There is something wonderfully satisfying about opening a locked box. Not simply because you have discovered what is inside, but because you have worked for it. You have studied every mechanism, turned every dial, pushed every button and followed every clue until something finally clicks into place. That feeling has always been at the heart of Fireproof Games’ The Room series, and The Room 4: Old Sins might just be the most elaborate expression of that philosophy yet.
Originally released on mobile before making its way to PC and now the Nintendo Switch, The Room 4: Old Sins takes the familiar puzzle-box formula and expands it into something considerably more ambitious. Instead of simply investigating a collection of mysterious objects, you are presented with an entire miniature world hidden inside an extraordinary dollhouse. Every room contains secrets, every object appears to have a purpose, and every apparently insignificant detail could be the key that finally unlocks the next piece of the puzzle.
What makes the experience so compelling is how tactile everything feels. The Nintendo Switch version gives you the choice of traditional controls, touchscreen interaction or Joy-Con motion controls, and all three help reinforce the sensation that you are physically manipulating these strange little machines. It is a game about curiosity, patience and observation, and thankfully, it never forgets that solving a puzzle should feel like an achievement rather than simply ticking another objective off a list.
Welcome To Waldegrave Manor
The story begins with a mystery worthy of a gothic novel. An ambitious engineer and his high-society wife have disappeared from Waldegrave Manor, leaving behind little more than questions and an unsettling trail of clues. Their disappearance appears linked to a valuable artefact, but the investigation soon leads somewhere far stranger.
In the attic of the manor sits an old dollhouse. At first glance, it looks like an elaborate curiosity, perhaps belonging to a wealthy family with unusual tastes. Once you begin interacting with it, however, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary toy. The dollhouse is effectively a miniature gateway into a series of increasingly bizarre environments, each packed with mechanisms waiting to be understood.
There is an understated quality to the storytelling that I rather like. Old Sins does not constantly throw exposition at you or interrupt your puzzle-solving with lengthy conversations. Instead, the story is scattered across environments, objects and discoveries, allowing your imagination to fill in some of the gaps. It creates an intriguing sense that you are investigating something you were never really supposed to find.
A Dollhouse Like No Other
The central dollhouse is easily the star of the show. What initially appears to be a relatively compact structure gradually reveals itself as an intricate network of rooms and mechanisms, with each new area feeling like another little world waiting to be explored.
There is something almost magical about watching the dollhouse transform as you interact with it. A small adjustment here can reveal an entirely new mechanism elsewhere, while opening one room may provide the clue needed to solve a puzzle in another. The whole structure feels interconnected rather than simply a collection of unrelated puzzle chambers, giving your exploration a wonderful sense of purpose.
The attention to detail is exceptional. Wooden panels, brass mechanisms, tiny gears, switches, hidden compartments and elaborate contraptions have all been designed to encourage you to investigate them. Even when you have no idea what an object does, you will probably find yourself turning it over simply because it looks interesting.
That is a difficult quality to achieve in a puzzle game. The best puzzles make you want to experiment before you even know what you are looking for, and Old Sins understands that perfectly.
The Joy Of The Click
The puzzles themselves are where The Room 4 really earns its reputation. Fireproof Games has built its entire series around tactile interaction, and there is genuine pleasure in physically manipulating the objects in front of you.
You might rotate a series of wheels until their markings align, pull levers in a particular order, discover a concealed key, or manipulate a complicated mechanical device whose purpose is initially completely unclear. Often the solution comes from simply paying attention. A symbol you noticed several minutes ago suddenly becomes meaningful, or a seemingly decorative component turns out to be the missing piece of a much larger mechanism.
Those moments of realisation are fantastic. There is particular satisfaction in staring at a puzzle for several minutes, trying different combinations, only to suddenly understand exactly what the game has been asking you to do. The best puzzles do not feel like arbitrary tests of logic. They feel like machines with rules, and your job is to understand those rules.
The generous hint system is there if you need it, offering multiple levels of assistance rather than immediately giving away the answer. More experienced puzzle players may occasionally find it a little forgiving, but I would much rather have a sensible hint system available than become completely stuck because I missed one tiny interaction hidden somewhere in the environment.
Touch, Turn And Explore
The Nintendo Switch feels like a particularly natural home for Old Sins. Touch-screen controls let you interact directly with many mechanisms, creating a wonderfully immediate connection between you and the objects on screen.
There is something almost old-fashioned about it. You see a little handle and instinctively want to grab it. You spot a wheel and want to turn it. You find a key and immediately wonder where it might fit. The touch controls make those interactions feel surprisingly intimate, particularly when you are sitting with the Switch in handheld mode.
