Completed this over the course of a rainy weekend with my partner and I don't think I could have asked for a better environment to experience the game in. Being the Watson to someone else's Holmes as they spend an oppressive autumn experiencing this genre is so bloody fun.
The Thinking Panel is the chief innovation here, and now all I want is for this game to somehow fall into the laps of Ace Attorney's design team. The Thinking Panel places the onus of investigation thoroughly on the player, but doesn't cast them adrift in a world of deductive overload - an incredibly brain-pleasing achievement that even the best mystery-focused detective fiction often fails to do well. Agatha Christie has been put on notice post-mortem; gone should be the days of Phoenix railroading us down conversational flowcharts that hurtle towards a linear, factual truth.
At one point during our playthrough, it was suggested that this gameplay could be imposed upon existing mysteries (e.g. a Hounds of the Baskervilles DLC pack), but I think the world that Andrejs Kļaviņš and Ernests Kļaviņš have created here is rich enough that we don't need to go raid our old pile of Ian Rankin novels for inspiration. The way each murder builds from a comedy to the singular tragedy of absolutist "virtue"-driven Modern England is just too deliciously timely to ignore. We are all coming down with a Case of the Golden Idol.
The Thinking Panel is the chief innovation here, and now all I want is for this game to somehow fall into the laps of Ace Attorney's design team. The Thinking Panel places the onus of investigation thoroughly on the player, but doesn't cast them adrift in a world of deductive overload - an incredibly brain-pleasing achievement that even the best mystery-focused detective fiction often fails to do well. Agatha Christie has been put on notice post-mortem; gone should be the days of Phoenix railroading us down conversational flowcharts that hurtle towards a linear, factual truth.
At one point during our playthrough, it was suggested that this gameplay could be imposed upon existing mysteries (e.g. a Hounds of the Baskervilles DLC pack), but I think the world that Andrejs Kļaviņš and Ernests Kļaviņš have created here is rich enough that we don't need to go raid our old pile of Ian Rankin novels for inspiration. The way each murder builds from a comedy to the singular tragedy of absolutist "virtue"-driven Modern England is just too deliciously timely to ignore. We are all coming down with a Case of the Golden Idol.
Banger ass banger game, top to bottom. Every day I hope to have the chance to solve many fun puzzles such as this.
The Case of the Golden Idol: A fun crime-solving adventure. Prepare to be engulfed in a uniquely ugly world while your cases get more and more complicated yet never manage to feel daunting.
This game is entirely its puzzles with the added challenge of keeping things organized in your bar of environmentally-scanned information. You'll peer through all the items and persons of a crime scene before having to fill in a chart that's similar to an absurd and deadly Mad Libs prompt.
The comparisons to Return of the Obra Dinn are rampant, so I may as well join in on the fun: I never finished Obra Dinn, I found it sort of overwhelming to have the entire ship and its crew right there, so many questions waiting for answers all at once. I think Golden Idol does a better job with its pacing, breaking everything up into the progressively-intricate scenes, it's a more bite-sized approach. What's interesting is both games go for a very distinct, acerbic art style, but I was not too fond of Obra Dinn's. I prefer Golden Idol's bizarre, hideous joggling to Obra Dinn's starkness; I found the former to be enjoyably enfolding rather quickly.
Golden Idol doesn't just give you what you need to fill in prompts. If you think you know what happened, you'll need to find the appropriate verb and noun somewhere in the scene. This is a pretty smart way to make the player take in all of their surroundings before getting into the nitty-gritty, and there's a counter on your information bar to let you know how many things you're still looking for. You likely won't use all of them, some are there as red herrings or obstructing clutter.
Every scene is its own story and there's a plot connecting all of them. Almost every scene (in the base game) plays the same except for one, the tribunal, and I think that was the worst one of the bunch. I liked solving murders, which up until the penultimate mission is what you're doing, when all of a sudden you're trying to find out how many merit points each category of infraction costs. It was the only level I eventually turned to a guide for help, I just didn't like trying to figure out the four virtues, their subcategories, and what each one was worth. Once you've got that, then the game has you doing math. It's not comically long division or anything, but still, talk about a speed bump in pacing; I'm here for the double-frame jobs, not homework.
