Blue Prince: The $20 Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (But Still Is)

Blue Prince is currently 34% off on Steam during Detective Fest ($19.79 / £16.49), but the discount feels like a personal mission. The game earned the outlet’s ‘Best Designed Game of 2025’ award last year—only to lose the overall Game of the Year title to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Wes remains unapologetic about the decision, stating:

I believe I'll be vindicated by history in declaring this miraculous detective game, designed largely by a single mind over the course of eight years, as the game of 2025.

The sale runs through January 19, but Wes acknowledges the game’s RNG mechanics can frustrate players. He frames these as intentional puzzle elements, noting:

It's a brainworm, but also meditative... rewarding for me to solve through my own thinking and note-taking.

Another quote from the game’s design philosophy highlights its unique rewards:

Your reward for being a smarty pants is gaining ways to further bend the mansion to your own whim.