I missed out on playing Blue Prince when it first launched last year, so when the game was announced for Switch 2, I was excited to finally check it out. The idea of the game supporting mouse controls was also appealing, but what really caught my attention was its unique roguelite twist on the usual walking and puzzle simulator formula. Now that the game is available on Switch 2, the main question is whether this port is worth the wait.
Blue Prince does not start with a big narrative hook beyond setting up the main objective. You play as the grandnephew of Herbert Sinclair, the Baron of Reddington and owner of the Mount Holly Estate. After his death, you inherit his assets, but there is one major condition. You must find the mysterious 46th room that is hidden somewhere inside the estate. This forms the core of the story. However, the narrative is deeper than the premise suggests, with most of the details revealed through background lore and notes that you discover during the game.
Since roguelite mechanics are at the center of the gameplay loop, players explore the manor one door at a time. Each door presents a few options, letting you choose which room or location will appear next as you slowly map out the mansion while trying to reach the hidden 46th room. It is not possible to explore everything in a single run, so there is a lot of back and forth involved. A loop usually ends when you run out of steps or when you choose to rest and reset the day. This often happens when you reach a dead end, and there are no more doors left to open.
What makes Blue Prince so intriguing is that it presents a layered mystery. The basic hook of finding the 46th room draws players in, but as the story unfolds, each layer reveals more details that point to a narrative far bigger than it first appears. The game thrives on its replay value and roguelite loop. Even after reaching the ending, it is still possible to uncover new pieces of information and hidden details that add more context to the overall story.
At the core of Blue Prince are its puzzles and environments. While the gameplay loop resets whenever the player runs out of steps or chooses to quit, certain permanent upgrades carry over to future runs. These can include increased steps, more money, or newly unlocked rooms. A big part of the experience comes from using the knowledge gained in previous runs to make better progress in later ones. The puzzles may seem difficult at first, but once players pay close attention to the rules behind them, they become easier to understand in future attempts. Many of the puzzles also change dynamically with each run, meaning there is rarely a single fixed solution. Some puzzles are tied to specific rooms, while others involve clues spread across multiple rooms or rely on logic-based decisions.
Blue Prince is one of those rare games that almost encourages players to keep their own notes about things they notice during each run. Unless someone has a very strong memory, taking notes can make a big difference when trying to piece everything together. Each time the day resets, players start fresh the next day, carrying over only certain long-term progress along with the knowledge gained from earlier runs.
As for the Switch 2 port, I thought it was handled well. Graphically, it looks comparable to what you would expect from a current-generation console, with some toned-down but still solid visuals. This works mainly because of the chosen art style, which uses a cell-shaded look. The image appears sharp, and there is very little visual noise or noticeable flaws. Performance also feels stable, even though it does not seem to run at a full 60 FPS. The mouse controls are a mixed bag. Their inclusion is a positive, but the implementation feels a bit awkward. Load times are slightly long, though they become less noticeable once a run is underway.
Blue Prince feels like a game that fits well on a portable system with docked support like the Switch 2. While there is no option to save in the middle of a run, the console sleep mode makes it easy to pause and return later. The game plays well in both docked and handheld modes. There are a few minor bugs, but nothing serious enough to block progress. Cross-save support would have been a welcome addition, but even without it, this is still a decent port for newcomers who want to try one of the more unique games released last year.
Blue Prince Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: Raw Fury
- Developer: Dogubomb
- Platform: Switch 2 (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
