We Were Here Forever Review

ign.com:

Since 2017, Dutch developer Total Mayhem Games has been quietly working on the We Were Here series, a trilogy of cooperative-only puzzle games that puts us in the shoes of two explorers who find themselves trapped in castles, dungeons, snowstorms, deathtraps, and all other manner of escape rooms. The whole trilogy is a little uneven, but for the most part they’re all pretty good, especially since no other developer scratches this particular asymmetrical co-op puzzle itch quite like the We Were Here series.

The latest, We Were Here Forever, is – to put it quite simply – an absolute glow-up. It’s gorgeous, with fantastic art direction that takes you from the familiar castle interiors to surreal dreamscapes, a spooky abandoned village, and much, much more. There are significant barriers to overcome to get the most out of We Were Here Forever, not the least of which are having to buy two $18 copies so you can play with a like-minded friend (unfortunately it’s not as generous as Hazelight was with its co-op hits A Way Out and It Takes Two, which include a free friend pass.) But if you’re able to hook in someone who loves escape rooms and asymmetrical puzzles as much as you do, you’re both in for a co-op adventure the likes of which I’ve rarely seen.

We Were Here Forever places you and your buddy into the boots of two nameless explorers who, for untold reasons, find themselves locked inside series mainstay Castle Rock. There is an ongoing story connecting the We Were Here games together, but it’s not required knowledge to enjoy the self-contained plot of Forever, which itself is serviceable, but certainly not the reason anybody is here.

It’s the puzzles that are the star of the show, and the ways that they manage to test the