Chicago World's Fair, 1893. The ambitious scientist Nikola Tesla is about to showcase the mysterious—at the time near-magical—power of alternating-current electricity. But this showcase wasn't just another exhibit. Instead, it would power the entire event using nearly 100,000 incandescent bulbs and 12 generators using the polyphase AC electricity system that Tesla had invented. Tesla pulled the switch, the White City lit up in one of the greatest spectacles of modern times, and AC was established as the foundation of electrical transmission as we know it today.
But Tesla's subsequent work at the Wardenclyffe facility (aka the Tesla Tower) was shrouded in mystery. The tower—looming like a UFO preparing for landing—was a beacon for speculation, as rumours of death ray weapons, wireless energy, and earthquake machines surrounded the secretive compound. Now, gamers get to experience a fantastical imagining of what went on in there in The House of Tesla, the latest puzzle adventure from Blue Brain Games.
Building on their experience making the beloved House of Da Vinci trilogy, Blue Brain Games takes players into the abandoned heart of Wardenclyffe in the early 20th century. Over 100 handcrafted puzzles lie in wait—from chunks of Ancient Egyptian architecture adorned with hieroglyphics, to enigmatic machines that you control using a device that lets you tinker with the flow of electricity—each one bringing you closer to solving the mystery.
As you solve puzzles, a story blending history with the sci-fi visions of Tesla will unfold, while flashbacks and hidden historical documents will flesh out the narrative from this pioneering era in American history.
Wardenclyffe was envisioned as a hub of the future, transmitting energy wirelessly to usher in a world that would've been advanced even by today's standards. That world never came to pass, but in The House of Tesla we get glimmers of it through elaborate (and beautifully brass-laden) machinery that's in spirit with Tesla's bold vision of the future, harnessing the powers of magnetism, electricity, and good old-fashioned cogs to test your logical nous.
Like Blue Brain's previous games, The House of Tesla is as much about immersing you in a historically inspired environment as in the puzzles themselves. Wandering in solitude through factories by the amber glow of gaslamps, and exploring the richly detailed buildings of Wardenclyffe is both eerie and relaxing, serene and a little bit spooky; it evokes the lonesome exploration of puzzle adventure classics like Myst, but with modern and logical puzzle design by a studio that's been doing this for years.
(in other words, the puzzles in The House of Tesla should challenge you while not causing you to scratch your chin for so long that you give yourself a shave with your bare hands).
With six chapters stretched across a sensible 12-15 hours of atmospheric brain training, The House of Tesla should prove a sizable but manageable adventure for the thinking gamer. The House of Tesla is coming out September 23 on Steam, so you can head over now and wishlist it, and while you're at it join the community on Discord.
You can also see what new inventions are being devised at Blue Brain Games on the studio's X channel.
