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3 people found the following review helpful:
An alchemical riddle mystery, September 11, 2023This game was entered into the Single Choice jam.
It's a long choice-based game with an elaborate setup and worldbuilding. You are part of a detective agency, and a couple has reported that something was stolen from their house.
It was stolen by a thief with a clever gimmick: they take an item, and then replace it with a photorealistic painting.
But this time, what was stolen is unknown, and it was replaced by a poem. The couple that hired you was a pair of alchemists.
Overall, the game manages to be engaging despite the 'one choice' limitation by adding a lot of outside-game thinking: what does the riddle refer to? Which clues matter?
On the other hand, it's hard to know what the player's thought process is supposed to be. I made a guess at the end, and it was right, but I couldn't pin down why.
The worldbuilding is rich and detailed. The setting feels extravagant, more like a cartoon than a film, if that makes sense. Could be fleshed out in more games or a revision of this one.