
Your House review – scavenger hunt through a delightfully difficult puzzle
Just over a year after the couple and their children had moved in to their home, Clough sent them a cryptic note. This clue led them to a hidden panel, behind which was a book, which in turn led them on a scavenger hunt through their own apartment. Clough had crammed the rooms with hidden messages and complex puzzles that it took the family weeks to solve. One involved wrapping a piece of leather cord around a bed post to reveal a message. Another involved removing two decorative knockers then joining them together to form a crank, which was used to wind open a hidden panel in the dining room, behind which were various keys and keyholes. All of this eventually led to the hidden poem.
Spanish indie studio Patrones & Escondites replicates this puzzle gauntlet in Your House, but rather than rich New Yorkers, you play as the troubled Debbie, who is having a terrible 18th birthday. She's just found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend – and she's been kicked out of boarding school to boot. But at midnight she receives an anonymous postcard with a key and an address, which leads her to a mysterious, deserted house.
Your House acts as a standalone prequel to the 2020 game Unmemory, but whereas this previous title utilised photos and film, Patrones & Escondites has adopted a comic book style here, reminiscent of artists like Daniel Clowes (Ghost World) or Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets). These illustrations – created by artist Jon Ander Torres – look gorgeous, but the majority of the game is delivered via text, presented like the chapters of a book. The occasional interactive word is highlighted in bold, and clicking on it will, say, take you to the named room or let you interact with a particular object.
This mechanism works best when the text gets playful, such as when Debbie walks through a narrow tunnel and the words spool out in a long horizontal line while the margins get smaller and smaller. But the ingenious puzzles are the real star of Your House, involving things like working out the correct sequence of notes to play on a piano to open a secret panel, or looking for the hidden pattern in a series of portraits. Most will require copious notes on pen and paper. The very best ones will leave you fruitlessly scratching your head, only for the answer to pop into your mind with a sudden rush of adrenaline, followed by a sense of elation as the combination clicks into place.
The third of the game's five chapters in particular is truly wonderful, presenting a warren of secret corridors and a series of interconnected puzzles that are particularly satisfying to solve with the help of night vision goggles that can reveal hidden writing. But sadly the game can't quite keep up this pace to the end, and despite the odd flash of brilliance, the quality of the final puzzles never quite reaches the height of those in the middle of the game. The plot, too, fizzles out unsatisfyingly, with a solution to the house's mystery that seems obvious and yet doesn't make much sense when held up to scrutiny. Still, the idea of a house with conundrums built into its very fabric remains tantalising: I couldn't help but give my own house a sweep after playing, just on the off-chance there might be a previously unnoticed hidden message or two.
Your House is released on 27 March
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Prince William will be joined by two key royals as he supports Lionesses on major trip
The Prince of Wales is set to be joined by two other major royals when he arrives in Switzerland to watch England take on Spain in the Euro 2025 final Prince William is set to be joined by two other key royals when he watches the Lionesses take on Spain in the Women's Euros final on Sunday, it has been revealed. England's Lionesses soared into final as Chloe Kelly scored in the 119th minute as their nail-biting match against Italy went into extra time during Tuesday's semi-final. William, patron of the Football Association, announced he would be travelling to Basel for the finale earlier this week, sharing that he is excited to cheer on the Lionesses in their bid for glory. And now it has been revealed, that the Spanish team will also have some royal support, with Spanish heir to the throne Princess Leonor is also planning to be at the match. The Spanish royal household has confirmed to local media that Leonor will be joined by her younger sister, Infanta Sofia, 18, in a rare joint appearance for their daughters of Queen Letizia and King Felipe of Spain - making a royal reunion likely. Sofia joined her mum Letizia in Australia in 2023 when the Spanish team won the World Cup, beating England in the final Earlier in the current tournament, William, who is an avid football fan, travelled to Switzerland to watch the England women's team in their group match against the Netherlands, which they won 4-0. Before the team headed off for the championships, he visited the team at their St George's Park training ground, where he told them: "The men's team could definitely learn off your camaraderie and your team environment. 'You're brilliant together, you create a very unique unit that is rare in lots of other sports. So hold onto that, treasure that, build on it, because it's one of your greatest assets." William previously presented the England women's team with the trophy when they won the 2022 Women's Euros after beating Germany at Wembley. However, he came in for heavy criticism when in 2023, he did not travel to Australia to support the team when they reached the World Cup final against Spain the following year, which they ultimately lost. William's announcement that he will journey to Switzerland for the final match comes after King Charles also issued a statement to send his congratulations to the Lionesses after reaching the final. In a statement posted on social media, the King said: 'My wife and I join all our family in wishing you, the proud Lionesses, our warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the Uefa Euro tournament. 'Your journey to this stage has been nothing short of remarkable, showcasing the skill, determination (and test of nerve!) for which your team is so rightly celebrated. Knowing the Lionesses' fighting spirit, I suspect we are in for another thrilling encounter on Sunday. 'Your achievements continue to inspire countless girls and women across the nation, proving once again that with dedication and teamwork, anything is possible. Good luck, England. May you roar to victory once more. Charles R."