Once you're through the missions, there's an epilogue as a final challenge, basically there to ask, “Do you know what happened?” I enjoyed going through that, it was a great way to cap things off.
There's a DLC chapter of three scenes, and I really only enjoyed the first one. It was more murder solving with a new added twist, exactly what I wanted to see there. The other two DLC scenes didn't really do it for me so I don't think the price is justified.
Overall, this is a pretty tight package. I don't know why I initially downloaded its demo, nothing about the Steam screenshots is too enthralling, but I'm really glad the demo was offered and that I partook. You get to feel like Sherlock Holmes without doing any real work, who doesn't love that?
I recommend this game, especially if you also share the baseless delusion that you'd make a great detective.
This game is entirely its puzzles with the added challenge of keeping things organized in your bar of environmentally-scanned information. You'll peer through all the items and persons of a crime scene before having to fill in a chart that's similar to an absurd and deadly Mad Libs prompt.
The comparisons to Return of the Obra Dinn are rampant, so I may as well join in on the fun: I never finished Obra Dinn, I found it sort of overwhelming to have the entire ship and its crew right there, so many questions waiting for answers all at once. I think Golden Idol does a better job with its pacing, breaking everything up into the progressively-intricate scenes, it's a more bite-sized approach. What's interesting is both games go for a very distinct, acerbic art style, but I was not too fond of Obra Dinn's. I prefer Golden Idol's bizarre, hideous joggling to Obra Dinn's starkness; I found the former to be enjoyably enfolding rather quickly.
Golden Idol doesn't just give you what you need to fill in prompts. If you think you know what happened, you'll need to find the appropriate verb and noun somewhere in the scene. This is a pretty smart way to make the player take in all of their surroundings before getting into the nitty-gritty, and there's a counter on your information bar to let you know how many things you're still looking for. You likely won't use all of them, some are there as red herrings or obstructing clutter.
Every scene is its own story and there's a plot connecting all of them. Almost every scene (in the base game) plays the same except for one, the tribunal, and I think that was the worst one of the bunch. I liked solving murders, which up until the penultimate mission is what you're doing, when all of a sudden you're trying to find out how many merit points each category of infraction costs. It was the only level I eventually turned to a guide for help, I just didn't like trying to figure out the four virtues, their subcategories, and what each one was worth. Once you've got that, then the game has you doing math. It's not comically long division or anything, but still, talk about a speed bump in pacing; I'm here for the double-frame jobs, not homework.
Once you're through the missions, there's an epilogue as a final challenge, basically there to ask, “Do you know what happened?” I enjoyed going through that, it was a great way to cap things off.
There's a DLC chapter of three scenes, and I really only enjoyed the first one. It was more murder solving with a new added twist, exactly what I wanted to see there. The other two DLC scenes didn't really do it for me so I don't think the price is justified.
Overall, this is a pretty tight package. I don't know why I initially downloaded its demo, nothing about the Steam screenshots is too enthralling, but I'm really glad the demo was offered and that I partook. You get to feel like Sherlock Holmes without doing any real work, who doesn't love that?
I recommend this game, especially if you also share the baseless delusion that you'd make a great detective.
As someone who had a blast with Obra Dinn, this game was a no brainer for me and it didn't disappoint. It effortlessly tells a compelling story with its twists and turns through multiple murder mystery solving puzzles that grow in scope and complexity the more you progress.
Short game with a interwoven and engaging thread throughout revolving around the titular golden idol. Engages with a lot of themes and has good world building around it - expanded in the DLCs.
Visually it's kind of ugly - but in a sort of detailed way that works, one of the central premises is the greed and ambitions of people driving them to heinous lengths, so like maybe that's an intentional choice.
Gameplay is fun, though easily subject to brute forcing if you get stuck - though I guarantee anyone playing will have a moment where the solution (or indeed twists in the plot) will click and you'll feel like Neo seeing the code of the matrix - I honestly wish one could bottle that feeling and sell it. It's likened to the Obra Dinn, which to my understanding (having not played) has a narrative reason for your investigation, this does not - you're very much an outside perspective.
Ultimately, the game (and it's DLCs) provide a short but engaging narrative journey. It doesn't overstay it's welcome and I look forward to future work by these devs.
