I easily get attached to a good detective game. It makes me want to get to the bottom of things – fast. Well, it does help if your favorite TV series is Criminal Minds. Anyway, I just feel thrilled and excited to invest my time in a challenging whodunit. Enter, Detective Grimoire. This Android game is a charming yet mysterious adventure which features several fascinating characters that you will meet along the way.
Murder in Murky Waters
You will control Detective Grimoire who has been tasked to look into a murder of tourist attraction owner. Rumor has it that a mythical creature killed an elderly fellow in the murky swamp. Your mission is to find out if the legendary swamp creature exists, investigate the unlawful death, and arrest the criminal – whether human or not. If you have played SFB Games previous title of the same name, you will be familiar with the gameplay. It is basically a streamlined point-and-click adventure where most of your investigation happens around the wetland. Watch well-presented animations, track down clues, and interview a number of possible suspects. The initial puzzles are out to get your feet wet (more of a tutorial) and lets you familiarize the controls as you move objects to solve a puzzle or drag thoughts to complete a sentence. It gives you a chance to draw a conclusion by making use of the evidence you gathered, places you’ve been to and the conversation you had with the people in the area. If you think the sentence seems right, press the confirm button. If your assumption is correct, you will then progress and learn more about the swamp monster, the history of the attraction, the potential suspects, additional information on the old chap, and more.
Calling Sherlock Holmes
What I love about Detective Grimoire are the great voice-acting of the charming characters, the funny interactions with the suspects, an original puzzling gameplay, and beautifully painted environment. Whenever you talk to a chemist in a tree house, or when an employee at a souvenir shop flirts with you, the ambience projects a dream-like setting. Not to mention the award-nominated original soundtrack which plays in the background, just like an orchestra. To be successful in this game, you need to have a keen eye. There’s a sparkly hint icon, where stars magically appear to give you a subtle clue on where to look, however, not all clues will be spoon fed to you. You still need to pay attention to the suspects’ statements, read and review your case files thoroughly, to uncover the legendary tale of Boggy.
Short but Sweet
At the start, you may think it’s a bit boring as this is not your typical point-and-click adventure game. It focuses on listening, reading, interrogating and exploring. On the other hand, as you progress, the eerie murder in the swamp will hold your attention for several hours until you get to know who the real culprit is. Another hiccup is the crime is rather simple – and short – even though there are a number of clues to juggle.
Bottomline
Nevertheless, Detective Grimoire is an entertaining detective game that makes us look forward for more crimes to solve. For $3.99, this Android game offers a hilarious presentation and delightful voice acting that will hook players longing for an engrossing mystery.
