GameGlamour Blog

Not longer than a week ago we were reviewing the point-and click story of Sherlock Holmes - The Mystery of Persian Carpet, and here’s another game with Sherlock starring! Seems like detective stories by Arthur Konan Doyle become more popular with game developers. And here’s another detective game that will put you in the shoes of Sherlock Holmes. I mean Unsolved Cases of Sherlock Holmes developed by Legacy Interactive.

Unsolved Cases of Sherlock Holmes - download for free

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Unlike the Mystery Of Persian Carpet, Unsolved Cases offer you a variety of cases to investigate. Guess what the genre of this game is. I don’t have to tell it’s a good-old, yet still so fashionable mix of hidden object, spot-the-difference, point and click games. Not to mention a variety of mini-puzzles of all possible kinds.

This game brings you into the atmosphere of Conan Doyle’s books. But its graphics and specially selected episodes add an original comic taste to the game. Music is just magnificent. You’ll be playing to the magic classical violin melody that allows for concentration and helps you relax.

You’ll have to investigate different cases – a murder in the country carnival and theatre, cases related to the stolen jewelry and paintings, mysterious case of bee stings that cause death etc, etc.

Though each case reveals a new crime story, it can be divided into the same stages.

1. In the beginning of each case you see the cartoon of the novel - a crime witness comes to Holmes and tells you the story.

2. You head for the place where crime was committed and hunt for the clues on a spot-the-difference scene. And here comes the most original thing about a game in terms of game mechanics – Legacy Interactive were the first to blend I spy and spot-the-difference game mechanics. So, each clue you find is put on the clue list located on the right of the screen.

Each clue is related to a particular suspect. The crime witness reveals you this relationship.

2. After you complete spot the difference level, you’ll be offered to play a classical hidden object level with animated elements. The point is the same: keep on collecting clues and establishing their connection to suspects.

3. When all the clues are collected, it’s time to get back to your flat on Baker Street to analyze the suspects.

You’ll have to arrange their portraits basing on some characteristics (like their hair color or accessories). A clue related to a suspect will be displayed next to a suspect’s portrait.

Then goes the most difficult part. All the portraits start to flash and one of the clues might change. Your mission is to spot it and click on the portrait of the suspect whose clue has changed. This way you will be removing the suspects one by one until you find out the true culprit.

And this is why after solving several cases in a row the game seems repetitive. So my advice is to get a little rest and get back to it later.

Moreover, a need to use a magnifying glass irritates me, especially in spot the difference levels as you just cannot see the whole scene normally and divide it into parts.

But if you’re an ispy pro, you may find this additional challenge exciting.

Here are several tricks for the game:

1. Luckily, you can use hints that are so generously scattered throughout the crime scenes in the form of pipes that belong to Sherlock Holmes. Find and click them. When you want to use a hint, just click on the Sherlock’s pipe.

2. On the most hidden object levels you won’t manage without a magnifying glass, or a magnifier since some hidden objects are very minute.

3. A tip for the spot-the-difference levels: sometimes you’ll have to find several clues of the same kind. So, watch the clue list carefully. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that if you’ve found 1 out of 3 secret keys, it means that you’ve got to look for 2 more keys.

4. Jigsaw puzzles in the Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes require your resourcefulness. You might move puzzle pieces and rotate them so they may overlap each other (see a sample below):

5. Each spot the difference and I spy level contain a mini-puzzle. By solving it, you’ll find one more clue.

This is it so far. If you want to share your impressions, feel free to post your thoughts below.

Similar games:

Sherlock Holmes - The Mystery of Persian Carpet

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile

Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel