Holy crap, how did it take me so long to find this game. Mystery Case Files is arguably the number one most popular franchise in the entire Hidden Object Adventure game genre. And while I’ve dabbled with a few titles, I always ended up extremely underwhelmed - from the older titles with their neverending hidden object list minigames (bleh), to the newer games with their extreme linearity and overly responsive design (it rewards you for every tiny step you take).

But this game - this is IT. The only reason I discovered it is due to it being the only one in the series that Elephant Games made, which has been the developer I’ve been working through their backlog. And it is not only the best game in the series, but possibly the best game by this developer.

The art style and atmosphere immediately reminded me of one of my other favorite, Stray Souls. It’s whimsical, high definition and yet painterly and clearly made by a highly skilled art team. The backtracking and open ended design is perfect, where you are typically running between 10-12 rooms - the perfect level of challenge for me to remember what I need to do. The puzzles are absolutely phenomenal as well - unique, challenging, and every one a blast to solve.

I could go on and on, but just trust me. As someone who’s probably played close to 200-300 games in the genre, this is up there with the absolute best. If you have any interest in point and click adventure games IN GENERAL, I cannot recommend it enough.

Edit: the game sorta drags towards the end, score lowered from 9.9 to 7.4

7.4/10