Blue Prince

Blue Prince

Unless you were recently at GDC, the new indie game Blue Prince was likely not on your radar at all. That may be about to change Balatro or Vampire Survivors-style if I had to come up with a comparison. Though that could perhaps be underselling it.

As it stands, Blue Prince is currently the best-scored game of 2025 with a 92 Metascore that would be hard to top (second place, Split Fiction, is a 91) and that means it’s almost a shoe-in for a GOTY nomination at the end of the year. Yes, yes, Grand Theft Auto 6 as the insta-winner, but either that may not make it out in 2025 after all, or perhaps voters may want to go with a more unconventional pick no matter the scope of Rockstar’s release.

Blue Prince is doing something unusual in that it is launching on both PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass as a “free” game through those services. It’s being sold on Steam for $30, if you wanted to play it on PC instead. This isn’t a game that demands a certain platform, so it’s your preference.

What exactly is this mysterious game about? Well, part of it wants to remain mysterious, but here are the basics via the Xbox site which says it’s “like nothing you’ve played before”:

“You play as Simon, who’s just inherited a 45-room estate called Mount Holly – or he will inherit it, if he can find its secret, seemingly impossible 46th room. There’s also the small matter of Mount Holly being, well, magical. Every day, its floor plan changes, asking you to piece it back together again – making each journey to discover that secret room an entirely new challenge.”

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Blue Prince

Blue Prince

Why is it so good? You can check out some of the thoughts from the (many) critics who gave it perfect scores:

  • Digital Spy (10/10) – “Blue Prince is a special game full of mysteries, secrets and mind-blowing moments with an addictive gameplay loop. It’s so good that labelling this as one of the best puzzle games of all time feels like a disservice. Instead, it’s possibly the most memorable experience I’ve ever had playing a game and I can’t stop thinking about it.”
  • Eurogamer (10/10) – “I wanted more strange possibilities from the spaces I lived around. With Blue Prince I get that. What an extraordinary game this is.”
  • Gameliner (10/10) – “Blue Prince is a strategic masterpiece with much more to it than meets the eye. Each playthrough feels unique thanks to the draft system, while permanent upgrades preserve your progress. Without a doubt, this is one of the best games of the year.”

Puzzle roguelike? Sort of, but you really have to experience for yourself what this is like. It’s live today and you’ll be able to check it out in short order, as it goes live at 10 AM EDT, right after I’m publishing this. Have fun. You will probably have fun.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.