The Room 4: Old Sins

*The Room 4* is beautiful, atmospheric, and very relaxing, and I can absolutely understand why people love these games. The intricate mechanisms and elaborate puzzle boxes are basically the whole appeal. Unfortunately, I think I’ve realized that the thing fans enjoy most about this genre is exactly what I’m getting tired of. Most of the game feels less like solving a puzzle and more like repeatedly asking, “Where does this peg go?” You find a new object, rotate some machinery, try it in the suspicious-looking hole or sparkly bit, and another compartment opens. Then you do it again. I want puzzle games to make me interpret clues, understand a system, make connections, and eventually have that satisfying “aha” moment. *The Room* games are much more about manipulating beautiful contraptions and figuring out where each little piece belongs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, and clearly a lot of people find it satisfying. I just don’t find it particularly stimulating anymore. It was fun and chill at first, but after several games built around essentially the same interaction loop, I think I’ve had my fill. These are impressive little works of art. I just wish there was more actual deduction underneath all the “PEG A GOES INTO HOLE A.”