You arrive in the quintessential English village of Little Riddle. It is a peaceful place, and you are in need of a break after your last intensive case as a Blue Toad detective. Then, as you are getting settled in, a murder is committed right in front of you. Looks like you’re not going to get that holiday after all…

Blue Toad Murder Files is a detective story and puzzle game for up to 4 players. Eurogamer was the first time this game has been on public display, and we were there on the first day. As one of the first people to play through Episode 1, I am finding it difficult to put into words how impressed I was by it.

The village of Little Riddle

As the story starts, you see the simple yet effective 3D artistic style and animation which suits the game perfectly. You also hear the voice of the narrator, who will stay with you throughout the game. He has a tendency to over-perform, and this is most evident whenever the word murder (MUUURRDDDERRR! – Ed) is said. But I won’t try to describe the voice. Here’s a sound clip from the game’s official website. It soon becomes apparent that this is a very British game. There are lots of stereotypes in the characters and location, which add to the humour in the game.

Gameplay is very simple as the main bulk of this game is the story. There are many cutscenes throughout, and the idea is that you have to pay attention to what’s going on. To keep the player involved, the game is scattered with puzzles and memory tests. Whenever a witness or suspect is being interviewed, you must solve a problem for them before they give their evidence. For each problem you are either awarded a gold, silver or bronze. Gold is really the only one you want to achieve. Silver seems to just be a consolation, and bronze denotes failure. In multiplayer mode, players race against each other to solve the problems first, and at the end of the game their scores are tallied up to produce an overall winner. It is very much a communal game, which can be enjoyed by a family or group of friends, as well as being a marvellously entertaining single-player game.

The hotelier

As the story plays out, you meet a variety of quirky characters during the investigation. You must listen to everything that they all say, as even the smallest thing could be the clue which helps you solve the murder case. The characters include a rather obnoxious police inspector who doesn’t want you doing his job for him, an old woman who just won’t stop talking and a hotelier who I strongly suspect was based on John Cleese’s performance in Fawlty Towers.

Trying not to give anything away, the story is excellent. There are some really funny parts in the script, and also visual jokes in the background. The narrator comes up with some great lines, especially when you fail at one of the puzzles. And of course the local pub is called the Cloak and Dagger. The ending is absolutely brilliant because it is so unexpected, and it leaves the game open to sequels. There will in fact be 6 episodes, according to the developers.

So overall this game is excellent. Some may say that it is entirely non-replayable; that once you know what’s going to happen, there’s no point going through it again. I disagree. I’ve yet to find a single good book that I haven’t read a second time, and I’m certain it will be the same with this game.

However, there is a downside. Relentless Software, the developers, are far too chummy with Sony. This series will be a PSN exclusive, with no plans to release on any other platforms. As someone who only owns a PC, this is a real disappointment, especially as I enjoyed the game so much.

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