Visually it's kind of ugly - but in a sort of detailed way that works, one of the central premises is the greed and ambitions of people driving them to heinous lengths, so like maybe that's an intentional choice.
Gameplay is fun, though easily subject to brute forcing if you get stuck - though I guarantee anyone playing will have a moment where the solution (or indeed twists in the plot) will click and you'll feel like Neo seeing the code of the matrix - I honestly wish one could bottle that feeling and sell it. It's likened to the Obra Dinn, which to my understanding (having not played) has a narrative reason for your investigation, this does not - you're very much an outside perspective.
Ultimately, the game (and it's DLCs) provide a short but engaging narrative journey. It doesn't overstay it's welcome and I look forward to future work by these devs.
Lazarus Herst? More like Lazarus worst
Return of the Return of the Obra Dinn
A great deduction game that continually made me feel like a true brain genius, and wrapped in a lovely horrible artstyle. An easy 5 stars.
There is nothing quite like staring at all the info in front of you, convinced it's correct, but being told something isn't right... And then you see it! Swap those around because you forgot what happened a few cases back! That's it! YOUR INVITE TO MENSA IS IN THE MAIL!
There is nothing quite like staring at all the info in front of you, convinced it's correct, but being told something isn't right... And then you see it! Swap those around because you forgot what happened a few cases back! That's it! YOUR INVITE TO MENSA IS IN THE MAIL!
Incredible game. Picks up where Obra Dinn left off in terms of ease of navigation but is significantly easier. Breezed through it in one sitting in a day using a single hint (which I immediately felt dumb for not figuring out myself.)
Unfortunately, it is extraordinarily short, and the overall narrative, while not outright bad, isn't as incredible as the typical Sierra point-and-click adventure game. It's just kind of there to pad out the (very well thought out) whodunnit scenes.
Also has hideous box art for a generally great looking game which is unfortunate lol
Unfortunately, it is extraordinarily short, and the overall narrative, while not outright bad, isn't as incredible as the typical Sierra point-and-click adventure game. It's just kind of there to pad out the (very well thought out) whodunnit scenes.
Also has hideous box art for a generally great looking game which is unfortunate lol
Very similar to Obra Din, so there you go. A great mystery with balanced difficulty. Each scenario feels like a bombardment of information that gradually coalesces into something manageable. Switch port is a bit clunky, but we got over it eventually (small text combined with soooo much drag and drop).
I voted for Lazarus Herst. What's your excuse?
I am very glad that detective games, if we can count that as its own genre, continue to exist.
Exist but also innovate.
It is very easy to compare this title to Return of the Obra Dinn, which is a blessing and a curse.
It’s a blessing because Obra Dinn is a classic, a cult favourite and the type of game there isn’t much of so the people who want it, and I include myself among them, need whatever version of it they can get.
However the curse comes along because the comparisons mean that this will always feel “less than”, it will always be compared and it feels almost impossible to rate it purely on its own merits.
Less than greatness though is barely an insult though and Golden Idol at least tries to do things differently.
You’re not a character directly in a story but one piecing it together. You are just figuring who people are out, although a major factor, but finding evidence and words to piece together their stories.
Golden Idol is also quite funny, seeing these 18th century idiots fight, backstab, lie and deceive each other inks a wonderful tale that is ludicrous but also quite interesting.
As the game moves forwards through the different scenes you start seeing returning faces or notice connections from chapters prior and it does a good job to paint the world but also start you thinking about where it may end.
Sadly though not all chapters are created equal and some of them feel less of an advancement and more just, well, more.
I can’t help but continue to go back to the Obra Dinn comparisons and it pains me to be so blunt about what is a good game but it doesn’t have one factor of that comparison where it wins.
The comedy helps to keep them apart but boiling it down they’re too similar and Golden Idol is just not as good.
If it were just a case of aesthetics I couldn’t rate it so lowly, but the biggest and hardest thing to explain is the game “felt” much worse.
You’re not a detective as such in Golden Idol and honestly I think it hinders it, major parts of the puzzle I found I didn’t solve with detective-like logic but just plain grammar.
