You only need 6 hours to beat Xbox Game Pass’ chilling new puzzle game

This is a pivotal month for Xbox Game Pass. Following a recent strategic price adjustment, Microsoft is bolstering its library with a selection of high-profile titles essential for revitalizing the subscription service. While Forza Horizon 6 is undeniably the headline act, Subnautica 2 may prove to be just as impactful. Coupled with the critically acclaimed Mixtape and the highly anticipated cooperative title Outbound, these additions make this the most impressive month for Game Pass in 2026. For those seeking even more value from their subscription, Call of the Elder Gods is another title that deserves your attention.

Developed by Out of the Blue Games, Call of the Elder Gods is a narrative-driven puzzle game arriving today on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Serving as a successor to Call of the Sea—a cult favorite that garnered significant praise as a standout day-one indie release during the launch period of the Xbox Series X—this sequel retains the cerebral, pulp-adventure charm of the original. It is certainly worth a look for returning fans, though be prepared for a marked increase in difficulty and some complex mechanics that occasionally feel uneven.

The narrative blends the spirit of Indiana Jones with H.P. Lovecraft. The story follows Professor Harry Everheart and student Evangeline Drayton of Miskatonic University as they are drawn into a global mystery involving ancient artifacts, shadowy figures, and extraterrestrial mysteries. It captures that quintessential pulp energy, leaning into a deliberate, vintage corniness reminiscent of its predecessor. Your enjoyment will largely hinge on your appreciation for campy voice acting, but there is a refreshing quality to a series that embraces the style of a cheesy mystery novel rather than attempting to replicate a high-budget cinematic blockbuster.

Effective puzzles are vital to maintaining that atmosphere. Given the protagonists’ academic backgrounds, the gameplay appropriately focuses on intricate logic tasks requiring players to diligently gather clues and document them. The most refined puzzles appear in the game’s opening acts. One early highlight involved navigating a small residence and deciphering a mechanism to open a backyard gate by properly aligning statues. It required a keen eye for both environmental details and discovered clues, showcasing the developer’s skill at designing contained, logical escape-room scenarios.

Throughout the journey, Out of the Blue Games attempts to expand its puzzle variety, with each chapter introducing fresh logic demands. At times, this progression feels organic. Another notable sequence tasks players with uncovering ancient wall carvings and correlating them with a mysterious musical apparatus, successfully capturing the sense of discovery inherent in an archaeological expedition.

However, the puzzles in the latter half occasionally suffer from overambition. A central deduction sequence requires players to determine the identities of several individuals using scattered notes, photographs, and hieroglyphs. While it offers a satisfying, investigative experience—much like Return of the Obra Dinn—it represents a significant, jarring spike in complexity from the earlier, more intuitive chapters. The brisk, satisfying flow of the escape-room segments is replaced by a slower pace, hindered by somewhat opaque clues. This trend continues into the final chapters, which prioritize complex language-based puzzles that may necessitate outside assistance, though an in-game hint system is fortunately available as a fallback.

Ultimately, Call of the Elder Gods possesses all the right components, even if they don’t always align into a seamless experience. While the erratic pacing and shifts in logic can make for a disjointed adventure compared to its predecessor, it is clear that Out of the Blue Games is evolving. The studio is refining its ability to craft intellectually demanding puzzles that reward careful environmental observation. With further iteration on these ambitious mechanics, I can envision the developer’s next project achieving the same level of deduction-based brilliance seen in titles like The Séance of Blake Manor. Call of the Elder Gods doesn’t quite master its own formula, but it is a title standing on the precipice of a genuine breakthrough.

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Source: Polygon