There’s something about a good old-fashioned murder mystery that really seems to strike a chord with the public. In a recent poll down the pub (don’t let anyone say we don’t do our research here at Gamecell), I found people have a real affinity for the likes of Columbo, Poirot and Morse. I guess it’s something to do with our nosey nature and morbid fascination with death and misery and no doubt the reason why you can’t flick through more than three TV channels without finding one.

Quite why there aren’t more games giving you the opportunity to solve murders is beyond me. Maybe it’s because we’re so used to dishing out death in the endless FPS we play that we don’t stop to think about the cause.

It’s somewhat refreshing then to be sitting down with The Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle; a murder mystery game from Relentless Software, the guys that brought us Buzz Quiz. Released as episodes via the PlayStation Network, I’ve been playing through the first two chapters of a planned six.

Two things are immediately apparent upon delving into Chapter One. Firstly the pace is gentle to the point of being pedestrian, and secondly this is much closer to a party puzzle game than a traditional ‘whodunnit’.

You arrive in Little Riddle as a sleuth with a reputation that proceeds you, and are immediately thrust into a local investigation. The Mayor has been murdered and there’s a short-list of suspects to be interrogated. The investigation itself comprises of visits and conversations with the key suspects followed by a timed puzzle or brain-teaser which if solved correctly takes you closer to the final reveal.

The game allows you to choose to tackle the crime alone or as part of a group of up to four detectives. The single player mode is functional, but it’s clear this is a title best played with friends.

In addition to observational tests, there are also mathematic puzzles and codes to crack. The complexity and difficulty of the puzzles increases as you progress and this creates a fair amount of tension.

After each puzzle has been solved (or the player has given up) medals are awarded based on the performance. In true Buzz-style, poor play is mocked mercilessly. At the chapter’s climax, each player is asked to identify the murderer based on the evidence. The player with the best medal haul is the overall winner.
Chapter two involves a new scenario and a new set of suspects. If anything we found the puzzles a little easier to solve than the first.

Even though this is a budget title, the game retains the slickness of presentation and character design you have come to expect from Relentless. Little Riddle is gloriously recreated in primary colours, almost like a village made from digital plasticine. There’s also a nice film noir vibe throughout, especially visible in the title introductions to each puzzle complete with fanfare. The narration is a particular highlight - although this time there’s no sign of Jason Donovan.

In our tests, games with friends were fun if not as lively and raucous as the Buzz games or the Guitar Hero/ Rock Band titles. Everyone wants to try and solve each puzzle regardless of whether it’s their turn or not, which creates a good atmosphere but isn’t great for the individual under pressure to earn a gold medal.

Unfortunately there are big gaps between puzzles where you’re forced to watch through the scripted cut-scenes, and although they are mildly amusing, we didn’t think they were strong enough to hold the attention of a group.

The game’s single greatest flaw is that it can’t seem to decide what it wants to be. Is it a slow-burning cerebral puzzler, or high-tension laugh-a-minute party game? It’s not the former because the puzzles are too light and accessible to really test the grey matter, and the setting and characters are too comical. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the overall pace and urgency you feel when playing some of the best party games - it’s somewhat ironic that Buzz Quiz gets this part so right.

If Relentless Studios had focused less on the story elements and more on getting the player quickly to the actual puzzles then this could have become one of the party games of choice for PS3 owners. As it stands, it’s too slow and pedestrian to entertain a crowd and far too casual to appeal to the hardcore puzzle set. I can only hope they have greater things in store for the forthcoming chapters.