I think I need to make peace with the fact that Puzzlers are my favorite genre of video game. As much as I like cinematic, action-packed, platforming, or open-world games, at the end of the day, I just want to feel smart. I want there to be the equivalent of a murder mystery or escape room hidden within my gaming adventure so my fingers can get a break and my mind can do the heavy lifting. Luckily, there seems to be at least one puzzle game each year that goes above and beyond to remind me of my love of this underrated category, and The Case Golden Idol was the latest game to step up. It’s an extremely satisfying “whodunnit” style puzzle game that’s only flaw is its brevity.
The Case of the Golden Idol has a pretty simple premise: figure out what happened. You’re given the scene of a murder to comb through from top to bottom so that you can ultimately put together the clues and recount the events leading to tragedy. The controls you are equipped with are just as simple as the concept, as you’ll navigate through the crime scenes and click on any shining points of interest to gain information.
This may be one of my shortest reviews of all time because there’s not much to say. This game does one particular thing, and it does it very well. It curates several interesting scenarios that all build up this extremely captivating overarching story. Each mystery is packed with several challenges to solve, with the “fill-in-what-happened” problem being the main challenge for all of the scenes.
I cannot understate how these mysteries are saturated with so much detail and care for the player. Many of the puzzles seem incredibly daunting and overwhelming at first, but if you take your time, each one has just enough information to help you figure out what’s going on. There are subtle misdirections that keep you on your toes, and which will ultimately leave you feeling like a genius when you get back on the right trail. Some hints are explicitly given or omitted to influence later puzzles down the line. Nothing is as it originally seems, but by the end, it seems like the answer was right in front of you the whole time.
While the puzzles are the true meat of the game, the art style and music serve as a hook to get you in the door. The settings of each dastardly crime are eye-catching and filled to the brim with detail. Each scene looks like it’s capturing a significant historic event. On the other hand, I can’t be so kind to the characters. To put it bluntly: most of the characters in the game are ugly, but it’s a good ugly. It has a visual identity that immediately captures your eye, and weirdly poetically complements the narrative themes of the game. It’s the cherry on top of this package that makes it clear that this is a game with its own vision. A piece of work that excels at being both art and entertainment.
The one mark I would leave on the record of The Case of the Golden Idol is its length. The game features eleven puzzles in the base game, but they zoom by when you’re having fun. It’s not a case of me feeling like the game isn’t worth the money, it’s just a feeling of wanting so much more by the time I had hit credits.
Luckily, this has already been somewhat resolved with the recent release of their DLC, The Spider of Lanka. Much like the base game, the DLC mirrors both the pros and cons of the base game in every way. It is an interesting and unique set of stories and challenges that ends far too early. That being said, as a full package, I think the DLC shoots the stock price of this franchise way up. The more they can build upon the lore of this dark and comedic world, the better, and I hope they continue to do so for at least one more round of content.
I highly recommend The Case of the Golden Idol and its DLC, The Spider of Lanka, not only to die-hard puzzle fans but to anyone looking for fun for several hours and a few brain teasers. It quickly sets itself apart in the sea of indie games and lingers well after you have finished it. My only wish is that the game explored its own lore just a bit longe,r as I feel it pulls you out as it feels like things are just getting started.