The Room (video game)

The Room
Developer(s)Fireproof Games
Publisher(s)Fireproof Games
Team17 (Nintendo Switch)
Designer(s)Robert Dodd
Mark Hamilton
Writer(s)Oliver Reid-Smith
Composer(s)David Newby
EngineUnity
Platform(s)iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch
ReleaseiOS
  • WW: 12 September 2012
Android
  • WW: 23 March 2013
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: 28 July 2014
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: 18 October 2018
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

The Room is a puzzle video game developed by Fireproof Games. The game was originally developed for the iOS platform and released in 12 September 2012. The Android version debuted as part of a Humble Bundle in March 2013 and was subsequently released on Google Play. A free expansion for the title was released in August 2013. An enhanced version of the game was released for Microsoft Windows in July 2014, and for the Nintendo Switch in October 2018.

At the time of The Room's creation, Fireproof had been providing art assets for other publishers, and The Room reflects the studio's first attempt to make their own game, but with limited finances, focused on a mobile title with the goal of taking advantage of the platform's unique interface aspects. The Room presents the player with a series of strange puzzle boxes that feature a number of physical mechanisms. The player is challenged to figure out how to open each one – typically by undoing a series of locks – to access another puzzle box within it. The game uses a variety of motions enabled by mobile device touchscreens to simulate actions in real life, such as looking around the device, turning keys, and activating switches. Through the game, a story involving the research of an unnamed person into the fifth classical element, "null," which is described in notes found through the various box puzzles.

The Room has received positive reception, and the iOS version received several awards. The game has sold more than 6.5 million copies. Fireproof Games have since released four sequels to The Room, with total collective sales of 11.5 million by 2016.