The Norwood Suite
Genres: Horror, Mystery, Atmospheric, Adventure
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 2-10-2017
Rating: 4.5/5
Developer: Cosmo D
Our verdict
8/10
- Difficulty: Easy
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 2–4 h
The Norwood Suite is a surreal first-person adventure by Cosmo D and a follow-up to his free game Off-Peak. You arrive at the Hotel Norwood, the former mansion of a famous pianist who vanished in 1983, on a simple errand that sprawls into a hunt through hidden passages and odd guests. It is more exploration and story than escape room, and suits players who like strange worlds and music over hard puzzles.
About 89% of over 1,100 Steam reviews are positive. Players highlight the art style, the eccentric characters and the music, which is part of the world itself: characters speak through musical sounds rather than voice acting. Tag votes back this up, with surreal, great soundtrack and walking sim near the top. Errands are open-ended, and one reviewer notes that hints are easy to miss and some goals cannot be completed as described, by design.
Caveats are pace and stability. Exploration can feel slow, one long-time fan found it less gripping than the developer's other games, and one player hit crashes that only stopped when they went offline. It is a short, cheap trip worth taking for fans of odd art games; skip it if you want structured puzzles.
Pros
- Strange hotel world full of hidden passages and odd guests
- Music doubles as dialogue and drives the atmosphere
- Open-ended errands reward poking into every room
Cons
- Slow exploration with few real puzzles
- Easy-to-miss hints can leave you wandering
- One report of crashes that needed an offline workaround
About
In 1983, Peter Norwood, one of the world's most celebrated pianists and composers, mysteriously vanished. His private mansion was turned into the Hotel Norwood, which, over the years, accumulated its own share of notoriety. But the mystery of what really went on during Norwood's time never truly got uncovered... until now.
The Norwood Suite is a first-person adventure game that takes players to the secluded Hotel Norwood on a simple friendly errand that quickly unfolds into something much more involved. Filled with bizarre characters and curiosities, this mysterious resort is a dense, open-ended world teeming with hidden passages and secrets to discover.
Peer into the lives of the hotel’s guests and staff, explore and interact with surprises behind every door, and piece together a jigsaw narrative that rewards your curiosity. The Norwood Suite features surreal art design, as well as an original atmospheric musical score, composed by Cosmo D, that integrates itself directly into the game world.
