Evidence 111 Review

Evidence 111 is an audio-only title by Play By Ears in which you will take control of Chief Inspector Alice Wells after you receive an anonymous and incriminating phone call about an accident that occurred in 1975 — 10 years before the events of the game. After receiving instructions to steal Evidence 111 from the vault and being told to go to the Harbor Watch Inn, you are given a choice — do you decide to take your migraine pills, gun, or risk the dangers of taking both? It’s your choice, Detective.

This branching narrative, as explained in the opening paragraph, is an audio-only adventure in which you will need to make decisions and imagine everything on the screen... if you can. As a person who suffers from aphantasia — the inability to create images in my head unlike most other, ordinary people — Evidence 111 sounded like an intriguing yet difficult title for me to undertake. On the one hand, a title played entirely by ear without any visual aid sounded amazing, but on the other, it wouldn't come with the amount of quality imagery other normal folks could conjure up.

Thankfully, my phenomenon did not impede my enjoyment of Evidence 111. Despite not being able to picture the island, the inn, or even conjure an image of any of the characters, their life was there due to the phenomenal work of the voice actors. Although some of the work was rather questionable, most of the main cast's performers were excellent, something imperative in a title that only seeks to stimulate your auditory senses.

The story is difficult to speak about without delving into too many spoilers, but you will be able to experience a total of 10 different endings depending on the type of Alice you play as throughout your journey. Depending on whether you choose to help solve the mystery or reluctantly do so, be friendly to the denizens of Harbor Watch Inn, or choose to be mean, you will watch the story unfold from your decisions.

Due to it being a simple title that required barely any input from me, I was able to leave Evidence 111 running in the background whilst I did other things, and it made arduous tasks not only bearable but enjoyable. The idea of listening to a story isn't revolutionary — look no further than audiobooks — but being able to participate as well was more than a welcome experience. After finishing the story and reaching my conclusion, I found I'd actually really enjoyed my short journey, and I knew then and there I'd miss it.

I've become an official fan of Play By Ears. The choice of voice actors were predominantly strong, the story was intriguing, and the conclusion was surprising and enjoyable. If you've played the first demo chapter, enjoyed it, and are considering jumping into the full experience, then think no longer — Evidence 111 is well worth the journey if you liked the first bit you got to play.