Info about Murder by Numbers:

Official game description:
Collector's Edition
===================
About the Game
==============
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!  
Los Angeles, 1996. Honor Mizrahi was just an actress on a hit TV detective show. But when her boss ends up dead just minutes after he fires her, she finds herself starring in her own murder mystery. Teaming up with SCOUT, a reconnaissance robot thrown away after a mysterious incident, she sets out to clear her name - and a new detective duo is born!  
Investigate a range of murders across TV studios, glitzy award shows, drag clubs, and more - all set to an energetic soundtrack from famed composer Masakazu Sugimori (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick and Viewtiful Joe).  
Uncover a dark conspiracy by interrogating a wild range of weird and wonderful characters, designed by the incomparable Hato Moa, creator of Hatoful Boyfriend.  
90s fashions! Upbeat jams! Sass dialled up to 100! Questionable jokes! Drag queens! All that and more awaits... in Murder by Numbers!

Release date: Mar 6, 2020

Categories: Visual Novel, Puzzle Solving, Point-and-click Adventure, Story-driven Gameplay, Choice-based Narrative, Mystery

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game appears to have good compatibility with Proton/Linux, as indicated by positive experiences on the Steam Deck. There are no significant Linux-specific issues reported.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has several issues on the Steam Deck, including significant UI/UX problems, mixed reviews on controller support, and performance issues related to overheating. These issues collectively impact the user experience negatively.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.00 - $12.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the community generally finds the game worth purchasing when it is on sale. Multiple reviews mention waiting for a sale or specific sale prices, indicating that the base price might be considered high. The mentions of specific sale prices and the suggestion to buy at a discount imply that the fair price range is lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 32.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: 40.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple direct references to the playtime required to complete the game. The quotes mention specific hours spent on the game, ranging from 32 hours to over 50 hours, which helps to establish a clear estimate for game completion and endgame content. There is no strong evidence for typical session length or story completion time separate from the full game completion time.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts fun but becomes repetitive and tedious over time, particularly due to the repetitive puzzles and slow pacing in later chapters.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Initial engagement with story and characters
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Repetitive puzzles; Slow pacing in later chapters; Tedious gameplay loop
  - Unlock drivers: Engaging story; Interesting characters
  - Conditions: Character interactions; Initial variety in puzzles
- Player Archetypes:
  - Picross Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of picross puzzles
    - Playstyle: Focused on solving picross puzzles
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: picross lover; puzzle enthusiast
    - Reference games: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; Professor Layton
  - Story-Driven Gamer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Engaging story and characters
    - Playstyle: Focused on story progression and character interactions
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: visual novel fan; story enthusiast
    - Reference games: Ace Attorney; Phoenix Wright
  - Casual Gamer (sale)
    - Motivation: Relaxation and casual gameplay
    - Playstyle: Casual and relaxed
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual player; relaxed gamer
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging story and characters (weight 0.51): The game offers an engaging story with detailed plot and likable characters. Players enjoy the character development and the overall narrative, which adds depth to the gameplay experience.
- Enjoyable and well-designed puzzles (weight 0.46): The game features a variety of puzzles that are challenging yet fair, with a good difficulty curve. Players appreciate the puzzles for being fun, not overly complex, and well-integrated into the gameplay.
- Unique mix of visual novel and puzzles (weight 0.42): The game combines visual novel elements with picross puzzles, creating a unique and enjoyable experience. This blend is appreciated by players for its innovation and fun gameplay.
- Attractive and charming art style (weight 0.3): The game features an attractive and charming art style that is visually appealing. The visual style complements the gameplay and adds to the overall enjoyment.
- Enjoyable and fitting soundtrack (weight 0.23): The game's soundtrack is enjoyable and fits the mood well. Players appreciate the music for its quality and how it enhances the gaming experience.
- Funny and witty dialogue (weight 0.17): The game features hilarious and witty dialogue that adds charm and humor to the gameplay. Players enjoy the snappy and light-hearted conversations.