Joy-Con motion controls add another layer of physicality. Moving, tilting and manipulating objects with the controllers can feel wonderfully natural when everything works as intended. There are occasional moments when I preferred the precision of conventional controls, particularly for smaller interactions, but having different control options is a real strength of this version.
It is also the sort of game that suits handheld play beautifully. There is no pressure to rush through it, and the intimate scale of the puzzles makes the Switch screen feel like a little window into the strange mechanical world Fireproof has created.
A Beautifully Unsettling World
Visually, The Room 4: Old Sins remains strikingly impressive. The environments are rich in detail, yet the presentation never feels overly flashy. Instead, Fireproof Games relies on lighting, shadows, texture and carefully considered environmental design to create its atmosphere.
A subtle darkness runs through everything. The manor feels old and mysterious, while the dollhouse itself has an almost supernatural quality. It is beautiful to look at, yet something is always slightly off, as though the objects and rooms are hiding secrets they would rather you did not uncover.
The sound design deserves equal credit. Mechanical clicks, wooden creaks and subtle environmental noises make every interaction feel meaningful. When a lock finally opens or a mechanism begins to move, the sound helps sell the sensation that you have genuinely activated something rather than simply triggering an animation.
That attention to audio and visual detail is important because Old Sins does not rely on conventional horror techniques. It creates unease through atmosphere. There are no constant jump scares or loud interruptions. Instead, it slowly gets under your skin.
The Story Takes A Back Seat
If there is one area where Old Sins could have gone further, it is the narrative. The mystery surrounding the missing couple and the strange artefact is intriguing, and the environments contain plenty of clues, but the story ultimately serves the puzzles rather than competing with them.
For some players, that will be absolutely fine. Personally, I occasionally wanted to know more about the characters and their fate, particularly because the world itself is so fascinating. The hints of something darker beneath the surface are effective, but they can sometimes leave you wanting a little more context.
That said, I think expanding the story too much could have damaged what makes The Room 4 work. The quiet mystery gives you room to concentrate on exploration and puzzle-solving, and there is something appealing about being left to piece together the larger picture yourself.
When The Puzzle Becomes The Story
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay The Room 4: Old Sins is that the puzzles themselves become the narrative. You learn about Waldegrave Manor by interacting with it. You uncover its secrets by understanding its mechanisms. Every newly opened compartment feels like a tiny piece of history being revealed.
That approach gives the game an unusual rhythm. You investigate, experiment, become confused, notice something you previously overlooked, experience that wonderful moment of understanding, and then watch the world change as a result. It is a simple formula, but Fireproof Games has refined it to an extraordinary degree.
There is also a lovely sense of progression. Early puzzles teach you how the world behaves, while later challenges combine ideas and mechanics in increasingly clever ways. The game rarely feels as though it is throwing completely random challenges at you. Instead, it builds on what you have already learned.
A Puzzle Game With Personality
It would be easy for a game centred on mechanical puzzles to feel cold or clinical, but Old Sins has personality. The strange dollhouse, the old manor, the mysterious artefacts and the unsettling atmosphere give the entire experience a distinct identity.
More importantly, it respects the player. It expects you to look carefully, experiment and think. It does not constantly bombard you with objectives or instructions telling you exactly what to do next. There is a wonderful freedom in simply being presented with a mysterious object and being allowed to figure it out.
That is increasingly rare in modern games, where convenience often takes priority over discovery. The Room 4: Old Sins understands that sometimes the fun is in not knowing what you are doing.
Final Verdict
The Room 4: Old Sins is a superb puzzle adventure and a fantastic showcase for Fireproof Games’ grasp of tactile game design. The dollhouse concept is inspired, the puzzles consistently satisfying, and the Nintendo Switch controls make the experience feel remarkably hands-on. There is a wonderful sense of discovery running through the entire adventure, and even when a puzzle leaves you scratching your head, the eventual solution usually delivers that precious little spark of satisfaction.
The narrative may be understated, and veteran puzzle fans might occasionally find the generous hint system a little too helpful, but neither issue seriously undermines the experience. What matters most is that Old Sins makes you want to keep investigating. You will open one compartment and immediately wonder what the next one contains. You will solve one mechanism and start looking for another. Before long, you are completely absorbed in this strange little world.
There is a particular kind of magic in a game that makes you feel clever without ever making you feel superior to it. The Room 4: Old Sins achieves that balance beautifully. It is atmospheric, tactile, wonderfully detailed, and packed with puzzles that reward genuine curiosity.
