Katwijk, Apr 2024
I would never have guessed from the name that Here I Am is a prison escape theme. But then I wouldn’t have guessed that their previous room Bella Ciao was a robbery theme. In both cases the game is inspired by a television drama which I hadn’t seen at time of playing, and many details and references were lost on me as a result.
Even if I wasn’t familiar with the world it was creating, Here I Am creates a vivid setting. Or rather a series of them, a different style of decor and puzzles at each stage. This didn’t always cohere into a clear narrative – the puzzles often seemed like a themed challenge designed for the setting, or perhaps in reference to the source material, more than something that made sense as part of an attempted jailbreak.
The puzzles were frequently inventive and smart, though with one or two exceptions, in particular one near the end – not that it was illogical or flawed, just that it was a very standard puzzle concept and not up to the high quality set by the game elsewhere.
In most respects though Here I Am is thoroughly impressive. Both in style and substance, it’s immersive and engaging, with even a mini ‘puzzle’ to do before entering the lobby. The series of different areas adds up to a considerable size space, and one with plenty of twists to encounter before you reach the finish. The setting, the drama and the stronger parts of the puzzle sequence make this one of the better prison rooms you’re likely to find. 
