The last Blue Prince secret? Sharp political commentary

In Blue Prince, you by no means see one other particular person. There aren’t any weapons, per se. You work together with the world solely by means of your note-taking capacity and your wits. It’s, quintessentially, a puzzle recreation.

And taking part in Blue Prince like it’s only a puzzle recreation will get you to the credit. However that’s not the entire story. Hidden after the credit and between the puzzles is a well timed political warning.

All through the sport, as you stumble throughout letters and books, you’ll get hints at an underlying thriller occurring each within the background and previously — a lacking beloved youngsters’s writer; a disgruntled worker and a blackmail scheme; a daring heist at an area museum; and a closely redacted historical past e book.

Even with only a little bit of in-game studying, I may inform there was extra to the story after I hit the credit — extra mysteries to discover, and a few lingering free threads to tie up. I anticipated extra puzzles and perhaps some extra perception into the mysteries of the Mount Holly Property, the place the sport takes place.

I actually didn’t anticipate an all-too-timely political thriller that touches on themes of fascism, jingoism, censorship, and political violence.

To elucidate what I imply, I’ll must spoil among the late-game mysteries of Blue Prince. You’ve been warned.

[Ed. note: Again, the following contains late-game spoilers for Blue Prince.]

The primary trace that I got here throughout myself was a rejection letter for a manuscript of a youngsters’s e book named The Pink Prince. You study from a thought scribbled on the web page that the e book’s ending needed to be modified as a result of it was “too political.”

Then, a bit later — and with a bit of labor — I discovered two variations of a historical past e book. The primary model I learn was closely redacted, and instructed the story of a drunken ruler whom nobody preferred. Sure, I may see that some sections had been coated, however the phrases that remained painted all the image I wanted.

It wasn’t till later that I discovered an unedited model and will see what had been redacted. Censoring these traces with the elimination of alternative phrases utterly modified the (hello)story. What was taught in faculties (you’ll find in-universe lecture rooms) and what really occurred have been utterly totally different.

By solely exhibiting me the redacted model first, the sport made me complicit within the cover-up. I absolutely believed that the drunken ruler nobody preferred was the villain of the story. Why wouldn’t I? The historical past e book instructed me so.

As a substitute of a story of a rightfully ousted drunkard, the true historical past is one steeped in school warfare, with dissenting nobles backing a coup. After which, with cautious edits to the historical past books — altering the identify of the dominion and erasing the outdated one — and forbidding even sure flags from being displayed in public, the narrative shifted. “Historical past is written by the victors,” in spite of everything. (It appears to me to be no coincidence that one of many kingdoms concerned within the coup is called “Nuance.”)

All through the sport, the primary character’s mom — who can also be that beloved youngsters’s writer — is a conspicuous absence. Her books seem, however she has been lacking for years and is presumed useless. For a lot of the sport, it’s hinted — however by no means outright mentioned — that she fled the nation to flee the federal government’s goons.

That exact thriller culminates in a genuinely stunning second. Whereas Blue Prince had supplied loads of historical past in regards to the (in-game) political violence previously, none of it was essentially tangible within the current. There was a reference to households fleeing after the coup years in the past, however it clearly couldn’t occur now.

Apparent, that’s, till I reached the Safehouse (by means of a fittingly elaborate puzzle).

Inside, I discovered a map detailing an escape route. And plenty of weapons.

It’s a harsh actuality verify in a recreation that’s ostensibly about dropping your self in puzzles and mysteries. And one which, in the event you proceed to interact with Blue Prince previous the credit, serves as a reminder that the entire issues it’s warning about can nonetheless occur.

Not dangerous for “simply” somewhat indie puzzle recreation.