The Spectrum Retreat

The Spectrum Retreat hits Steam

At long last, this eagerly awaited narrative-driven puzzle game is available to buy.

The Spectrum Retreat

The Penrose Hotel is a refuge from the world outside. Its grand Art Deco interior spaces are bright and impressive. But the secret it hides, and the true nature of the reason why you are a guest there, are intriguing if more than a little disturbing. By gathering up the evidence you find scattered in the hotel’s rooms, and making your way through a variety of mind-bending puzzles, you can navigate your way through a compelling psychological maze and uncover the Penrose’s secrets.

The creator of The Spectrum Retreat is Dan Smith, who aged only 18 won the coveted Game Making Award BAFTA (15-18) back in 2016 with SPECTRUM, the one-off predecessor of The Spectrum Retreat which he created for the award contest. Yesterday’s release, which will be available on all major platforms, is the full game version, which uses the same mechanics and storyline of the original game. The basic mechanic is a puzzle mechanism based on colour switching, but there is also an element of physics puzzles based around altered gravity.

As a result of the BAFTA win, The Spectrum Retreat has been hotly anticipated, and pre-release reviews have named it as one of the best puzzle games on the market, with some comparing it to the Portal series. However it is very different from Portal, and resists comparisons of any kind, with a very unique concept. Although short (the game can be played through in one afternoon, or a full day if you want to explore the alternate ending), the puzzle mechanic when tied in with the central narrative delivers a very unique experience. You can find The Spectrum Retreat on Steam.