Review #072 – The Mermaid Mask

I've found myself really into the recent influx of mystery-solving indie games and The Mermaid Mask is one of the better ones I've played. It's a standard point-and-click adventure game that doesn't have any particularly inventive gimmicks, but exploring the submarine, interviewing suspects, investigating clues, and slowly unravelling the spooky mystery is quite engrossing.

Most of the narrative is told through conversations and everything is well written with a cast of charismatic and superbly voiced characters. Missing a detail could potentially cause some confusion so you'll need to be fairly attentive—as someone with attention deficit I did have to retrace my steps a few times. The game does a great job at subtly nudging you in the right direction if you're stuck though, and you're unable to fail any of the major interrogations in order to maintain a smooth pace.

If you’re into these types of mystery games then Mermaid Mask is a no-brainer. Everything from the spooky vibes, fascinating ensemble, sharp art style, fun puzzles, and gimmick-free detective gameplay is all very well designed. I would love to see more Detective Grimoire games from SFB in the future.