I want to feel like I’m a detective with these games, not that I’m looking back at one of these backloggd reviews and noticing I skipped a word or completely misspelt something.
As I said earlier though, the game is good and if you want a bit more of that Obra Dinn type of game in your life then grab this. There’s also recently been some DLC too.
Exist but also innovate.
It is very easy to compare this title to Return of the Obra Dinn, which is a blessing and a curse.
It’s a blessing because Obra Dinn is a classic, a cult favourite and the type of game there isn’t much of so the people who want it, and I include myself among them, need whatever version of it they can get.
However the curse comes along because the comparisons mean that this will always feel “less than”, it will always be compared and it feels almost impossible to rate it purely on its own merits.
Less than greatness though is barely an insult though and Golden Idol at least tries to do things differently.
You’re not a character directly in a story but one piecing it together. You are just figuring who people are out, although a major factor, but finding evidence and words to piece together their stories.
Golden Idol is also quite funny, seeing these 18th century idiots fight, backstab, lie and deceive each other inks a wonderful tale that is ludicrous but also quite interesting.
As the game moves forwards through the different scenes you start seeing returning faces or notice connections from chapters prior and it does a good job to paint the world but also start you thinking about where it may end.
Sadly though not all chapters are created equal and some of them feel less of an advancement and more just, well, more.
I can’t help but continue to go back to the Obra Dinn comparisons and it pains me to be so blunt about what is a good game but it doesn’t have one factor of that comparison where it wins.
The comedy helps to keep them apart but boiling it down they’re too similar and Golden Idol is just not as good.
If it were just a case of aesthetics I couldn’t rate it so lowly, but the biggest and hardest thing to explain is the game “felt” much worse.
You’re not a detective as such in Golden Idol and honestly I think it hinders it, major parts of the puzzle I found I didn’t solve with detective-like logic but just plain grammar.
I want to feel like I’m a detective with these games, not that I’m looking back at one of these backloggd reviews and noticing I skipped a word or completely misspelt something.
As I said earlier though, the game is good and if you want a bit more of that Obra Dinn type of game in your life then grab this. There’s also recently been some DLC too.
¿Qué tiene en los bolsillos?
Return of the Obra Dinn es una de esas experiencias que te marcan como jugador. Es una obra inteligente, perfectamente medida e indudablemente insólita. The Case of the Golden Idol parece querer recoger su testigo y, no contento con eso, lo lleva a otros niveles de profundidad.
Empieza de sopetón, poniendo sobre la mesa unas mecánicas a las que te adaptas rápidamente y, sin darte cuenta, ya estás atrapado dentro de un sistema de investigación, especulación, reflexión y resolución reforzado por una narrativa interesantísima que se aprovecha de la división en capítulos para evolucionar en todos los sentidos —en lo jugable, en lo complejo, en lo argumental—.
Es, también, una obra inteligente y bien medida, con escenarios y situaciones lo suficientemente enrevesadas como para retar la mente de cualquier jugador. Y es que es una experiencia que te obliga a recrear mentalmente. Se trata de analizar la información, visual o escrita, y darle una forma lógica a través de las palabras y rompecabezas que se te presentan.
Es un concepto tan, tan bueno y a su vez tan, tan poco explotado en el mundillo, que tiemblo de solo pensar hacia dónde podrían hacerlo crecer.
Recordaré siempre con cariño aquel primer instante del capítulo uno, cuando vi ante mí una escena y pude empezar a investigar. Entonces me pregunté, "¿qué tiene ese hombre en los bolsillos?". Y accedí a sus pertenencias y me envolví entre datos, nombres, personajes y asesinatos hasta llegar al final, emocionado y deslumbrado, por lo que ha sido una experiencia maravillosa.
Return of the Obra Dinn es una de esas experiencias que te marcan como jugador. Es una obra inteligente, perfectamente medida e indudablemente insólita. The Case of the Golden Idol parece querer recoger su testigo y, no contento con eso, lo lleva a otros niveles de profundidad.
Empieza de sopetón, poniendo sobre la mesa unas mecánicas a las que te adaptas rápidamente y, sin darte cuenta, ya estás atrapado dentro de un sistema de investigación, especulación, reflexión y resolución reforzado por una narrativa interesantísima que se aprovecha de la división en capítulos para evolucionar en todos los sentidos —en lo jugable, en lo complejo, en lo argumental—.
