Neutral Room Escape – Indie Game Review – “Vision”

If you enjoy challenging puzzles, you should try “Vision” from Neutral.

In this free, Myst-style Flash game, you are asked to escape from a mysterious room. You will need to solve a number of puzzles, including finding and using objects and figuring out mini-puzzles within the room to open boxes, compartments, etc. Good observation skills are important, because clues are tucked in a variety of nooks and crannies that are not always obvious at first glance.

Those new to “escape the room” games will probably find “Vision” difficult; it has a 3-star difficulty rating on the designer’s homepage, yet it’s very rewarding to slowly crack the secrets of the room. For experienced gamers in this genre, it’s a great treat to see original puzzles that result in an “Aha!” moment instead of “What were they thinking?” There is very little pixel-hunting, fortunately—the game is extremely fair about indicating where to look if the player is patient.

The graphics are crisp, clean and really beautiful, while the soundtrack is fairly minimal and is used mostly to help the player keep track of game action with sounds like a drawer opening or a chime when an object is picked up.

Gameplay is polished, with a simple inventory interface and smooth changes of perspective as the player “moves” about the room. There is a save function, which is very helpful because this is a long and complex game; it can really help to be able to step away for awhile and return with fresh eyes. Overall, those looking to stretch mental muscles will find great entertainment in “Vision.”

Play Neutral Room’s Escape Games now.