The Inheritance of Crimson Manor
Genres: Puzzle, Escape Room, Horror, Mystery, Story Rich, Atmospheric
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 5-5-2022
Developer: MediaCity Games
Our verdict
7.5/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 4–6 h
The Inheritance of Crimson Manor is a first-person exploration puzzle game set in a sprawling Victorian mansion. You are the late railroad magnate Hadley Strange's assistant, now executor of his will, unlocking 24 rooms in the style of classic Resident Evil: find a key or crest, open a new wing, loop back. The tone is gothic, but there are no monsters or jump scares. It suits solo players who enjoy snooping through old houses and want a mystery without horror stress.
Players love the manor itself and the non-linear structure, and many describe the puzzles as medium difficulty and mostly logical, with clues spread across rooms so you need to remember or note things down. The dynamic hint system helps, and several reviewers who avoid horror games call it exactly what they wanted. The ending divides people, from big twist to underwhelming.
Complaints focus on polish: clunky camera and mouse controls, no key remapping, lots of empty drawers, simple sequence puzzles, and occasional save-breaking bugs. Some puzzles need brute force. Expect four to six hours. Recommended on sale for fans of mansion mysteries; at full price, the rough edges weigh more.
Pros
- Big Victorian manor that opens up wing by wing, non-linearly
- Gothic mystery with no monsters or jump scares
- Dynamic hints keep you moving without spoiling everything
Cons
- Clunky camera and mouse controls with no key remapping
- Some puzzles fall back on brute force or simple sequences
- Occasional bugs can corrupt saves late in the game
About
The Inheritance of Crimson Manor is a narrative horror puzzle game set in a beautiful and enigmatic victorian era manor with a dark secret.
After working for more than ten years as the private assistant of the enigmatic railroad magnate Hadley Strange, the news of his sudden and unexpected death along his entire family takes you by surprise. Now you have been appointed as the executor in charge of fulfilling his last will,and take care of his majestic manor, a luxurious property on the outskirts of London. Upon your arrival to the mansion you find an envelope with your name containing a letter bearing a cryptic set of instructions that might change your mind about who your former employer really was.
Explore a beautiful Victorian Mansion filled with fine art, secret passages and mysterious mechanical contraptions that will reveal to you even the most intimate aspects of the life, past and legacy of its former residents. Decipher curious locks and find key items and objects that will help you make your way through the 24 manor rooms in a non linear way, each room has a unique beauty and new pieces that will help you unveil the dark secret kept by the residence.
