10 Blue Prince tips to start exploring the mansion

Having some Blue Prince tips to hand when you first arrive at Mount Holly will stand you in good stead, as you're about to embark on a unique roguelike puzzle adventure where nothing is quite what it seems and no two journeys are the same. As well as trying to solve the mystery of what's going on in this strange place, you'll also need to get to grips with the mechanics of exploring a shape-shifting mansion, as that is key to making progress while you draft rooms into existence. For some pointers to get you started on the right path, here are 10 essential Blue Prince tips that we've picked up on our travels.

Want to know what we thought of the game? Then check out our Blue Prince review to see why it became a puzzle obsession we just couldn't shake.

1. Plan ahead using the Blueprint Map

You should plan ahead with the blueprint so you can keep moving up the map where possible, and once you've opened the next door to start drafting you can press R2/RT to bring up the Blueprint Map on the side of the screen so you don't need to remember the direction(s) you want to head in. Once the door is opened you have to draft a new room, so be sure you're ready before opening the door.

Also bear in mind that each of the available rooms can only appear once per run, so the more open passages you use early on, the more dead ends that can appear later. Placing a couple of dead ends along one path early in a run can help you get extra supplies, while also increasing your chances of being able to proceed forward on a different path.

2. You can't always rely on the draft floorplans

While checking which exits are marked on a draft floorplan can help you plan your next steps, they can't always be relied on to actually be usable every time as they may be locked or security doors – but you won't know that until you draft. The only exception to this is certain hallways, which will be marked to say they are always left unlocked, so if you definitely need to move forward then use one of those if you can. Be aware that you'll find that locked doors become more common at higher ranks in the mansion, and that any floorplan exits that butt up against existing walls will be automatically sealed off when drafted.

3. Don't stress when running up against dead ends

In the earlier stages of exploration, you're much more likely to end a run by becoming surrounded by dead ends and not being able to progress further into the estate, having to call it quits before running out of steps. While this can feel like you’ve made a mistake, it's often impossible to avoid because you've ended up drafting an unfavorable selection of rooms or locked doors have appeared to block your way. Don't be disheartened, as hopefully you've made some new discoveries on the run that will benefit you in the future.

4. Make the best of a bad situation

If you are in the situation where none of the rooms you can draft will take you further into the mansion, look to draft the room that will provide you with additional items, or a room you haven't had before to expand your directory and potentially reveal more clues. If this is to be the last room you can draft on the run due to cumulative dead ends, prioritize a room you haven't used before if possible as the extra items won't help you and can't carry over to the next run.

5. You can (sort of) sprint to get around quicker

You'll be spending a lot of time walking back and forth around the mansion and surrounding grounds, so if you're finding the whole thing a bit slow then there is a way to move faster. While it's not quite sprinting, there is a 'Stroll' button assigned to L2/LT that can be used to get going considerably quicker. You can either hold this to walk faster until you release it, or tap it to increase your pace permanently until you tap it again, even if you stop and start multiple times.

6. Don't backtrack too much as your Blueprint Map expands

There will be plenty of times when you need to backtrack through the rooms you've already drafted, either because you've run into a dead end or you need to go and interact with something in a previous location – a good example is the Blue Prince garage, which you can only open by interacting with the breaker box in the Utility Closet. Be careful not to wander around aimlessly though, as every room you enter uses up a step and gets you closer to being forced to call it quits – this also applies to different sections of the outside area, so keep an eye on that step count. Plan your route and make sure you're going somewhere with a purpose, so you're not burning through steps unnecessarily.

7. Check room descriptions so you don't miss items

Rooms can contain gems, keys, and coins, as well as useful items, but these will be noted on the floorplan for that particular room. This means you can use that information to grab everything available in the room and ensure that you haven't missed anything, but it's still worth searching around the place before you move on as you can also find consumables to increase your step count and clues to read that may assist you later on.

8. Get into the Security room if you can

Security is one of the most important rooms to unlock, as the terminal within lets you adjust the likelihood of keycard doors appearing to block your path – on the other hand, if you do find a keycard then you can use the security terminal to increase the likelihood of keycard doors appearing, which you'll easily be able to get through.

The terminal also lets you check the estate’s inventory while you're there. This inventory reveals if you’ve missed any useful items, such as the shovel, running shoes, or fruit, which aren’t noted on floorplans and can be very easy to miss. While the inventory doesn’t tell you which room the item is in, you’ll at least know that there’s one lying around and you can search for it accordingly.

9. Make sure you're taking notes

If you want to solve the mystery of the manor and finally reach that elusive Room 46, you'll need to be vigilant and you're going to have to take notes. Either get a notebook or grab your phone and write down clues as you go, as information you discover while exploring can’t be stored and accessed through the game but it may prove useful later on. Obviously information like the Blue Prince Boudoir safe code or how to solve the Blue Prince Billiard room dartboard puzzles are essential to record, but even noting down things like the paintings on the walls could pay off in the long run.

10. Finish your current run to save

Saving and exiting the game will end your current run by calling it quits, so it's always best to finish your current run first then choose the save and exit option on the summary screen. If you do need to take a break mid-run then you can put your console into rest mode, but be aware that if the game closes or updates automatically then you could lose that day’s progress.

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