House of Tesla – Technology, Innovation, Puzzles

“My brain is only a receiver, in the Universe there is a core from which we obtain knowledge, strength and inspiration. I have not penetrated into the secrets of this core, but I know that it exists.” – Nikola Tesla

Overview

House of Tesla sees players traverse a series of locations, having to solve puzzles in order to progress to the next. It is similar to The Room in terms of gameplay, but introduces the themes and works of Nikola Tesla, adding some intriguing context and narrative elements.

Narrative

House of Tesla focuses on Nikola Tesla’s experiences while attempting to realise his goal of wirelessly transmitting electrical power across the globe. It explores historically accurate elements such as Tesla’s friendship with Mark Twain, the investment he received from J.P. Morgan, and even takes players to the famous Wardenclyffe Tower that was built for Tesla’s purposes in 1901 and later demolished in 1917 for scrap to assist with his debts. The story, told through the eyes of Tesla himself, visits important moments in his ambitious journey, the rise and fall of the project, and gradually reveals the mystery of why he is now stranded in deserted industrial buildings amongst his neglected machines.

There are some fictional additions to the narrative, most notably an attempt at investment from Aleister Crowley and elements inspired by his involvement with the occult and the Order of the Golden Dawn. These were presumably intended to supplement the historical narrative and add some excitement; however, they felt largely unnecessary. The story of Tesla’s endeavours is interesting, educational, and entertaining enough to not need such additional support or distractions.

The narrative is conveyed through the gameplay itself, the devices and tasks within the puzzles, and through the various locations and scenery. There are also several documents to be collected throughout the game that provide further insight and each level features a memory that players can step into, view a cutscene and solve additional puzzles within. This all makes for a well-rounded and satisfying narrative delivery.

Gameplay

In order to progress through House of Tesla and its various locations, players must solve a number of interconnected puzzles in each. The path to the next area is locked until the puzzles have been solved, giving an escape-room feel to the gameplay. Within each area, there are a number of contraptions and objects that can be interacted with, often solving the conundrum presented by one will give the required knowledge or object to work out the next. The puzzles are very logical, and although a little tricky at times, the solutions can always be deduced from the information available. This means that they are very satisfying to solve, and doing so gives the player a sense of achievement. Memories entered within each area will contain additional puzzles, set in the same location, but at a different time.

Players are equipped with a portable electrical device that enables them to see wireless electrical currents and allows them to connect different devices. This often requires certain puzzles to be solved first to reposition the devices or points of connection, which becomes a puzzle in itself, and adds some variety to the style of the challenges.

House of Tesla offers a hint system which provides a small number of hints containing increasing detail, with a short cooldown before the next becomes available. The hints are varied in the level of helpfulness and often, especially the earlier hints, simply state the obvious and offer little to no assistance. In the event that a player finds themselves completely stumped, there is also an option to skip the specific problematic puzzle with no penalty besides missing the satisfaction of solving it.

Styling

House of Tesla is presented in realistic 3D visuals that use a mostly cool colour palette, offset by warm, vibrant lighting, producing atmospheric shadows. There is a good level of detail, with different textures and materials being particularly well demonstrated.

The soundtrack ranges from slightly melancholy tracks that possess a hint of urgency to softer, more relaxing melodies that are gentler and more subdued. The music fits the game and narrative well, improving the ambience of the experience without dominating it. Sound effects such as thunder, rain, and electricity crackling also add to the overall sense of immersion.

Summary

Overall, House of Tesla is an enjoyable game that will get one’s grey matter working to solve logical and satisfying puzzles. It will take around 15-20 hours to complete and boasts atmospheric 3D visuals, immersive sound design, and an engaging and (mostly) historically accurate narrative about the ambitious project of Nikola Tesla, one of the world’s most notable inventors and engineers. It is not without flaws, such as the largely unhelpful hint system and a couple of crashes whilst playing, but it is a lot of fun and worth its asking price. I found this game to be an entertaining and educational experience with gratifying puzzles and would happily recommend it to fans of this genre.

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Botany Manor – Escape from Mystwood Mansion – Doors: Paradox

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