Case Closed: Five Games to Satiate Your Inner Sleuth
Written by @Aaron Jacobs
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
“Elementary, my dear Watson.”
“Well, gang, it looks like we've got another mystery on our hands.”
From radio dramas like The Shadow to literary mainstays like the ingenious Sherlock Holmes to perhaps the greatest detectives of them all, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang, detective fiction has been part of pop culture for over a century. Our love for cracking open a case doesn't seem to be growing any colder.
I remember watching Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective as a boy and spending the rest of the day running around the apartment with a magnifying glass looking for “clues.” But even if you didn’t go as far as cosplaying a famous gumshoe at the tender age of six, this genre of fiction has influenced and entertained people of all ages and cultures and has inspired a healthy desire for even the most naive to question their overlords and think twice before assuming what’s presented as the “truth” as actual fact.
In honor of our enduring love for solving mysteries, we've surveyed the area, dusted for prints, and assembled a collection of our favorite detective games. Get ready to crack the case with these five mobile titles that will make your curiosity crave the next mystery.
Starting off our list is a title developed by Whitehorn Digital. Evan’s Remains combines a visual novel mystery-thriller with a puzzle-platforming adventure about finding a missing boy genius named (you guessed it) Evan. You play as Dysis, a girl who's been given few details about the mission. What’s cool about this game’s structure is that you, the player, are piecing together the narrative at the same time as Dysis.
213238One thing I loved about Evan’s Remains was the beautiful art clearly inspired by Japanese adventure games. It takes place across a single island locale, but the use of color makes the environment come to life with vibrancy and adds to the overall mystery of the game.
The gameplay of Evan’s Remains is based on jumping on a combination of platforms to move to the next area. As you progress in the game, the puzzles become more brutal. Some platforms will disappear, some will transport you to another location in the puzzle, and jumping on some will cause other platforms to appear. For those who want a strictly narrative experience, Evan’s Remains has a handy “Skip Puzzle” option. Depending on your skill with puzzles (and how much you can resist the temptation to hit the skip button), you can get through the story in a few hours.
But player beware! Without delving into spoilers, the narrative of Evan’s Remains gets pretty dark at points. It might be worth skipping if you're looking for something more lighthearted. Then again, that grim side may make the true hard-boiled detectives out there like the game even more!
Up next is the hardened cyberpunk puzzler Tales of the Neon Sea. Developed by Palm Pioneer, the game tells the story of grizzled detective Rex Mist, an alcoholic badass equipped with super-awesome cyber augmentations in the year 2140. Essentially, you run around and solve mysteries that range from as lighthearted as curing a hangover to more hardcore crimes like murder. You'll find items to use in specific areas and jot down clues in the handy notebook, which can then be used to recall mysteries and hints at later stages of the game. Rex isn't the only protagonist of the game, however. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the deuteragonist, a cat who you'll take control of during various sections of the game.
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As a fan of the Batman: Arkham series, I got a kick out of investigating crime scenes and examining objects for evidence. One of the things I really appreciated about Tales of the Neon Sea was how sound was utilized to gain my attention. Moving closer to objects of note, such as a window, to hear the sounds of the city adds another dimension to the game's experience.
The game’s visuals definitely have a cyberpunk style, but they also reminded me of film noir and the pulp magazines of the 1940s, not to mention Blade Runner, the original cyberpunk detective yarn. If you're a fan of retro-style games, you'll definitely dig the 2D side-scrolling mechanics of Tales of the Neon Sea.
The game wastes no time throwing you into the action when you're immediately chased by a shadowy figure I can only describe as death wearing a plague mask. This immediately managed to put me on edge, and although Tales of the Neon Sea’s narrative may fall into a few cyberpunk cliches—I’ll avoid getting into details due to spoilers—it's worth checking out if you're into cyberpunk or retro games, or if you just want to solve some great little mysteries. You can watch the game trailer or download it by following the link here.
Most of us have heard about the Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Even if you haven’t, we've all certainly had moments where—how can I say—we weren't exactly ourselves. Jekyll & Hyde reimagines the classic tale as an adventure game right on your phone! Developed by MazM and initially released in 2017, this point-and-click adventure series thrusts you into the year 1885 as protagonist Gabriel John Utterson, a lawyer whose relationship with his friend Dr. Jekyll becomes complicated when said friend transforms and starts causing mayhem through London as Mr. Hyde. This is kinda the relationship my friends have with me on a weekend night after I’ve had one too many drinks!
