Resident Evil's Most Stressful Mechanic Becomes A Puzzle Game
Some video game features are good enough to go on to become their own micro-titles, like "Gwent" from "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" or Bizarre Creations' now-dormant "Geometry Wars" in "Project Gotham Racing 2." These mini-games and easter eggs caught players' attention because they were just as fun — if not more so — than the games they were included in and warranted further exploration.
But what about the grudgingly addictive act of inventory management and consolidation? Surely a surprising number of players took joy in the countless hours spent rotating boxes of ammunition, handguns, and eggs in "Resident Evil 4" and other titles that followed in its inventory-conscious footsteps. Well, fear not, as there's finally a game for those who long to toil away in a safe room maximizing their loadout (without waiting for that supposed "Resident Evil 4 Remake," of course).
Fractal Projects' "Save Room – Organization Puzzle" is a newcomer to Steam that offers players the joy and frustration of trying to weasel a selection of items into a limited inventory space. Though much of the title's tone and design appear to be an homage to the "Resident Evil" series, players won't find any zombies or iconic scary villains, just the fun and maddening act of consolidating an increasingly complex arsenal into a limited space.
Save Room is Tetris meets inventory management
While some players may have never thought to make a game out of survival horror inventory management, "Safe Room – Organization Puzzle" manages to deliver 40 unique levels all around deciding the best way to pack a briefcase. Though the title will start players off with the simple task of organizing a couple guns and some ammo, the puzzles soon become more complicated as larger, heavier weapons are introduced alongside healing and crafting items.
Players will need to use their noggin (or some archived memories from past "Resident Evil" experiences) to combine herbs, create new types of ammo, and maybe even intentionally consume a harmful item, all in the name of expending another healing item. Even an act as simple as fully loading every gun is an important bit of strategy, as it'll likely lead to one less block of ammo that needs to be assimilated into the inventory.
While managing inventory in "Resident Evil 4" may bring back stressful or uneventful memories for some, other players revere those moments as a fun twist on "Tetris." Now, those players can live their best life organizing weapons and inventory — and all for under $2.