Crimson Manor is similar to Gone Home, but with Resident Evil-style puzzles. The environments and 3D models are very well done, although there are occasional visual issues like unnatural lighting. The 2D art is fantastic; I loved the original drawings, especially the penny dreadfuls. The puzzles are mostly straightforward, and I was able to complete them all without getting frustrated enough to use hints. Once you unlock different wings of the house, it can become hard to remember where the unsolved puzzles are; I started keeping notes at that point. The story is pretty good. There are a few small bugs that can cause a little confusion at times, but nothing major. You can't remap the keys. Although it's not shown in the key map, you can use Tab to see your inventory, which is more convenient than using I. If you like this type of game, and especially if you like the time period, I'd recommend it.
I tried the demo on Steam and I didn't get it at first, but when I saw the comparisons to Obra Dinn by other reviewers, I gave it another go, quickly fell in love with it and couldn't stop playing until I'd completed it. The art style turned me off a bit at first, but I soon warmed up to it. The story is great, and the puzzles make perfect sense, at least in hindsight! The greatest difficulty is when you convince yourself the story must have played out one way, but you get it wrong and you have to rethink everything. It took me ten hours to complete with no hints, and I enjoyed every minute of it! This is a must play if you enjoy deduction and logic puzzles, and definitely if you enjoyed Obra Dinn. I hope this genre takes off, as I'd love to see more games like this.