Es, también, una obra inteligente y bien medida, con escenarios y situaciones lo suficientemente enrevesadas como para retar la mente de cualquier jugador. Y es que es una experiencia que te obliga a recrear mentalmente. Se trata de analizar la información, visual o escrita, y darle una forma lógica a través de las palabras y rompecabezas que se te presentan.
Es un concepto tan, tan bueno y a su vez tan, tan poco explotado en el mundillo, que tiemblo de solo pensar hacia dónde podrían hacerlo crecer.
Recordaré siempre con cariño aquel primer instante del capítulo uno, cuando vi ante mí una escena y pude empezar a investigar. Entonces me pregunté, "¿qué tiene ese hombre en los bolsillos?". Y accedí a sus pertenencias y me envolví entre datos, nombres, personajes y asesinatos hasta llegar al final, emocionado y deslumbrado, por lo que ha sido una experiencia maravillosa.
Fun mystery story about a bunch of nasty Britishers with some beautiful art and great presentation.
great puzzle game that makes you feel like a detective.
Pep's Detective Deep Dive - Game 6
This was... something different. Rather than the usual "investigating a murder after the fact" murder mystery, Case Of The Golden Idol presents a static scene to you, and it's up to you to point-and-click your way to the truth of what exactly is going on in the story.
Clicking highlighted areas of interest presents you with a series of words, and you use these words to fill in the gaps of an incomplete "scroll", giving you the story. Seems simple at first, but as the game progresses it can get fiendishly difficult as the story spirals and some parts left me genuinely stumped. If you're really struggling there's a hint system available, but I never used it.
The only real thing stopping me from giving this a higher mark is that the story kind of fizzles out by the end, and I was left slightly let down by it. However, there's a 1970s-set sequel on the way so I'll be looking into that.
An interesting concept done very well, I definitely recommend this if you're looking for a different kind of mystery game.
This was... something different. Rather than the usual "investigating a murder after the fact" murder mystery, Case Of The Golden Idol presents a static scene to you, and it's up to you to point-and-click your way to the truth of what exactly is going on in the story.
Clicking highlighted areas of interest presents you with a series of words, and you use these words to fill in the gaps of an incomplete "scroll", giving you the story. Seems simple at first, but as the game progresses it can get fiendishly difficult as the story spirals and some parts left me genuinely stumped. If you're really struggling there's a hint system available, but I never used it.
The only real thing stopping me from giving this a higher mark is that the story kind of fizzles out by the end, and I was left slightly let down by it. However, there's a 1970s-set sequel on the way so I'll be looking into that.
An interesting concept done very well, I definitely recommend this if you're looking for a different kind of mystery game.
What a turn from "haha rich bastards do be killing each other over the pettiest things" to "generational consolidation of power assuredly leads to the raise of fascism"
If you are insufferable like me and occasionally try to get people outside of the medium into video games then this might be the best one to get them genuinely interested.
Solving a well-thought-out 17th-century murder case by gathering evidence, understanding contextual clues, and identifying suspects, all behind the accessible comfort of using only a mouse, makes true-crime jennys giddy.
The way some of these vignettes tell a story, pieces scattered across the scene with the right amount of context missing is brilliantly executed, rewarding to put together and sometimes genuinely beautiful.
The pixilated art style toes the perfect line between readable and crude, almost mad magazine-esque adult cartoon. The pixels look like they all stink.
Tbh while playing I wasn't sure if the ending and the main plot are trying to say something specific because the only message I got felt pretty dumb. So I kinda just chalked it up to gameplay ideas informing the story. Then after finishing the game, I read Epiglottis review who said it better than I ever could when they called the place the story ends up in "soft-brained 'tyranny of forced equality' territory". And yea, I got the same vibe.
One of the things Obra Dinn undeniably has above the golden idol is its interesting use of audio and sound design (hearing the victim's last moment). You can play the golden idol with the sound muted and it wouldn't make a difference (except atmospherically of course). That felt a bit disappointing to me, but I also have to admit that I don't see a good possibility to further implement sound without just ripping off obra dinn ideas or changing how the game feels in general. So maybe it's good they didn't.
