The Tartarus Key

Lore & Background

The Tartarus Key was developed by Vertical Reach and published by Armor Games Studios in 2023. The game follows protagonist Alex Young, who wakes in a strange mansion and must solve puzzles in each room before she can exit. Some puzzles involve other prisoners, and the ending players receive depends on how many people they save. The game is played from a first-person perspective and uses PlayStation 1-era graphics, with no timed puzzles.

Reader's Guide

The Tartarus Key received mixed reviews on Metacritic. Rock Paper Shotgun described it as 'a must play for puzzle fans,' noting that the attention to detail necessary to solve the puzzles makes it 'almost an immersive sim' and that some puzzles 'feel revelatory to solve.' Eurogamer felt that the game's meta aspects prevented it from becoming scary, making it more like a real-life escape room parlor game, though Rock Paper Shotgun praised these meta elements. While acknowledging the game is not scary, Rock Paper Shotgun said it effectively evokes nostalgia for a range of horror franchises. Slant Magazine, who did not like the narrative elements, said The Tartarus Key 'squeaks by on the strength of its puzzles alone.' Push Square praised the retro graphics, writing, and puzzles, though they noted some puzzles feel 'too obtuse.' The game's significance lies in its blend of escape room mechanics with multiple endings and its deliberate retro aesthetic, appealing to puzzle enthusiasts and fans of classic horror game nostalgia.

Did You Know?

• The game uses PlayStation 1-era graphics.
• The ending changes based on how many prisoners the player saves.
• Rock Paper Shotgun described it as 'almost an immersive sim' due to puzzle detail.
• Eurogamer compared it to a real-life escape room parlor game.