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(I finished the game on PS5. Rather than a typical review, this is more of a guide-review hybrid.)

First of all, this game isn’t for everyone. It combines puzzle-solving and rogue-like elements. I started without any guides or prior knowledge, and during the first day, I could hardly figure anything out. The game takes place inside a mansion, and its owner wants us to reach the 46th room. While this is initially shown in a cinematic, the story unfolds more as you progress.



The place called "The Murmur" presents you with doors to the left, right, and center. In the center, there's a blueprint schematic. Your character picks it up, and the journey begins. Each time you click on a door, you are given 3 random room choices. It could be a corridor, a bedroom, a living room, or even a bank vault — your goal is to build your path and keep heading north toward the 46th room.

While the basic concept seems simple, beyond the heavy note-taking and attention to detail required for the puzzles, the game also features several key resources.

Gold (money) is used to buy items if you create shop rooms. If you happen to find the ultra-rare casino rooms, you can gamble to multiply your money. Later, when the exterior room mechanic unlocks, you can also donate gold to a mystical statue for daily buffs — such as increasing the chance of encountering rare rooms after using fruit three times.

この影どこの影だよ 

A Screenshot of Blue Prince

By: yellow

Then there’s the diamond (gem) resource. When drawing rarer rooms, you may see a cost of 1, 2, or 4 diamonds below the choice. Diamonds are primarily obtained by creating specific rooms that grant them or by unlocking permanent upgrades. For example, solving mysteries in certain rooms grants buffs like starting each new day with +2 gold. Once the exterior mechanic is unlocked, there are even perks that change diamond costs into "energy" (steps).

Each room you visit costs 2 steps.

Завершил очевидную цель с титрами. В целом понравилось, но не могу советовать игру (и не уверен, что меня хватит на "постгейм"). 

A Screenshot of Blue Prince

By: TopoR

At first, you might think you’re just walking endlessly, but even exterior areas always consume 2 steps per room. If you equip sneakers, sometimes you can move without losing steps.

You can also solve major puzzles like the apple orchard to permanently boost your step count. Because once your steps run out, you’re forced to "call it a day" and move to the next day.

Unless you visit pawn shop rooms (where you leave an item for the next run) or freezing rooms (which store your wealth for your next run), you basically start over from scratch every time.

Thus, you have to plan carefully to make lasting progress day after day.

There are upgrade disks you can find that let you open computer rooms and convert useless corridors into green rooms. In green rooms, if you have a watering can, you can water plants for diamonds, or see flowers growing diamonds inside pots.The game is full of these strange, creative mechanics.

If you open a pool room and somewhere else open a pump room, you can even transfer water between locations. Draining the pool can reveal hidden areas below.

I’ll leave the rest for you to discover.

For example, the dining room automatically prepares a big meal every day after some time.

If you opened the corresponding bonus room, the meal grants you 30 steps; otherwise, 20 steps.

The salt shaker item can enhance this bonus even further — just like how a coin pouch gives you a bonus gold every time you collect 5 gold.

There are also countless useful items:

A metal detector to find more gold

A big hammer to break open locked chests

A lockpick to open low-rarity locked doors

A compass to help you draw non-dead-end rooms (because you can easily get stuck when you run out of diamonds or keys and can't draw the right rooms.)

And if you’ve unlocked the workshop room, you can combine these items to create a more useful single item. For example, a shovel with a metal detector. This can be especially helpful since the pawn shop in the game only lets you leave one item at a time.

Each run feels like trying a new tactic or being forced to end the day due to bad luck.

You get better with experience, and learn how to guess room layouts and design the house to progress more efficiently.

Understanding the Antechamber doors properly also becomes crucial. (I deliberately won't spoil what they are.)

Technically, the game looked pretty bad on PS5 Pro despite the lack of a Pro patch.It’s noticeably worse compared to the PC version.

On console, there’s even a permanent mouse cursor stuck on the screen.It definitely needs a console patch.Still, the intentional retro aesthetic and simple drawings fit the game well and don’t ruin the experience.

One of the game's undeniable highlights is its incredible music.It’s a strange blend — very deep, grim, and building up like the soundtrack from the first Joker movie.The moment I heard it, I thought, "yes, this is one of those games."

By mixing puzzles with rogue-like elements, offering extreme replayability, and challenging mysteries (if you don’t rely on guides), The Blue Prince became not only my indie game of the year but possibly my game of the last several years.

The feeling its finale gave me was something I hadn’t experienced since a masterpiece from year 2013.

If you have patience and fully engage your mind — exploring everything and solving hidden mysteries — you’ll see just how brilliant this game really is.

+Extremely creative, genre-defining approach
+The story opens up over time and blends perfectly with the theme
+Fantastic music
+A finale (and postgame) full of mysteries to discover
+Everything you see has a purpose and meaning
+The gradual sense of progress enhances the feeling of reward

-Progress can sometimes rely too heavily on luck
-Visual quality is poor on console

Review Score: 100/100 🏆

When 30 (!) French devs escape from Ubisoft to build their own game, they proved that the real issue with big studios isn’t lack of talent or heart, but horrendous corporate leadership.

Greetings, crazy people! ENA: Dream BBQ is a surreal masterpiece that sucks you into a bizarre yet captivating world from the first frame. If you’re ready for a psychedelic ride that flips your brain upside down, buckle up!

The visuals, inspired by retro CD-i graphics and early internet aesthetics, feel like a nostalgic trip to places you’ve never been (anemoia, anyone?). Locations are stuffed with secrets and nods to the ENA animated series. Characters break the fourth wall, understanding each other by reading subtitles meant for usThis create a chaotic yet cozy vibe. It makes sense and doesn’t—and that's the beauty of it.


ENA - is a separate parasitic species in the world of the game and in the series. An immortal entity that, in the event of imminent death, can be reborn in another's body (a mannequin, they are also living beings inhabiting the world) without much trouble, and it is this nature that makes it an outcast in the world of the game, adding depth to its story.

That said, our ENA is a combat veteran, a former commander, which is hinted at by the details: the statutory cap, the loudspeaker, and the dialogue. Why is it that in a game about a cute, funny two-faced girl I see a layer of veteran issues, rejected and despised by society!? The game throws dozens of ‘hooks’ for thought.

After all, a long journey around the world leaves more questions than answers, and that's the beauty of it. And the most important mystery of mankind is when I will be able to taste Turrón? Oh, we got distracted anyway.

• Freedom of choice: Multiple paths make every playthrough unique, even if they lead to the same ending.
• Exploration: The main story takes ~2 hours, but I spent dozens uncovering secrets and soaking in the atmosphere.
• Vibes: Absurdist humor, poetic moments, and a killer soundtrack make it unforgettable.

The first chapter is free, which feels criminal for this level of brilliance. Take my money, Joel Guerra! I’m dying for more chapters to dive back into this kaleidoscope of madness.

ENA: Dream BBQ is a chaotic, beautiful journey that’ll leave you questioning everything. If you love abstract worlds and mind-bending stories, this is for you. Welcome to the game, the series, the fandom! If you've read to the end, when you're clearly crazy, just like me. >.<

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Support the creators! Grab the ENA: Dream BBQ - Supporter Edition Upgrade DLC to keep this masterpiece alive!