Raw Fury’s Blue Prince and Knights in Tight Spaces Preview

Casey ScheldMarch 25, 2024

During last week’s Future Games Show Spring Showcase, Raw Fury proudly revealed Dogubomb’s atmospheric first-person mystery title Blue Prince and Ground Shatter’s deckbuilding, turn-based tactics title Knights in Tight Spaces.

As gamers connected, networked, and shared stories last week at GDC 2024, we got a chance to talk to the developers behind Blue Prince and Knights in Tight Spaces, seeing how they respect and challenge players through their wildly original settings.

Blue Prince

Players will need to tread carefully with the release of Dogubomb’s Blue Prince, a strategy puzzle game that requires a healthy amount of planning and time management – just the way we like it.

The heir to the Mt. Holly, Blue Prince will have players setting off on a journey to find the mysterious Room 46 of this manor.

However, there’s a catch; one only has a limited amount of steps they can perform each day before they must leave, and the manor’s floor plan resets each dawn. While there are bedrooms that can be discovered within that add a few (much needed) steps to one’s journey, a truly restful sleep must be done outside the manor. No need to fear, though; permanent upgrades can be made to one’s estate blueprint – if one can find them.

Blue Prince’s search for this mysterious room requires careful drafting and exploration. We had an excellent guide from the development team lead our playthrough, with our guidance at the helm and physical notebook at the ready. During our time, we carefully managed gems, keys, coins, and steps as we drafted out our journey. One discovery led to a breaker box that added some much-needed power, while others led to even more mysteries.

This leads to another part of Blue Prince that we fell in love with – its puzzle elements. Everything in the Mt. Holly manor is shrouded in mystery, with discoverable items and tools leading us even deeper down the rabbit hole. What one might find early on could very well tie into something players find later in their journey, and no two experiences will be the same. The team stated that the playtesting of this title has led to some fantastic feedback from players, and they look forward to the community sharing each of their journeys when the full release comes out.

This is one title that players can truly get immersed in; the development team at Dogubomb stated that they want to truly respect the player with little handholding. As somebody who grew up with titles like Myst and even the original The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (does that date me?), Blue Prince is after my own heart.

Want to pack your bags for Mt. Holly? All those interested in this adventure can wishlist Blue Prince on its official Steam page and can follow @Dogubomb on their Twitter/X page.

Knights in Tight Spaces

Carrying on the high pedigree of their title Fights in Tight Spaces (sitting pretty at “Very Positive” with more than 2,300 reviews on Steam!), Ground Shatter is going to take you to the past with their new tactical deckbuilder Knights in Tight Spaces.

While I am personally terrible at roguelikes (the truth was bound to come out sometime!), Knights in Tight Spaces does give players plenty of options to deal with any and all threats. Building upon their previous title, Knights in Tight Spaces features 300 cards, different classes, gear that can be equipped, and even an upgrade system.

This also extends to each of its battles. Living up to its title, Knights in Tight Spaces features close quarters combat that requires players to carefully position themselves without finding themselves as a distinct disadvantage. Both enemies and objects can get in the way, but its detailed – and stylish! – medieval aesthetics make it a treat to behold. Players also need to keep momentum and combo points in mind as they plan out their moves.

However, utilizing said spaces can also lead to some incredible results. From combining the best combat elements of different players with its team-up abilities, to pushing an enemy around like a little rag doll, we enjoyed seeing the ways the development team toyed with foes during our GDC session.

Players can gear up for the release of Knights in Tight Spaces by wishlisting the game on its official Steam page and can stay up to date with the official @KITSpacesGame Twitter/X page. Note that Knights in Tight Spaces will be part of the Deckbuilders Fest with their first online demo.