Murder is Game Over Review

Before I start the review, I have to say that the title of this game, Murder is Game Over, is incredibly intriguing. The developer, Hitheryon Games, has created a classic point-and-click murder mystery that amateur detectives like me will be compelled to check out. This game is a surprisingly short experience, clocking in around an hour, so soon after you start, your game will be over, but not because of a murderer coming after you.

When Murder is Game Over begins, you play through the prologue, where we meet the suspects in the game. We are privy to a tense meeting between a rich videogame designer, Russell Gallant, and his pushy board members, along with protestors who are angry at the creator for his purchase of Castle Ludwig. The game developer obviously doesn’t realise that there are spirits living in this castle, and he has angered the Gargoyle, who has cursed the residence. Soon after these interactions, the screen fades to black, and the investigation begins.

Russell is dead, but who is the person responsible for this murder? This is a question that you, playing as Detective Guy, need to answer. From the prologue, we know that there are eight suspects to consider here, all with a reason as to why they would benefit from his death. The detective is not working alone on this case; with him is Cleo, the clue-sniffing dog. The gameplay begins outside of the castle in the front yard. Guy is speaking with Officer Adams, who will tell you what you need to know about the details of the case and how to move around and examine the evidence that you find. I was super excited to have a doggo for my sidekick to help find clues and make deductions for my case. However, if you use Cleo, no deduction is needed. All you do is swap the characters, and all the clues in the area are instantly visible. There are no hidden areas that you need to search; the game does all of the detective work for you.

Since there is no real deduction involved here, you may think that you will increase the challenge by not switching to the clue-sniffing dog, which won’t work. No matter what, there are clues that only Cleo can see, so if you don’t switch, you will never be able to progress. The only time you really need to take on the role of Detective Guy is when you are speaking with suspects who you will find in the castle and the surrounding grounds. The conversations are multiple-choice and will be over once you select all the options. There is no real mystery-solving here. Every once in a while, when you discover a clue, you may need to question a suspect a second time, but the game tells you when and will guide you right to them at the appropriate time. The title will also give you hints if you happen to get stuck; even with the hand-holding, these will tell you exactly where you need to go next.

Murder is Game Over looks like a 16-bit JRPG with highly detailed pixelated graphics. The characters all look very good, each with their own unique look, but the limited dialogue didn’t give the people much of a personality. They also aren’t the only impressive-looking visuals you will encounter here; the environments that you explore and hunt for clues in look great, along with the mysterious apparitions that you encounter in this haunted residence. One of my favourite things was Cleo the dog. Actually, I’m pretty sure this character would be at the top of everyone's list. This clue-sniffing pup is adorable. To accompany the great visuals is a soundtrack that feels like it came out of a Castlevania game or at least was inspired by it. The music is upbeat yet tense and foreboding when it needs to be.

Despite the short playtime, Murder is Game Over was a fun experience. However, if you are looking for a mystery full of puzzles and intrigue to really sink your teeth into, this may not be the title for you. I love the idea of a retro-RPG murder mystery, but this game might be better for older children who are okay with the subject matter to introduce them to titles like this. For adults, there is too much hand-holding and not enough deduction. Even at the very end, if you name the wrong suspect as the killer, you are allowed to guess again until you figure it out, so the game does not feel tense at all. There was really no mystery here for me to solve.