49 Keys hides hellish horrors within the pages of an old medieval book, tasking you with carefully reading it to solve its mysteries.
A man from a religious order receives a message from his old Master. It details his failing health, which spurs you to rush to be by his side before he passes. You’re unfortunately too late by the time you arrive, but you’re told to be welcomed to the Master’s island home. Going there may prove to be a mistake, though, as the Master was pushed to leave your religious order for some very good reasons you’ll come to find as you explore his house.
The game plays out like a book, seeing you flipping through pages of descriptions of individual rooms and an overall map of the entire place. As you read up on important places and events, these get added to what you can access in your map or find in your travels. Rooms steadily grow in importance as you figure out what they’re used for (or you gain access to items you can use in them). They also disappear as you complete them, reducing places you have to explore when you’re stuck. It still largely plays out like a point & click adventure, but the book-like aesthetic and the ever-changing places you can access and do make it feel like you’re thumbing through a tome that’s both magical and dangerous.
As 49 Keys looks like a book, it also reads like a book, giving an excellent sense of the growing unease of its religious protagonist (as well as their growing curiosity). It makes for some wonderful, chilling reading as the protagonist slowly gets dragged deeper as your own curiosity as the players carries them further into the story. With some clever puzzles that will require you learn how its items work and pay attention to the documents you’re reading, it also heavily rewards paying attention to its words. It’s greatly satisfying with its narrative, visuals, aesthetic, and puzzles.
49 Keys will be made available today on the Nintendo eShop and Steam.
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