- Overall enjoyable experience (weight 0.14): Players find the overall gaming experience to be enjoyable and rewarding. The combination of puzzles, story, and characters creates a relaxing and fun experience.
- Retro aesthetic and 90's charm (weight 0.07): The game captures a retro aesthetic and the essence of the 90's, adding a charming and nostalgic feel to the gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive and tedious puzzles (weight 0.57): The puzzles in the game are often criticized for being repetitive, lengthy, and tedious. They lack variation and depth, making them feel more like work than fun. This repetitiveness can slow down the narrative momentum and make the game feel like a chore.
- Lack of dialogue skipping (weight 0.21): Players are frustrated by the inability to skip dialogues, which can make replays and tutorials tedious. The absence of a dialogue log or fast-forward option exacerbates this issue.
- Puzzles disrupt story flow (weight 0.15): Long and intrusive puzzles often disrupt the flow of the story, particularly near the end of chapters. This can make the gameplay feel fragmented and slow down the narrative pace.
- Weak detective elements (weight 0.1): The detective aspects of the game are criticized for being weak and unengaging. Players feel there is little to no actual detective work involved, making the story feel boring and clichéd.
- Frequent bugs and usability issues (weight 0.08): The game is plagued by numerous bugs and usability issues, including problems with controls and soft locks. These issues can be frustrating and disrupt the gaming experience.
- Limited investigation aspects (weight 0.08): The investigation aspects of the game are minimal and mostly involve solving puzzles. This lack of depth can make the gameplay feel shallow and unengaging.
- Difficulty spike in later puzzles (weight 0.08): While many puzzles are easy, there is a noticeable difficulty spike in later puzzles, which can make them feel impossibly difficult and time-consuming.
- Missable puzzles in Case 3 (weight 0.07): There are reports of missable puzzles in Case 3, which can be frustrating for players who may overlook them and find themselves stuck later in the game.
- UI issues with missing back button (weight 0.07): There are UI issues reported, particularly the lack of a back button in some sections and the save menu. This can make navigation and saving progress more cumbersome.
- Mandatory timed parts (weight 0.07): The game includes mandatory timed parts that are not skippable or pausable. This can be frustrating for players who prefer a more relaxed gaming experience.
- Crummy save system (weight 0.07): The save system is criticized for being limited and lacking options. This can make it difficult for players to manage their progress effectively.
- Flashing lights and screen shaking (weight 0.07): The game features frequent flashing lights and screen shaking, which can be bothersome and potentially problematic for players sensitive to such effects.
- Abrupt music changes (weight 0.07): The background music in the game changes abruptly, which can be jarring and disrupt the overall gaming experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Visual novel and detective hybrid (weight 0.52): The game combines visual novel elements with detective themes, creating a hybrid experience. Players engage in a narrative-driven adventure while solving puzzles and investigating mysteries.
- Picross puzzles central to gameplay (weight 0.35): The game prominently features Picross puzzles, which are integrated with the story and detective elements. These puzzles are enjoyable and can be completed without guessing, adding a unique twist to the gameplay.
- Varied puzzle difficulty (weight 0.3): The puzzles in the game vary in size and difficulty, offering a progressive challenge curve. Some puzzles can be quite challenging and require strategic thinking, while others are more casual.
- Murder mystery investigation (weight 0.25): The game involves solving murder mysteries by scanning rooms for clues and speaking to characters. This point-and-click style investigation is combined with puzzle-solving mechanics.
- Ranking and bonus puzzles (weight 0.24): The game includes a ranking system for puzzles and offers bonus puzzles that are locked behind completing every puzzle. This adds replay value and encourages players to master the puzzles.
- Phoenix Wright-style gameplay (weight 0.13): The game draws inspiration from Phoenix Wright, featuring similar murder mystery and evidence-gathering mechanics. This style adds a familiar yet engaging layer to the gameplay.
- Story and character focus (weight 0.11): The game features a strong narrative with colorful characters and procedural decisions. The story is a key element that drives the gameplay and engages players.
- Detective elements and inventory (weight 0.1): The game includes detective elements and an inventory system for showing items. These features add depth to the investigation and puzzle-solving aspects of the game.
- Timed hacking challenges (weight 0.06): The game features timed hacking challenges that add a sense of urgency and difficulty. These puzzles are strict on timing and provide a unique challenge.