Next time you want to get your adult friends or family members into video games pull out this one and play a chapter with them.
Solving a well-thought-out 17th-century murder case by gathering evidence, understanding contextual clues, and identifying suspects, all behind the accessible comfort of using only a mouse, makes true-crime jennys giddy.
The way some of these vignettes tell a story, pieces scattered across the scene with the right amount of context missing is brilliantly executed, rewarding to put together and sometimes genuinely beautiful.
The pixilated art style toes the perfect line between readable and crude, almost mad magazine-esque adult cartoon. The pixels look like they all stink.
Tbh while playing I wasn't sure if the ending and the main plot are trying to say something specific because the only message I got felt pretty dumb. So I kinda just chalked it up to gameplay ideas informing the story. Then after finishing the game, I read Epiglottis review who said it better than I ever could when they called the place the story ends up in "soft-brained 'tyranny of forced equality' territory". And yea, I got the same vibe.
One of the things Obra Dinn undeniably has above the golden idol is its interesting use of audio and sound design (hearing the victim's last moment). You can play the golden idol with the sound muted and it wouldn't make a difference (except atmospherically of course). That felt a bit disappointing to me, but I also have to admit that I don't see a good possibility to further implement sound without just ripping off obra dinn ideas or changing how the game feels in general. So maybe it's good they didn't.
Next time you want to get your adult friends or family members into video games pull out this one and play a chapter with them.
A brilliantly addictive detective game which makes you feel like a genius. Methodically going through each scenario and deducing exactly what happened was so delightful. Every single case in the game (especially including the DLCs) sunk their mystery hooks into me, and I was more than happy to be reeled in for the 10 hours-and-change it took to complete.
I don't rave that often, but, if you have any passing interest in detective games, I would press this into your hands immediately, no question. And, to those of you who played Obra Dinn and wondered, "Why don't they make more games like this?" THIS GAME IS ONE OF THOSE GAMES THAT THEY DON'T MAKE MORE OF LIKE THIS! A MUST PLAY!
I don't rave that often, but, if you have any passing interest in detective games, I would press this into your hands immediately, no question. And, to those of you who played Obra Dinn and wondered, "Why don't they make more games like this?" THIS GAME IS ONE OF THOSE GAMES THAT THEY DON'T MAKE MORE OF LIKE THIS! A MUST PLAY!
the core gameplay isn’t particularly distinct from your run-of-the-mill point-and-click mystery game and does become tedious when playing for awhile. however, the story is super compelling and well-constructed without taking itself too seriously—a whimsical exploration of aristocratic control, desire, paranoia, and ruthlessness borne out by the enigmatic power of the titular idol. there was an incredible moment of clarity between the final level and epilogue that will stay with me long-term. loved the grimey and exaggerated aesthetic too
The Case of the Golden Idol is quite a treat for fans of puzzle/detective stories. You follow a story about a device that gives people strange powers, but as a "3rd person helicopter" observer. Being given clues about 12 different cases, you are tasked to chronologically put the story together.
The story in itself is quite interesting, and solving the cases can be quite challenging due the introduction of constant new characters and places. On the one hand, this makes the game that much more nuanced, but on the other, it also becomes quite convoluted when you approach the ending.
And that is my main gripe with this game: after a while, you are given so many clues that it becomes frustrating to keep an overview of all the clues you have collected so far. To be honest, I recommend people to keep a system (such as only collecting clues about people first, etc.) instead of collecting all the clues right away. It doesn't help that dragging and dropping clues is a bit wonky, either.
Next to the main story of The Case of the Golden Idol, I also played both DLC's and reviewed them separately. I do think the main story is much better than the DLC's. However, playing both DLC's does give a lot of context to the events of the main game, so they are defitinely worth checking out.
The story in itself is quite interesting, and solving the cases can be quite challenging due the introduction of constant new characters and places. On the one hand, this makes the game that much more nuanced, but on the other, it also becomes quite convoluted when you approach the ending.
