Gordian Rooms 2: A curious island
Genres: Puzzle, Mystery, Story Rich, Atmospheric, Adventure
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 19-1-2024
Developer: Crimsonite Games
Our verdict
7.5/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 20–30 h
Gordian Rooms 2: A curious island is a first-person puzzle adventure from Crimsonite Games and a much bigger follow-up to the first game. The Gordian Society sends you to the Isle of Lye, where you work from a pier through a hedge maze into a Victorian island estate with gardens, several buildings and a lighthouse. It is a single-player game for patient puzzlers who enjoy long sessions of searching, collecting and decoding at their own pace.
About 80 of 97 Steam reviews are positive. Players praise the furnished, lived-in rooms, the music and the sheer number of mechanism, symbol and logic puzzles. Most puzzles are described as fair, though a few frustrate because the goal is unclear. Hidden objects are a big part of the game, and SteamSpy votes rank the Hidden Object tag almost as high as Puzzle.
That focus is also the main complaint. Reviewers mention long stretches of hunting for items such as cards, horseshoes and masks, often found only with the highlight key, before they slot into a puzzle much later. Expect 20 to 30 hours. At its full price it suits fans of the first game and of item-heavy adventures; if you want tight escape rooms, wait for a sale or skip it.
Pros
- Large Victorian island estate with a maze, gardens and lighthouse
- Mechanism, symbol and logic puzzles in large numbers
- Hint system and highlight key keep progress moving
Cons
- Heavy item hunting, often only solved with the highlight key
- Some puzzles leave the goal unclear
- Slow stretches of backtracking between areas
About
Shortly after the events of the first game you, somehow, set sail to a mysterious island in order to become a full fledged member of the Gordian Society! Will you become one of the chosen few?
Various beautfiul locations and mind bending mysteries await you on the Isle of Lye, one of the many testing locations of the Gordian Society. Venture into underground caverns, make your way through dungeons and explore the grand mansion of Lye.
As you overcome various obstacles you will uncover not only the true origins of your uncle but other secrets as well. Exploration is your key to sucess so try to make the most of your uncle’s final gift!
