15 people found this review helpful
Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 2.0 hrs on record
Posted: Mar 1 @ 4:35pm
Product received for free

3D Escape: Chinese Room is a mechanical puzzle game like The Room series by Fireproof Studios. You are presented with a landscape that contains 5 miniature pagoda structures. You enter each one, in sequence, and solve a series of puzzles to complete the area. These involve opening latches, activating machinery, and finding/placing objects in their proper place. Solving a puzzle usually results in a cut-scene with a "Wow!' factor as the room changes and machines begin to operate.

Each pagoda is beautifully detailed with Chinese art and symbols. The sound track is a background of instrumental music and mechanical sounds. There is no dialog.

The game auto-saves on exit and then automatically reloads the last save point when you come back. By habit, I tend to finish the current puzzle before exiting so I was never lost progress. If you do not skip any puzzles and finish the game, you will receive all 5 Steam achievements.

A hint button is provided to help you figure out where to focus next. It does not solve puzzles for you but does point you in the right direction. Chinese Room is a bit easier than the original Room series and the areas are small so you should not need to use hints often.

Although the game is fully 3D, it uses the mouse only and has a pure point-and-click interface. Controllers are not supported, and you cannot move around with the WASD keys. The word “Escape” in the title will be a bit of a misnomer for those who play games in the “Escape the Room” genre. In this game, you are simply completing an area and moving on to the next.

It is a short game that I completed in just under 2 hours. There was one puzzle that I can only describe as "checkers with a shooting tower." This took me a good while to outsmart. Otherwise, the puzzles are on the easy side. At the current price, it is definitely worth your time.

I recommend this to those who enjoy mechanical puzzles and get a rush from watching a magical environment unfold before your eyes.

Follow IndieGems if you enjoyed this review and want to see more like it.
Was this review helpful? Yes No Funny Award
3 Comments
Amjara Mar 7 @ 6:35pm 
Thank your for the awesome review, very detailed and helpful! :)
Two Clicks Mar 4 @ 1:53pm 
Love the Chinese culture aspect - but would be too short for me. Which is a shame. Thanks for reviewing.
janner66 Mar 1 @ 8:29pm 
I've played a few games like these. Seems decent for the price. Thanks for the review :)