Game: Murder Mystery Machine
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch (also available in Apple Arcade and will be coming to PS4, Steam, and Xbox One)
Developer | Publisher: Blazing Griffin | Microids
Age Rating: US T | EU 7+
Price: UK £14.40 | US $19.62 | EU € 16,77
Release Date: August 25th, 2021
Review code used with many thanks to Microids
Murder Mystery Machine is an isometric crime-solving puzzle game with plenty of TV-style CSI excitement. Players have to study clues, talk to suspects, and connect evidence to catch the bad guy.
The Story and Gameplay
The basic premise of Murder Mystery Machine is that a prominent politician is murdered on your first day on the job. You were a top candidate for the position, as you were head of your class at the Academy. Your partner is the burned out Nate, who has been around long enough to know that he doesn’t need a partner, and that you are going to be no help as a complete newbie.

It’s up to you to not only solve the murders, but also impress your partner. Murder Mystery Machine players need to collect evidence not only around the crime scene, but also at victims’ homes and offices.
The game is isometric, which gives players a great view of each room. They can rotate the view to see into every corner of the diorama-style crime scenes, looking for highlighted clues and interacting with witnesses and suspects. Each clue that players collect changes dialogue options, and connecting multiple clues together will open up new evidence and theories at to who done it.

The Pros of Murder Mystery Machine
This game feels like an episode of CSI. There’s a great attention to detail on each crime scene and location. Players get to read in-depth on people’s lives and families, friends and enemies to try and piece together their last moments. It’s an interesting title with a lot of great ideas, extremely polished, and entertaining. Murder Mystery Machine makes you think, rethink, connect clues, and delve into the case like a real detective.

The cartoonish style of the game ensures that there are no gross, bloody scenes or anything too dark. While you may be investigating a murder, you’re not digging around inside of bodies or staring down massive puddles of realistic insides. It’s a good balance between realism in the game where you want it, and a push away from realism when it is not needed or wanted.
The Cons of Murder Mystery Machine
On the Apple Arcade tablet version, the game utilizes the touch screen in order to make reordering clues and connecting them very simple. On the Switch, however, players are forced to use the Joy-Con buttons, which are much more awkward. I assume players will have similar issues with the PS4 and Xbox One versions as well. Point and click on PC may be a little better, but I haven’t tried it on Steam.

Another odd thing about this game that bothered me was the complete lack of music. While there were some indicator sounds when players connect clues or do something correctly, there didn’t seem to be any music in the game at all. It was a little jarring, and I actually had to turn the game off and make sure my Switch speakers were still working! While a mobile game without any music is odd enough, a Switch title without a note of in-game music feels like something big is missing to the title.
Also, the game is deeply detailed without the excitement usually connected with shows like CSI or murder mystery movies. The game is a little dry for those not interested in very by-the-book crime scene investigations. Anyone looking for explosions, gun fights, or perp chases are just going to have to look elsewhere.

Conclusion
That being said, the game is overall very solid. It’s easy to learn, difficult to master, and filled to the brim with smart puzzles for anyone who loves a good who done it story. If you like trying to solve the murder before the end of a mystery book or try to pick out the culprit before the TV show or movie ends, you’ll dig this game in spite of its eccentricities.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot.