Trine 4

Trine 4 refines the gameplay of the previous installments. It is a 2.5D platformer with a focus on physics puzzles. The abilities available to the player for solving puzzles include conjuring boxes, attaching ropes to objects, and telekinesis.

The player character in the game is, story-wise, three characters in one. The player can transform into one of these three characters at a time: Amadeus the wizard, Zoya the thief, and Pontius the knight. Amadeus can conjure boxes, spheres, and planks, and he can telekinetically move some objects. Zoya can affix ropes to objects either to swing from them, immobilize them, or create rope bridges.

Prince Selius (introduced in Nine Parchments) had aptitude for magic, but misused his father's spellbook, releasing the shadow of his soul and destroying his family's castle. His parents therefore sent him away to the Astral Academy, but the Academy wizards were unable to control the prince's nightmare magic and he eventually escapes. Amadeus the wizard, Pontius the knight and Zoya the thief are tasked by the Academy headmaster to bring Selius back. At first the trio tries to convince him to return, but Selius refuses, revealing that the Academy simply locked him in the dungeons. His unstable shadow magic causes his own nightmares, those of the heroes, and even the inhabitants of the wilderness to manifest physically, and Selius flees.

While tracking the prince, the trio helps the creatures of the wilderness in fighting their nightmares and in return three nature spirits give them a potion of light, which should help Selius—it does, but it also empowers Selius's shadow, since the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts. The trio assists Selius in fighting his shadow; ultimately, the prince is able to use the power of light to seal his shadow back into his soul. His magic now stabilized, he agrees to return to the Astral Academy.

The game has received positive reviews. The game was given "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic.

IGN gave the game an 8.5/10 saying, "Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince is a sequel that plays it very safe – which, in this particular case, is for the better. Coming back to the traditional style of co-op gameplay and puzzle solving that made the first two games so delightful is exactly the kind of refocusing that the Trine series needed after the misfire of Trine 3. Some lackluster puzzle designs, technical issues, and a lack of difficulty stand in the way of it overtaking Trine 2 as the best of the series, but Trine 4 still remains a shining example of how cooperative gaming should be, and is one of the most gorgeous looking 2.5D games of 2019."