You’re standing in front of a door in Mount Holly, looking at three blueprint cards, and honestly, you're probably about to make a mistake. It’s okay. We’ve all been there. Blue Prince is a game that feels like a cozy architect simulator until it suddenly punches you in the gut with a "Step Over" screen because you ran out of energy two rooms away from the goal.
The secret to not failing miserably isn't just about having fast fingers or a big brain for puzzles. It’s actually sitting right there in your pocket. The blue prince room directory is basically your cheat sheet, your strategy guide, and your history book all rolled into one. If you aren't pressing that 'R' key (or R1 on a controller) every few minutes, you’re essentially playing with a blindfold on.
Why the Directory is Your Actual Best Friend
Most players treat the directory like a simple gallery of stuff they’ve seen. Big mistake. It’s actually a dynamic database that tracks exactly how many times you’ve drafted a room and, more importantly, what that room actually does behind the scenes.
You see, Mount Holly is a jerk. It changes every single day. But the blue prince room directory stays the same. It is the only thing that doesn't reset when Simon wakes up the next morning. It’s how you keep track of which "Spare Room" upgrades you’ve unlocked and which "Objective Rooms" are still hiding in the deck.
I've spent hours staring at those grayed-out tiles. Each one is a tiny mystery. Did you know the directory is actually organized by color and function? It’s not just a random list.
- Blueprints (Blue Border): The bread and butter. Mostly harmless, but some contain the game’s biggest secrets.
- Bedrooms (Purple Border): Your life support. These give you steps back.
- Hallways (Orange Border): The connectors. Use these to snake your way around the 9x5 grid.
- Green Rooms (Green Border): High risk, high reward. Great for digging, but they often cost gems to place.
- Red Rooms (Red Border): Usually bad news. Dead ends or resource drains.
- Shops (Yellow Border): Where you spend that hard-earned gold.
The Mystery of the Numbered Rooms
If you look at the first few pages of the directory, you’ll see rooms 001 through 046. This is the "Mount Holly Directory" proper. These are the fixed points in a world that’s constantly shifting.
Room 001 is The Foundation. It’s permanent. Once you drop that down, it stays there across runs. That's huge. Room 046? That’s the end goal. Everything in between is just a tool to help you get there.
I remember the first time I realized the directory shows the rarity of the rooms. If you’re looking for the Chamber of Mirrors (Room 028), the directory will tell you it’s "Rare." That means if you see it in a draft, you take it. No questions asked. You don't pass up a rare room just because you wanted a Pantry.
Using the Directory to Solve the "Spare Room" Problem
The Spare Room (Room 003) is the most common card in the game. It’s basically filler. But if you’ve been paying attention to your blue prince room directory, you’ll know it’s actually a chameleon.
Once you find specific disks, you can upgrade the Spare Room into specialized versions. You can turn it into a Spare Terrace to make all green rooms free to draft. Or a Spare Foyer so all hallway doors are unlocked. Honestly, the directory is the only way to keep track of which of these "mimic" rooms you’ve actually discovered.
Strategy: Drafting for Discovery
If you want to fill out that directory and actually beat the game, you have to stop playing to "win" every single run. Sometimes, you play just to learn.
If you see a gray tile in your draft—a room you haven't entered yet—take it. Even if it’s a Red Room that’s going to mess up your path. Even if it costs your last three gems. Why? Because once it’s in your directory, it’s there forever. You’ll see its floorplan, its exit points, and its special effects.
Knowledge is the only resource in Blue Prince that has a 100% carry-over rate.
Pro-Tips for Directory Completion
- Check the "Drafted" Count: The directory tracks how many times you’ve picked a room. Some puzzles, like the Classroom, require you to draft the same room multiple times in a single day. The directory helps you keep count when your brain starts to turn to mush.
- The Rarity Guide: Use the dots on the directory pages to gauge how likely you are to see a room again. If it’s a four-dot rarity, don't assume you'll get another chance next run.
- Identify the "Objective Rooms": Rooms 045 (Antechamber) and 046 are your north stars. The directory reminds you that you aren't just building a house; you're building a path.
The Overlooked Mechanical Section
Page three of the blue prince room directory is where the real power-users hang out. This is the Mechanical section. Rooms like the Utility Closet, Boiler Room, and Security live here.
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These rooms don't just give you items; they change the rules of the estate. The Security room lets you see every item currently in the house. The Workshop lets you combine items from any room. If you aren't checking the directory to see which mechanical synergies you have available, you’re leaving power on the table.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Run
Stop treating the game like a sprint. It’s a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces change every time you touch them. Here is how you should actually use the directory starting now:
- Open the directory immediately when you start a new day. Look at the "Tomorrow" rooms (like the Sauna or Freezer) that you drafted yesterday to see what bonuses you're starting with.
- Prioritize the "Spread" rooms. Rooms like the Locker Room (016) or Office (024) spread resources across the whole house. The directory will tell you exactly what they're spreading so you can hunt for it.
- Focus on the "Permanent" rooms first. The Foundation (001) and the Entrance Hall (002) are your anchors. Learn their layouts by heart using the directory’s floorplan view.
- Don't ignore the flavors. The room descriptions in the directory often contain subtle hints about puzzles or lore that you’ll miss if you’re just rushing through.
The house wants you to get lost. The directory wants you to find your way. Keep it open, keep it updated, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll actually see what’s inside Room 46.