Reviewed on PC

Everyone who’s grown up playing board games knows Clue. It was the staple of my childhood, despite its surprisingly violent theme. My whodunnit obsession only grew with true crime podcasts, but video games capture that sinister intensity best. Developed by Cocodrolo Games, Clue: Murder By Death reimagines the classic as a narrative-driven mystery set in 1930s England, gripping me far beyond the original board game.

Clue: Murder By Death starts off like any whodunnit, with some big shot dying in their enormous estate. We discover the demise of Lord Anderson, a man so rich that he has a maze-like crypt, rooms filled with Egyptian artifacts, and an entire auditorium for plays. You’ll explore these rooms as the main detective, along with two chosen companions who reside there. What makes things interesting is that you could very well be adding the murderer to the team, so it’s possible they could be working against you.

Your choice in companions comes down to nine residents, from a blood-sucking vampire to an esteemed archeologist. What I love most about these characters is how each unlocks unique dialogue that pertains to them. For example, say you approach one of the maids as the detective. Initially, they’ll hesitate to answer your questions, but if you play the role of the chef, they’ll spill all their deepest, darkest secrets.

Not only that, but sometimes their reactions to items will be completely different, giving us a deeper look into their personalities. Small details, particularly in indie games, always cease to amaze me. It shows that the developer really went out of their way to make each playthrough feel different from the last.

While the multitude of dialogue options seemed substantial, the manor’s layout is even more astonishing. There are around 166 rooms to uncover, which can be both exciting and overwhelming. On one hand, I love having so much to explore, but on the other, I feel the pressure of the game’s two-hour limit. Every Clue: Murder By Death case has a countdown, using real-time mechanics that make it almost impossible to search every room in one run. Two hours seemed like a lot of time, but for me, it just was not enough. I often got lost in the estate’s labyrinth, keeping me away from various clues or evidence. Multiple playthroughs might be the only way to remedy this issue; however, every run can produce different results.

I still enjoy the thrill of discovery, as any whodunnit fan would. From catching a lie to finding a trapdoor, Clue: Murder By Death embodies all the traditional mystery tropes, especially with its Sherlock Holmes vibes. Navigating through the manor, though, did sometimes feel like a hassle. Since it is a game based on Clue, your characters move like pieces on a board. In fact, the entire house looks like a 3D rendition of the board game’s design. I like the premise in hindsight, yet it did become a chore with how many times you had to go back and forth. It would take ages just to get anywhere, solely because of the sheer size of the house. What’s more, there were stuttering issues with the character’s movement that added up the more time passed.

The slowness of the character’s movement made time drag, even with the rush of the time limit. A more simplified map or some faster traversal options might have made things easier, but maybe someone who’s more well-versed in riddles and puzzles would thrive under that pressure.

By the end of the case, you’ll have to decide on the suspect, the murder weapon, and the reasoning. The “why” is the most significant difference between Clue and Murder By Death. Physical evidence can help with the first two matters, but finding out the reason for the murder makes things a lot more interesting.

There’s a variety of “whys” to pick, including to inherit a fortune, to hide secrets, or a generic revenge story. The only downside is that once you enter your deduction, there’s no going back. The Scotland Yard police will either accept or reject your conclusion, and you’ll have to start all over again if things go wrong.

Because there’s so much to explore and so many people to talk to, I never quite felt confident in choosing a suspect. But again, maybe I’m not cut out to solve mysteries in a fast manner. Skill issue, I know. After utterly failing in my two hours of gameplay, all I could think of was how much Blue Prince and Clue: Murder By Death have in common. Both share intricate layouts. Both hold a mystery that can only be unearthed with clues. And both games are confusing as heck.

But of course, Murder By Death is its own entity. It’s a game designed for those who want to tickle their brain in a short amount of time, one that caters to board game enthusiasts and Blue Prince fans alike.

The dense manor, character-specific dialogue, and ticking clock come together to create a clever, if occasionally exhausting, mystery playground. For players who enjoy piecing together motives over multiple runs and don’t mind getting a little lost along the way, Cocodrolo Games has crafted a satisfying little nightmare box worth opening more than once.