The Case of the Golden Idol

[radiofloyd]

I’m about 2 hours into this and have completed five cases. On 5/11 achievements so I suspect the game is not very long. I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s obviously a game inspired by Return of the Obra Dinn in that it uses similar mechanics, with you trying to deduce what happened by piecing together the evidence.

 

 

 

I loved Obra Dinn and this is great too. It’s also less abstract. Each case is self-contained so it’s easier to solve, and the game tells you when you are right in a more efficient way than Obra Dinn. There are two screens, an “exploring” screen where you look around and gather evidence, and a “thinking” screen where you submit your theory of what happened (by putting words/names etc into the blanks). The game will tell you when two or less items are incorrect so it’s easy to stumble over the finish line when you are close.

 

Overall, the game does a good job of making you feel smart. I haven’t needed any hints so far (there is an in-built hint system). And it’s very fun to play.

[radiofloyd]

Finished this after about 8 hours - completed all 11 chapters and the epilogue. Completed the game completely by myself which I’m proud of. 
 

I have to say, I loved it. It’s a new kind of game, following the formula established in The Return of the Obra Dinn. You use your powers of deduction to solve a series of on-screen mysteries one at a time, which are all part of a larger, connected story, and at the end you put all the pieces together.

 

I have to give special mention to the music, which is like something out of an A24 movie. It’s minimal but so, so effective. 
 

The story is wild and not one I’ll forget any time soon. As of right now, it’s definitely the best game I’ve played from last year. I’d give it a strong 9/10.