69323Jekyll & Hyde’s gameplay has light puzzle elements. You progress through cases by investigating both objects and characters. Though it seems simple enough, you'll have to put those sleuthing skills to the test, as puzzles become progressively harder. There is, of course, always the option of buying clues with the in-game currency or even using your own real-world money to purchase hints. For those that want to go easy on their wallets, you can always watch advertisements or just buy the game outright for unlimited tips.
As mentioned above, the story of Jekyll & Hyde is borrowed beat by beat from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella. If you’ve read or are otherwise familiar with this story, you won't find anything new here narrative-wise. Despite this, Jekyll & Hyde offers impressive visuals of Victorian-era London, as well as a haunting atmosphere that really ups the creep factor of the story. I also liked the various trivia pieces about the time period offered throughout. I was pretty impressed by the research the writers put into this project, and learning these tidbits offers a break when you're tired of the sometimes routine patterns that point-and-click games can fall into.
If you're into point-and-click style adventures, puzzles, and the twisted story of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this game is most certainly worth checking out.
And now, may I introduce to you Detective Jackie Johnson, an investigator who, after losing her daughter in a fire, has dedicated her life to solving murders and disappearances of children. In Detective Jackie - Mystic Case, you're thrust into the gameplay after a missing girl and a mysterious painting known as Medusa’s Vanity reopen old wounds in Jackie’s life.
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For those familiar with producer Gamehouse's portfolio, you'll realize that Detective Jackie- Mystic Case isn't the first detective series they have in their library. But for those who have played Parker & Lane: Criminal Justice, the first thing you'll realize is how Detective Jackie’s story blends in more supernatural elements surrounding the cursed artifact.
The gameplay involves a time-management mechanic where you traverse through different locations to find clues and other information on the case. At each location, you'll have to keep people satisfied as they use the services offered by whatever place you're currently at. You'll need to serve them promptly without arousing suspicion and collect clues as you do so. There are also pop-up minigames which add to the overall fun of the levels.
The graphics in Detective Jackie are pretty cool, and although there is a lot of text to read and no voice acting, I appreciated the interactive elements and interrogation sequences, where choosing my responses led to surprising character interactions that played out in funky cinematics. Aside from the main narrative, a decent amount of time is spent learning about Jackie's past, which adds more dimension to the character and gives context to Jackie's actions.
Detective Jackie offers a good mystery mixed with a decent time management game. There are even some hidden object elements sprinkled in for good measure!
If you haven't heard about the Professor Layton Series, you should know it's shipped over 15 million units worldwide and is insanely popular. It's known for its charming characters, touchscreen-style gameplay, and intriguing plotlines. With the release of developer Level 5’s Layton Brothers Mystery Room, we're introduced to the son of Professor Hershel Layton, Alfendi Layton.
16098The game puts you in the shoes of deputy constable Lucy Baker who is newly assigned to work as Alfendi’s partner. I found the relationship between these two pretty funny, if not typical of the genre. Alfendi Layton plays the genius weirdo who is obsessed with his work and his investigations, while Lucy plays the clearheaded foil. Basically, he's Sherlock Holmes, and she's Dr.Watson.
Many have compared Layton Brothers Mystery Room to Capcom's Ace Attorney series. The gameplay in Mystery Room plays out quite similarly, with players investigating crime scenes and finding evidence to figure out whodunit. In my first case, “The Hand Sandwich,” I had to pinpoint the culprit was in a brutal murder. The victim, Sandy Aldwich, was murdered while vacationing with her lover. The suspects were: a man claiming to be her lover, the bellboy who brought the victim a sandwich, and the maid who found the body.
After the details were laid out, I had five minutes to investigate the crime scene by rotating the screen and gathering as much evidence as possible before naming the culprit. I won't say who it was, but suffice to say, I found the gameplay engaging.
Another cool aspect of Mystery Room is the killer jazz soundtrack. I caught myself nodding my head to the jams as I tapped the screen to find clues. I was shocked to discover later on that this game’s soundtrack was composed by Yuzo Koshiro, the brilliant mind behind the soundtrack to one of my all-time favorite games, Streets of Rage. It's no wonder the music has such depth and intensity. It really ups the ante and makes it feel like you're listening to a classic radio drama or teleplay.
You may be a bit disappointed in Layton Brothers Mystery Room if you’re looking for a classic Professor Layton game. The professor is nowhere in sight, the classic supporting characters don't appear, and although there are references to the previous series, Mystery Room has little to do with the existing franchise. With that said, those who are Ace Detective fans will probably find something very similar here. In my playthrough, Mystery Room provided that good ol' fashioned whodunit murder mystery itch I was looking to scratch. Highly recommended!
💬 And that’s our list, folks! Now we want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite game from the list we shared? Did we miss any brain-bending detective titles worth mentioning? Let us know in the comments section, and let's chat more!
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