iOS Universal •
As someone who neither has a Netflix account nor lives in Australia–two things I’d like to correct before I die–I am completely unaware of who Phryne Fisher is. Luckily, for rubes like me, there’s Wikipedia which tells me that she’s the star of a series of books and a television show set in the flapper-decked world of the 1920’s. Oh, and she solves mysteries. I probably should have led with that.
Regardless, Tin Man Games is bringing Miss Fisher to our iDevices today with their latest piece of interactive fiction, Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze.
Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze is the first episode of a lengthy murder mystery and it’s unlike anything Tin Man has done before. (If it seems like I say that every time I mention Tin Man, it’s because it’s true. They’re definitely not content to simply create those lovely Gamebook Adventures anymore…) The game looks–and sometimes plays–like a click-and-point adventure game of old but is less an adventure game and more of an interactive novel.
The game is presented in a hand-drawn style and looks rather striking. Gameplay involves visiting locations and grilling the locals for clues and gossip via choose-your-own-adventure style prompts. You can also examine the area for clues by clicking and dragging your, what else, magnifying glass. Anything you find is helpfully scribbled into your journal and then updated as more information about each location or person comes to light.
Miss Fisher might not seem like regular Stately Play fare, but I’ve been having fun with it so far. The game looks great, and the writing is sharp with Miss Fisher showing both brains and wit nearly every time she opens her mouth. It’s good enough that I’m going to look up the books and see if I can track them down at my local library. It’s cheaper than a Netflix subscription, anyway.
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