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Jay-Z teams up with Caesars and SL Green to bid for huge Times Square Casino project
MEGASTAR JAY-Z joined forces with some of the biggest names in the casino business, looking to pitch a Caesars Palace Times Square casino project in New York. The rapper - real name Shawn Carter - was among several attendees to sit in front of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and bid for one of three $500 million downstate licenses. 1 The Roc Nation co-founder was representing a partnership alongside Caesars Palace and SL Green Properties and pledged $250million in benefits to the community as part of their pitch to convert an existing office on Broadway. They face stiff competition though with EIGHT applications in total having been submitted to the New York State Gaming Commission. Jay-Z, who grew up in Brooklyn, says the location was "perfect" for the partnership group and says the introduction of a casino resort would only "fulfil and enhance" the area, which he likened to huge landmarks around the world. The 150,000-square-foot gambling hall would boast 1000 casino rooms, a Caesars Sportsbook, four restaurants associated with high-profile chefs and a spa. Concerns over the venue becoming the main attraction to Broadway have been rebuffed by the entrepreneur, who insists they would only act as an 'additive' to a tourist spot which entices over 50 million tourists per year. During the presentation, Jay-Z said: "It's our chance to change the narrative and create something all around the world. "If we treat Times Square with the love and the attention that it requires, it can fulfill its promise. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I believe, to support something that's homegrown. 'As we hear a lot of talk about community, we are the community. We're from this community. 'We're not coming to compete with Broadway. We're coming to be additive. "Anything that we've done in the past, we've always included the community. We've never excluded the community.' The group's proposition also indicated a forecasted $7 billion in direct tax revenue and $26.7 billion in local economic activity in the first 10 years. Roc Nation also stated they'd supported more than five million people with social impacts worth more than $78 million. More than 3,000 construction jobs would be created as a result if they were awarded a license, and the 3,800 permanent jobs it would create would be 'mostly filled by New Yorkers'. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit in Benidorm warns tourists could be fined for innocent childhood activity
A Brit in Benidorm warned there's something you may think is innocent while you're away, but it could land you with a hefty fine that you definitely do not want to pay Brit in Benidorm warns of fines for building sandcastles on beach Heading to Benidorm this summer? You may want to be aware of the fact that building an innocent sandcastle could land you with a hefty fine. Yes, you didn't read that wrong – you could get fined for making a simple sandcastle. Harry, who posts on TikTok as @harrytokky, often shares his tips and tricks about the Spanish seaside resort, sharing what not to do and how to avoid fines or getting scammed. But this time, people have been left baffled to learn that building a sandcastle could leave you out of pocket to the tune of a whopping £87 (€100), so you may want to think twice before doing the innocent childhood activity. In a recent video, Harry Poulton shared the holiday spot is virtually empty because tourists are being "priced out" of the resort. And the sandcastle ban may be another reason for Brits not to bother with Benidorm. In a recent clip, racking up over 21,000 views and hundreds of likes, he revealed building a sandcastle on the beach can result in a fine of up to £87 (€100). He referred to it was the "weirdest thing you can get fined for in Spain," sharing you "probably didn't even know you could get a penalised for it" because it's so bizarre. His friend, Louis Grier, guessed it was public indecency he was speaking about, but it was just building sandcastles, which he said was "mad". "Supposedly, you could be obstructing walkways," he fumed, ending the video by saying it's "a bit bizarre". In the comments of the video, someone wrote: "I'm sure they mean the huge sandcastles that people make on the beach." Another fumed: "Fine you for building a sandcastle? But do nothing about the pickpockets that stand out like a sore thumb. Hmmm makes sense." Somebody wondered whether it "included toddlers" making sandcastles. Recently, Harry also warned Brits about scams that were going around in Benidorm, urging them not to fall foul of what was going on. These are the warnings he shared: 3. Potato man Harry warned you'll usually see these men in the mornings, and Harry said they're usually "older men on the beachfront, doing these games". He said the game can "look like noughts and crosses," but claimed it's best to "avoid them" as they're "known scams in Benidorm". "Definitely avoid them. You are not going to win money, even though it looks like people are winning. It's all part of their little con," he seethed. 2. 'Illegal' cocktail drinks Harry said: "Now this is one I highly recommend avoiding. Those cocktail drinks are illegal, and you have no idea where they're being made. "It could be on the back of a truck for all you know, so I definitely highly recommend avoiding them." 1. The ladies of the dodgy night Harry warned: "If you're walking down Benidorm, anywhere in Benidorm, and you're alone, generally alone, and these ladies walk up to you offering special services, avoid them. "Now, most of the time they're out to rob you, steal your phone, steal your jewellery, that sort of thing." He warned it's important to be extra vigilant, especially when you're drinking a lot of alcohol and then potentially walking home alone. You should always be aware of your surroundings.