I love puzzle games. I also happen to be quite the fan of the British Broadcasting Channel and most of its comedy programming. Being able to play a game that combines the two in such a fun little package was a pleasure for me.
In the episodic title, “Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mystery of Little Riddle” you are tasked with solving various mysteries and crimes. At the beginning of the episode, you can choose between four “members” of the detective agency to start your story. For each character, there are various reasons for your arrival in Little Riddle, but to be honest, none of them have any bearing on any part of the rest of the game. You can also, if you choose, play with up to three other friends locally at the same time.
The game toes that fine line between being silly and over the top, “smack you in the face” humor… something a LOT of American actors have issues with. The entirety of the cast is voiced by one person. Tom Dussek gives each character a voice all its own, complete with different accents and personalities. The narration is also done in a voice that reminded me of Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. The entire cast feels like they actually have a back story you may (or may not) be able to find out in the course of the episodes.
The game isn’t breaking new ground as far as visuals are concerned, but that isn’t to say that the game looks bad. Each setting is clean and each has its own personality, much like the characters. Again, I like the fact that this game doesn’t take itself too seriously. There are occasions where some of the in-game characters will look directly at the “camera” as if to say, “yes we know this is a game and should still be fun.” It’s not done often, but it is done to good comedic effect.
As you arrive in town, it just so happens, a murder has been committed and it’s up to you to find out whodunit. Well, it’s not really up to you, but the local police are mostly inept, so really you are just doing your civic duty by helping them. Unlike “Professor Layton” the puzzles that you solve during your time in Little Riddle have a direct connection to the story and the world around you. For instance: one of the first puzzles you have to solve is basically a jumble involving the mayor’s diary. Some of the words have blanks and you have to fill them in with the correct letter to understand what he is writing. All of the puzzles that you come across will progress the story as well.
There are about 16 different puzzles in each episode and they are all very different. Most of them can be solved without much thought at all. However, there are several puzzles that I had to sit and work through to make sure I had the outcome correct. Here is where the game gets a bit hard. First off, there is not so much time “limit” as there is a time expectancy. Meaning that you can take forever to solve a puzzle but if you take longer than the par time, you will be penalized for it. Also unlike Layton, there are NO HINTS. If you get stuck and can’t figure it out, too bad. Your only option is to “Give Up” which will then give you the lowest puzzle rating, but does allow you to move the story to the next point. The caveat to opting out on a puzzle is that you don’t get the answer, which could hurt you in the long run.
The thing that Blue Toad does better than most games of this type, is its ability to make you actually feel like you are a detective. As the story progresses along, you are periodically given “quizzes” to take. These “quizzes” are basically a few multiple choice questions to make sure you are paying attention to the story.
At the very end of the game (no spoilers don’t worry) you are asked ultimately who did it. There is no summation of the clues, no hints, nothing like that. You are asked point blank to finger the perpetrator, based solely on the information that you gathered during play time. At first, it kind of tripped me up. I was expecting something to help me out but that aid never came. Once I thought back through the story, pondering the clues I was given, or found, I was able to pick out the bad guy. This not only gave me a sense of closure but made me feel like I had actually solved the crime on my own merits. It felt akin to playing Clue back in the day and getting it right on the very first guess.
Gameplay with several players is turned based. Watch a bit of story, solve a puzzle then it’s the next person’s turn. The quizzes are split up between players as well. Although you can play with three other people, this really isn’t the kind of game that you and a bunch of friends will sit down with for several hours a night and trudge through. The lone exception might be a night where everyone wants to play a slow-moving board game like Life or Monopoly. The story just doesn’t move fast enough to keep the group’s attention for an extended period of time.
The first Episode of the series took me about 45 minutes to play through, so extrapolating that it will take about 4-5 solid hours of gaming to finish all six episodes. Each episode will cost you about $7.50 and the pack of the first three is $15.00 so the entire game of all six could run you as much as $45. This will probably seem a bit steep for a downloadable game. However, I must say given the production value, the amount of gameplay found within, and the time it takes to complete the game, it averages all out to roughly a regular disc-based release anyway. There isn’t really much bad I can say about this game. It’s been enjoyable for myself and my wife to play, and that alone speaks volumes.
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