We Were Here Tomorrow Review: Talking Is Still the Best Puzzle

Few co-op games understand that the real puzzle is the person on the other end of the line. The We Were Here series has built five games on that idea, and We Were Here Tomorrow, out since October 20 on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, is the biggest and most ambitious one yet. It's also the first to swap frozen castles for something completely different.

What it is

You and a friend are two explorers trapped inside Norcek Industries, a retro-futuristic research complex designed like an 80s vision of the future, complete with a synthwave soundtrack. A missing research team and some very questionable experiments give you a reason to keep digging. As always, you're split up: each player sees a different space, has a different role and different gear, and the only link between you is a walkie-talkie.

How it plays

The core loop hasn't changed, and that's a compliment. One of you stares at a wall of symbols, the other at a control panel, and you have to describe what you see clearly enough for the other person to act. It sounds simple. It is not. My partner and I spent ten minutes arguing about whether a shape was a "squiggle" or a "lightning bolt", and that frustration followed by the click of a solved puzzle is exactly why this series works.

What's new are puzzles built around time, gravity and space, and the high-tech equipment each player carries. The best rooms use these mechanics asymmetrically - one player's action changes the other's world in ways neither can fully see - and those moments are the smartest the series has ever been. The setting helps too: the neon-lit corridors are a welcome change after years of icy dungeons.

The lows

The old friction points are still here. A few puzzles hinge on trial and error rather than communication, and when you're stuck, there's little help beyond guessing or looking up a guide. Pacing dips in the middle, where several rooms feel like variations of the same idea. And the obvious caveat: this is strictly a two-player game that lives and dies on voice chat. If you don't have a patient partner, there's nothing here for you.

Crossplay at launch is a real plus, since your friend doesn't need to be on the same platform.

Price

On Steam it costs €19.99, with a 10% launch discount bringing it to €17.99 at the time of writing. Each player needs their own copy, so budget for two - still fair for an evening-filling co-op adventure.

Verdict

We Were Here Tomorrow is the best-looking and most inventive entry in the series, with a handful of genuinely brilliant asymmetric puzzles. It doesn't fix the series' habit of occasional obtuse design, and it's only as good as your partner. Grab a friend who communicates well and you'll have a great time.

Score: 7/10

Image: Sonson2 / CC BY-SA 4.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DualSense_Controller_Chroma_Pearl.jpg