Performance notes:
- Game has various bugs (weight 0.09): The game has multiple bugs, including sound effects issues, controller emulation problems, soft locks, and bugs requiring game restarts.
- Steam Deck compatibility issues (weight 0.09): The game has mixed compatibility with the Steam Deck. While it controls well, certain critical UI elements disappear when using the D-pad.
- Visual and audio issues (weight 0.09): There are problems with flashing lights, screen shaking, soundtrack issues, and SFX crashes.
- Input device technical issues (weight 0.04): The game has technical issues with both mouse/keyboard and controller inputs.
- High GPU requirements (weight 0.03): The minimum GPU requirements for the game seem excessively high.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for puzzle and visual novel fans (weight 0.37): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy nonogram puzzles, visual novels, and a mix of storytelling with puzzle-solving. It is particularly appealing to those who appreciate games like Ace Attorney and picross puzzles.
- Praised for story and characters (weight 0.09): Reviewers highlight the game's story, characters, and design as strong points, making it a worthwhile experience despite some repetitive music.
- Interest in sequels or DLC (weight 0.09): Many players expressed a strong interest in purchasing sequels or additional DLC if they were released, indicating a desire for more content.
- Recommended for casual interest (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for those with a casual interest in the genre or as a curiosity.
- Casual and nostalgic experience (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for players looking for a casual and nostalgic experience, suitable for killing time.
- Purchase recommendations (weight 0.06): Reviewers suggest buying the game on sale and considering bundles like the Murder Most Fowl Collection for additional discounts.
- Worth playing despite flaws (weight 0.06): Despite some issues like control problems and repetitive music, the game is still considered worth playing.
- Consider alternative games (weight 0.05): Some reviewers suggest that players might prefer other games like Phoenix Wright or pure Picross games instead of this one.
- Worth getting additional content (weight 0.03): The soundtrack and artbook DLC are considered worth purchasing for those interested in additional content.
- Advice for new players (weight 0.03): New players are advised to adjust the text display speed and avoid looking at screenshots to prevent spoilers.

Other player notes:
- Content warning for themes (weight 0.04): The game includes warnings about its content dealing with mature themes such as murder, violence, and other crimes.
- Warning about opening song volume (weight 0.03): The game provides a warning regarding the volume of the opening song, indicating it might be loud or sudden.
- Game gifted to reviewer (weight 0.03): Some reviewers received the game as a gift, which might influence their reviews.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.37): Players appreciate the blend of visual novel storytelling and picross/nonogram puzzles, along with engaging characters, a compelling story, and a memorable soundtrack. The combination of detective narrative and puzzle-solving, along with the game's art style and character designs, also contributes to the overall enjoyment.
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Players are frustrated with various gameplay issues such as the lack of quality-of-life features (e.g., undo button, skip dialogue), mandatory and difficult timed puzzles, and accessibility problems. Additionally, the disjointed progression between puzzles and story, as well as repetitive puzzles and unskippable timed parts, contribute to the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.16): Players feel disappointed due to the lack of meaningful choices, predictable plot, and the disconnect between the story and gameplay. The repetitive puzzles and the overall quality of the story and characters falling short of expectations also contribute to this disappointment.
- Joy (weight 0.09): Players find joy in the unique mix of genres, the charming characters, and the enjoyable story. The combination of puzzles, art, music, and the overall relaxing and fun experience contributes to their joy.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Players are satisfied with the well-designed puzzles that offer a range of difficulties and require logical thinking without trial and error. The good amount of content and effective puzzle-solving strategies also contribute to their satisfaction.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game for its engaging story, charming characters, and enjoyable puzzles. The combination of these elements creates a deeply enjoyable experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players are excited by the combination of visual novel elements with picross puzzles and the engaging story. The unique blend of genres and the puzzle mechanics generate a sense of excitement.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the high production value and the enjoyable story. The unexpected enjoyment of the visual novel aspects adds to their surprise.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to the repetitive puzzles and tracks, as well as the story losing its appeal by the halfway mark.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Players feel happiness from being able to get the game and surprisingly enjoying the visual novel aspects more than expected.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's plot and features, finding them engaging and well-executed.
- Attachment (weight 0.01): Players grew attached to the characters and enjoyed the character arcs, creating a sense of emotional investment.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players feel engaged due to the 'just one more puzzle' feeling, which keeps them immersed in the gameplay.}