Review: The Room Three
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is automatically saved in your profile as you solve the many different puzzles. Since nothing happens without you interacting with it first, you don't actually need to pause this game. However, bringing up the game's menu by pressing ESC is an effective way to "pause" if you really wanted to. Time needed per session:One of the secret puzzles depends on your computer's clock - you need to be looking at something at a certain number of minutes past the hour in order to activate it. Otherwise, don't worry about fitting this game into your schedule - you should be able to play this game whenever you have some spare time.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns Almost everything in this installment of the Room series is explained by super science, not magic, but there's still a small hint that something otherworldly is lurking nearby. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/the_room_three_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/the_room_three_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/the_room_three_2.jpg)
Game Overview
The Room Three, as you've probably guessed, is the third game in the Room series. It's mostly complete in itself, but if you haven't played the other games, there are going to be some things that might not make a lot of sense. For example, by this point the protagonist knows that the Null is an obscure magical element, and their efforts to unravel its mysteries have taken them through time and space.
As a result of these previous adventures, the protagonist has attracted the attention of a person who calls himself the Craftsman. This person has now called you from beyond time with a simple request: prove yourself by forging a key to the source of the Null. To forge the key, you will need to gather the five pieces that he's hidden throughout the Grey Holm complex. Each piece is locked behind a series of elaborate puzzles that span an entire section of the estate, which sort of makes the game's title as much of an artifact as the items you're looking for.
The gameplay is much the same as before: interacting with the environment involves moving the mouse in a manner that's similar to the actual movement you'd need to do. In other words, to open a drawer you'd click on the handle and pull the mouse towards you, or to turn a key you'd rotate the mouse cursor in a circle. This method of controlling the game is incredibly immersive, and it's one of the things that makes the Room series shine.
Each game in the series also puts a unique spin on the protagonist's magical eye piece. Originally it was just used to reveal hidden clues, but by this point it's gained a few new tricks. In the Room Three, looking through the eyepiece allows you to enter hidden doorways, placing yourself inside of the puzzles in order to change them from within hidden rooms.
This time around, there are also three extra endings that can be reached by solving some less obvious puzzles strewn around Grey Holm. In fact, the puzzles that unlock these alternate endings are so obscure that you might need to use a guide or walkthrough to even spot where they begin.
All in all, this is another great entry in the Room series, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys puzzles or the first two games.
As a result of these previous adventures, the protagonist has attracted the attention of a person who calls himself the Craftsman. This person has now called you from beyond time with a simple request: prove yourself by forging a key to the source of the Null. To forge the key, you will need to gather the five pieces that he's hidden throughout the Grey Holm complex. Each piece is locked behind a series of elaborate puzzles that span an entire section of the estate, which sort of makes the game's title as much of an artifact as the items you're looking for.
The gameplay is much the same as before: interacting with the environment involves moving the mouse in a manner that's similar to the actual movement you'd need to do. In other words, to open a drawer you'd click on the handle and pull the mouse towards you, or to turn a key you'd rotate the mouse cursor in a circle. This method of controlling the game is incredibly immersive, and it's one of the things that makes the Room series shine.
Each game in the series also puts a unique spin on the protagonist's magical eye piece. Originally it was just used to reveal hidden clues, but by this point it's gained a few new tricks. In the Room Three, looking through the eyepiece allows you to enter hidden doorways, placing yourself inside of the puzzles in order to change them from within hidden rooms.
This time around, there are also three extra endings that can be reached by solving some less obvious puzzles strewn around Grey Holm. In fact, the puzzles that unlock these alternate endings are so obscure that you might need to use a guide or walkthrough to even spot where they begin.
All in all, this is another great entry in the Room series, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys puzzles or the first two games.
Points of Interest
Multiple Endings
This story can end in one of four different ways. Three of them depend on you finding and correctly using strange artifacts that are stashed away in Grey Holm, so if you're able to find them both, you can use them to reach any of the four endings.
Regardless of whether or not you discovered these artifacts, you're given a chance to "change your fate" and play through the end of the game again as many times as you like, so there's no need to replay the entire story over again to find each ending.
Regardless of whether or not you discovered these artifacts, you're given a chance to "change your fate" and play through the end of the game again as many times as you like, so there's no need to replay the entire story over again to find each ending.
Steam community features
There are only ten achievements to earn as you play through the Room Three. None of them are terribly remarkable, as half of them are earned by completing the story, and the others are earned by viewing the different endings. The final achievement is simply earned by having done everything else.
A set of Steam trading cards is also available, should you be interested in those.
A set of Steam trading cards is also available, should you be interested in those.
Concerns and Issues
References to the occult
One of the rooms in Grey Holm features a clockwork fortune teller and posters boasting about her abilities. However, while exploring you'll find a note claiming at all of her "predictions" are actually controlled by the Craftsman, making her little more than a fancy art piece. Tarot cards are also used to indicate different messages to the player, such as which endings you've discovered. These are not used to do much of anything else, and since everything is a fancy machine made by the Craftsman, there's not much in the way of actual magic present in this game.
The only real hint of magic comes in the form of a hidden message that appears if you're on the path towards one of the alternate endings. Exactly who or what left the message isn't made clear.
The only real hint of magic comes in the form of a hidden message that appears if you're on the path towards one of the alternate endings. Exactly who or what left the message isn't made clear.
Horrors from the Null
Aside from appearing like a sort of living black ooze, the Null itself can be seen at points throughout the adventure. It's best described as a monstrous jellyfish - all tentacles and goo, but much, much larger than anything known to man and fully capable of bending physics to get what it wants.