The Tartarus Key
Genres: Puzzle, Escape Room, Horror, Mystery, Story Rich, Thriller, Adventure
Play modes: singleplayer
Release Date: 31-5-2023
Developer: Vertical Reach
Our verdict
8.5/10
- Difficulty: Medium
- Players: 1
- Playtime: 5–7 h
The Tartarus Key is a first-person puzzle thriller with a PS1-era horror look. Alex Young wakes in a locked mansion watched by cameras, and every door is sealed by a trap or puzzle. Along the way she finds other captives, and failing certain puzzles can get them killed, which shapes which of three endings you see. There is no combat or chase, so it suits solo players who want spooky escape-room puzzles without jump scares.
Players rate it Very Positive, with about 95 percent of 255 reviews recommending it. Reviewers praise the atmosphere, the themed puzzles and the old-school feel; one says it was the first game in years that made them reach for pen and paper. The risk to your companions adds tension, and short chats with them get warm mentions.
Written feedback is limited, but the weak spots match. A reviewer found the good and true endings rushed, another felt one or two puzzles were obtuse, and one got stuck on a single hidden note. Optional things to examine also thin out later on. It takes about five to seven hours, so at full price it is on the pricey side; it is an easy pick on sale for fans of classic horror puzzlers.
Pros
- Fellow captives can die if you fail, raising the stakes of puzzles
- Retro horror mansion with no combat, chases or jump scares
- Three endings reward careful, thorough play
- Pen-and-paper puzzles that feel classic
Cons
- Good and true endings feel rushed
- One or two puzzles are obtuse; a single missed note can stall you
- Full price is steep for five to seven hours
About
The last thing Alex Young remembers is being at home alone in her apartment… so why has she suddenly woken up in this strange mansion? All the doors are locked by bizarre puzzles and traps, there are cameras following her every move, and she keeps thinking she sees… things… out of the corner of her eye. If she wants to escape alive, along with the other captives she discovers, she’ll need to use her wits in this adventure thriller.
Inspired by the look and feel of classic horror games, The Tartarus Key serves up a mystery filled with twists and turns, and more than a few deadly surprises. Rely on brains over brawn to help Alex survive, but beware - not everyone might make it out alive.Features:
- Escape a deadly mansion filled with dangerous traps, and rescue Alex’s fellow captives… or fail, and leave them to a grisly fate
- Uncover three different endings, and dig to the heart of the mansion and the strange secrets it and your captors hold
- Solve puzzles and challenges reminiscent of escape-the-room games in a variety of unsettling and bizarre scenarios
- A tense, atmospheric adventure that relies on puzzles and plot instead of combat or chase sequences
The Team:
Leonor Parra: Founder of Vertical Reach and the artist making The Tartarus Key as atmospheric and unsettling as possible. Hates jump scares and vowed to make a game that's downright spooky without them!
Kevin Colegate: The programmer in charge of making a game that plays as smoothly as you remember the classics being! A lover of retro games, he hopes The Tartarus Key surprises people with its blend of authentic vibes and puzzles.
Josie Brechner: Josie Brechner (she/they) is a composer, sound designer, and musician from Brooklyn, NY. She's made emotionally-driven sound worlds for games like EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER, Blossom Tales 1 & 2, Mixolumia, Best Friend Forever, Freshly Frosted, and now The Tartarus Key. She has toured the US and performed electronic music internationally under the name Visager. Music from Josie’s three open-source Songs from an Unmade World albums has been used in hundreds of projects around the world.
