything right, but it's far too short. Games that are designed around puzzles lack replay value, and this one is no exception. It would be excusable if escaping the room actually took a long time, or there was a memorable story that really made an impact. All of the mysteries of the room can be solved in less than two hours, and there isn't any incentive to return.

Screenshot for Crimson Room Decade on PC

Cubed3 Rating

3/10

Bad

Crimson Room Decade is an interesting little experiment, but it lacks content. Granted, an alternate version of the game that has hundreds of puzzles wouldn't be ideal, either. Still, it really feels like more could have been done with the concept. A few clever ideas just aren't enough for this game to receive a recommendation.