Let me preface this by saying I'm not a huge fan of puzzle games. They often lose charm by focusing on one solution when open-ended puzzles are some of my favorites. I don't want a jigsaw - I want to be a detective-style thinker. Hide the Corpse is one of the best puzzle games with a unique premise, and it's only possible in virtual reality.
Developed by Realcast, who previously released Just Hoops, Hide the Corpse appeared on Meta Quest headsets earlier this year in early access before receiving a full launch earlier this month. The full release introduced changes to the ranking system and more levels.
Your objective for each of the game's six current levels is remarkably simple - hide the corpse. There's no context, just a timer that ticks down as you not only hide your unfortunate victim in different locations around small maps, but it's all the better for that.
It's a basic-sounding concept, and you wouldn't think the premise has much depth, yet Hide the Corpse is far from easy. Being low on time is stressful enough, but dragging a heavy body around while scouting for various hiding spots is relatively challenging. It's easily one of the most intense puzzle games I've played in years.
Passing each level with the hope of an S-Rank, or at least an A-Rank, requires significant trial and error. There are numerous spots to stuff your corpse away from the cops, but you'll have to figure it out in enough time before pulling the body to the location, hiding any evidence of their identity, and washing away fingerprints. It's entertaining, and even though the name of the game is fairly mature in nature, the whimsical visuals and silly nature make it very accessible.
Most importantly, it's a game that can only work in VR. Sure, any puzzle game could see you press buttons on a controller or a mouse to pull around a body, but that doesn't work nearly as well. Having the physicality of dragging dead weight around while rushing around rooms to hide evidence is immersive and exhilarating. I just wish it would offer hand tracking support to push the immersion further.
I recommend trying it if you're looking for a twist-er on the puzzle genre, and Hide the Corpse is now available on Meta Quest in headsets.