And that is my main gripe with this game: after a while, you are given so many clues that it becomes frustrating to keep an overview of all the clues you have collected so far. To be honest, I recommend people to keep a system (such as only collecting clues about people first, etc.) instead of collecting all the clues right away. It doesn't help that dragging and dropping clues is a bit wonky, either.
Next to the main story of The Case of the Golden Idol, I also played both DLC's and reviewed them separately. I do think the main story is much better than the DLC's. However, playing both DLC's does give a lot of context to the events of the main game, so they are defitinely worth checking out.
Following in the footsteps of RETURN OF THE OBRA DINN with a graceful and exciting macro-narrative told across a bunch of discrete mini-mysteries. Manages a pretty good ending, but I feel like it maybe could have been a bit longer. Also a couple of the "levels" are a bit too focused on calculation to be as much fun as the big murder whodunits.
That's it for gripes, though - this is great. I really like that we're getting good new detective games now.
That's it for gripes, though - this is great. I really like that we're getting good new detective games now.
one of the most unique detective games i've ever played. the bizarre art really adds to the experience and the music is really really good (sorry for breaking the third virtue).
something i really liked was how all the scenes were interconnected, and being able to jump from scene from scene so quickly made it very enjoyable to follow all the different characters across the story.
something i really liked was how all the scenes were interconnected, and being able to jump from scene from scene so quickly made it very enjoyable to follow all the different characters across the story.
really clever detective puzzle that reminds me a lot of obra dinn! also there's a character who wins over a woman by drawing her a picture of him fighting a tiger and i just can't get over how funny that bit is
The Case of the Golden Idol is like a game designed and written by Agatha Christie about the desperate need of control and power inside all mankind. If you are familiar with any of her works you would know that you are in for a treat.
The game starts very simple; a scene in which a man pushes another from a cliff, and the game shows you how each and every mechanism works, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For that's just the beginning of a chain of crimes; and to find the real truth about them you have to find many clues and use your "little grey cells" to put them together.
The beautifully pixelated story takes place in the 1700s and spans 4 decades. A chain of crimes that happen for the "Golden Idol" ; the thirst to be in control and have the ultimate power.
The Case of the Golden Idol was made by only a handful of people yet it gives the feeling of accomplishment more than many multi-million-dollar games. A must play if you like puzzle games, even the slightest.
The game starts very simple; a scene in which a man pushes another from a cliff, and the game shows you how each and every mechanism works, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For that's just the beginning of a chain of crimes; and to find the real truth about them you have to find many clues and use your "little grey cells" to put them together.
The beautifully pixelated story takes place in the 1700s and spans 4 decades. A chain of crimes that happen for the "Golden Idol" ; the thirst to be in control and have the ultimate power.
The Case of the Golden Idol was made by only a handful of people yet it gives the feeling of accomplishment more than many multi-million-dollar games. A must play if you like puzzle games, even the slightest.
It was Perfect. Perfect. Everything. Down to the last minute detail.
Estava um pouco receoso de jogar pela arte que parecia estranha demais mas oh boy, ainda bem que eu ouvi as recomendações de um amigo e peguei pra jogar.
Excelente jogo de puzzle. A dificuldade as vezes dá uma escalada que parece meio absurda mas quando você conecta os pontos e começa a ligar tudo, é uma delicinha. Recomendo demais. Aproveita e joga a DLC junto!
Excelente jogo de puzzle. A dificuldade as vezes dá uma escalada que parece meio absurda mas quando você conecta os pontos e começa a ligar tudo, é uma delicinha. Recomendo demais. Aproveita e joga a DLC junto!
I've been itching for a mystery game like this since I finished Obra Dinn, and The Case of the Golden Idol certainly scratched that itch.
I plowed through this game with a couple of friends, and sharing the aha-moments once all the pieces were starting to fall into place was fantastic. A large part of the mysteries can be solved with enough trial and error, but we tried to challenge ourselves by only placing names that we were 90% sure were going in the right spot.
Looking forward to the sequel!
I plowed through this game with a couple of friends, and sharing the aha-moments once all the pieces were starting to fall into place was fantastic. A large part of the mysteries can be solved with enough trial and error, but we tried to challenge ourselves by only placing names that we were 90% sure were going in the right spot.
Looking forward to the sequel!
