Whether you’re a fan of Picross, or whether you enjoy a good murder mystery, I can’t recommend Murder By Numbers enough. The stories it weaves are fantastically realised, brought to life with wonderful characters, genuine touches of humour and fantastic animation. Honestly, I’m sad there’s only four chapters (although each one will keep you hooked for at least 3-4 hours) – more please, Mediatonic. It’s one of the nicest, genuinely unique games I’ve played in quite some time.
If you’re looking for something to scratch that Ace Attorney itch, Murder by Numbers will do the job nicely! The music and effects will sound instantly familiar, and the basic mechanics are great as well. The game brings a lot of its own style to the table, with more mature themes and a ridiculously catchy animated theme song. If you’ve ever found yourself passing away the hours playing Picross or Ace Attorney on your Nintendo DS, there is a lot here for you to enjoy. If not, I might try out a few sample Picross puzzles before purchasing.
Murder by Numbers successfully blends a Phoenix Wright-style visual novel with a Picross-style puzzle game by making each aspect great in its own right.
Murder by Numbers isn’t perfect, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and hope there’s a sequel. Honor, Scout, Detective Cross, and the gang deserve a second outing, ideally with more of a focus on the detective work—and perhaps a few headache-inducing 25x25 Picross puzzles as well.
Murder by Numbers combines the unlikely trio of maths, melodrama and murder in a stylishly animated equation that is somewhat unbalanced by its repetitive Picross puzzles.
Summary Solve Pixel Puzzles to find clues. Use those clues to interrogate witnesses. Work your way to the truth... ...and uncover the mystery of Murder by Numbers.