Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle review

Blue Toad Murder Files successfully riffs on Sunday evening crime dramas. Y’know – the ones described as gentle, despite exposing the grim, murderous underbelly of quaint old Britain. The game itself is a multiplayer take on the Professor Layton formula, with the increasingly difficult puzzles strung together by great animation and even better voice work.

It’s frequently amusing, sporadically taxing and surprisingly competitive stuff. It’s not perfect, mind. The solution to each mystery often hangs on a snippet of throwaway dialogue, meaning it won’t take a Marple to make an arrest. Also, the uneven difficulty can saddle one player with the lion’s share of stumpers and there’s little reason to replay episodes.

Dec 17, 2009