Essentially a more accessible, streamlined version of Return of the Obra Dinn, which at the end of the day, still makes for a pretty fantastic game. Not to say the game doesn't have its own identity, just that it wears its inspiration on its sleeve. While I personally prefer Obra Dinn's more esoteric and hands-off approach to deductive gameplay, Golden Idol is way more approachable to those trying to get into the genre.
Also played both DLCs (The Spider of Lanka, The Lemurian Vampire).
Also played both DLCs (The Spider of Lanka, The Lemurian Vampire).
Gameplay and concept-wise, this game is absolutely fantastic. Obviously at its core one could compare it to Obra Dinn, what with you using deductive reasoning to establish who people in a scene are and how and why somebody died, but the bite-sized episodic presentation of Golden Idol feels like a completely different take on the genre. The variations in how to approach a situation and even what you need to find out are really quite impressive from level to level, with the latter levels in particular really standing out in terms of how varied the gameplay can get.
But there's a bit of an elephant in the room here... the game is fugly. The characters look weird as hell; I had warmed to the bizarre presentation a bit by the end, but I never grew to like it. And it's not just the art style that can be overwhelming, the flashing dots all over the screen to indicate places of interest give the game an extremely cluttered feel at times. But even this isn't necessarily a downside; Golden Idol uses this clutteredness and information overload to make each scenario appear extremely indimidating at first glance, which makes it that much more satisfying to piece together what the hell is going on. It's also packed full of twists and turns, and each one feels very good to finally figure out.
To list a few more concrete negatives, I would say the difficulty curve is all over the place. There was a massive difficulty wall for me at around the level 3/4 mark; a lot of this was just implied difficulty set up by the game's smoke and mirrors, but I can totally get why someone would bounce off the game at this point. And in the last few levels, it felt like the game got extremely easy again; possibly because I had more of a grasp on the overarcing story, possibly because I was more used to the tricks Golden Idol liked to use to hide its solutions, but these were some of the most interesting levels so it was a bit disappointing to breeze through them so easily.
I also think the game could have done with some kind of framing device, no matter how flimsy. You never get a feeling for who /you/ are supposed to be besides some omniscient outside observer, which can be a perfectly fine way to frame a puzzle game, but it does feel very abrupt to start up the game and immediately be thrown into the first scene without any indication as to what you're supposed to do or why.
But these are just kinda nitpicks. In the end, this really is an innovative and thoroughly satisfying game. Sure there are a few rough edges, even some of the dialogue is poorly translated at times, but on the whole I feel these kind of add a rough charm to the experience. Definitely worth your time, definitely recommended.
But there's a bit of an elephant in the room here... the game is fugly. The characters look weird as hell; I had warmed to the bizarre presentation a bit by the end, but I never grew to like it. And it's not just the art style that can be overwhelming, the flashing dots all over the screen to indicate places of interest give the game an extremely cluttered feel at times. But even this isn't necessarily a downside; Golden Idol uses this clutteredness and information overload to make each scenario appear extremely indimidating at first glance, which makes it that much more satisfying to piece together what the hell is going on. It's also packed full of twists and turns, and each one feels very good to finally figure out.
To list a few more concrete negatives, I would say the difficulty curve is all over the place. There was a massive difficulty wall for me at around the level 3/4 mark; a lot of this was just implied difficulty set up by the game's smoke and mirrors, but I can totally get why someone would bounce off the game at this point. And in the last few levels, it felt like the game got extremely easy again; possibly because I had more of a grasp on the overarcing story, possibly because I was more used to the tricks Golden Idol liked to use to hide its solutions, but these were some of the most interesting levels so it was a bit disappointing to breeze through them so easily.
I also think the game could have done with some kind of framing device, no matter how flimsy. You never get a feeling for who /you/ are supposed to be besides some omniscient outside observer, which can be a perfectly fine way to frame a puzzle game, but it does feel very abrupt to start up the game and immediately be thrown into the first scene without any indication as to what you're supposed to do or why.
But these are just kinda nitpicks. In the end, this really is an innovative and thoroughly satisfying game. Sure there are a few rough edges, even some of the dialogue is poorly translated at times, but on the whole I feel these kind of add a rough charm to the experience. Definitely worth your time, definitely recommended.