Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders
I think this is honestly the first mystery game on the list. I’m pulling it out into a different genre than point-and-click and puzzle - though it certainly has elements of both - because there is decidedly more interaction, though spiritually it’s still a point-and-click. When I think about what a point-and-click can do well, it’s something like this that I’m thinking of. Pure logic and puzzling.
And
only a little bit of moon logic!
Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders (which I’ll be shortening to ABC Murders for my own sanity) is a mystery point-and-click game adapted from the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. The player plays as Detective Hercule Poirot, a French detective in London who is investigating a series of murders that seem to be committed by the same person. The player solves a series of puzzles, collects and connects clues, and eventually uncovers the true culprit.
It is absolutely delightful and wholesome, and I loved every minute of it.
World’s
greatest detective right here
ABC Murders does an excellent job highlighting the potential of the point-and-click genre. By being a mystery game and by playing as a detective, the player is very much primed to look at every detail and fiddle over the little thing. The game leads the player from scene to scene, but then lets the player solve the mystery themselves through engaging with each clue and mulling everything over. The writing is fun and engaging, and though the voice acting often left quite a bit to be desired, the cute, enthusiastic of Poirot bobbing from clue to clue offset the games less polished elements.
HOW
DARE
To be clear, ABC Murders isn’t a perfect game. As mentioned, the voice acting is jarring, and the puzzles can sometimes be annoyingly finnicky. However, its heart is exactly where it should be, and is supported with wonderful animation, a good story, and a perfect execution of its mechanics. Point-and-clicks, it turns out, can be successful - they’re just at their best when they’re a mystery.
Developer: Artefacts Studio
Genre: Point-And-Click, Puzzle
Year: 2016
Country: France
Language: English
Play Time: 5.5 Hours