Criminal Archives: Alphabetic Murders Collector's Edition > iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac & PC Game

Overall rating

5 / 5

11 of 13 found this review helpful

There are noch Ghosts needed ...

PostedApril 9, 2023

Old_Sepp

fromAhrensburg, Germany

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Time Management

Current Favorite:

Mystery Case Files: The Dalimar Legacy Collector's Edition

(82)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

because this exciting thriller á la Agatha Christie is really gripping until you finally know who the killer is. Our detective is busy collecting the evidence.
It's all wrapped up in appropriate, sometimes even spooky graphics that set the right mood.
The varied HOs are very entertaining. The mini-games are well mixed, some of them are pretty tough for my liking. I had to use the solution tip ...Show more

because this exciting thriller á la Agatha Christie is really gripping until you finally know who the killer is. Our detective is busy collecting the evidence.
It's all wrapped up in appropriate, sometimes even spooky graphics that set the right mood.
The varied HOs are very entertaining. The mini-games are well mixed, some of them are pretty tough for my liking. I had to use the solution tip twice because I just couldn't figure it out. Well, I guess I'll never be an expert.
The game also entertained me very well due to the appealing length and I wasn't bored for a moment. What I liked best was that it's one of the few games lately where I haven't been bothered by bugs. Show less

I recommend this game!

+9points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

7 of 9 found this review helpful

ABC MURDERS FOR ME!!!

PostedApril 19, 2023

1955raven

fromPelzer SC

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Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Puzzle, Word

Current Favorite:

Ms. Holmes: The Case of the Dancing Men Collector's Edition

(19)

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

SUSPENSEFUL,GREAT STORYLINE, SCENES MUSIC,VERY WELL DONE! I ENJOINING THIS ONE VERY MUCH! HOPE TO SEE MORE LIKE THIS!!!

I recommend this game!

+5points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

4 of 4 found this review helpful

She was there.

PostedJune 7, 2023

RPgames

fromNM

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Puzzle

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Very well done game. The background graphics were excellent. One goes through looking for clues and items to help though out the game. Most were not to hard to find but some were like what is this for which is a good thing I think otherwise it would be easy and sort of boring.
I did hit the help button when I didn't understand what is going on but quickly realize it was not as hard as I ...Show more

Very well done game. The background graphics were excellent. One goes through looking for clues and items to help though out the game. Most were not to hard to find but some were like what is this for which is a good thing I think otherwise it would be easy and sort of boring.
I did hit the help button when I didn't understand what is going on but quickly realize it was not as hard as I thought.
The bonus game was just as good as the main game so two games in one .
Being a Collector's Edition one has some bonus items to find in each scene with most not to hard to find. There were a couple that took me some time but I ended up finding them. The last one was the hardest to find and smallest.
Try the free bonus part and if you like the game buy it as you will like the rest of the game.
Not spooky at all I think.
Review done after completing the game and bonus game. Show less

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

88 of 152 found this review helpful

SOLVING THIS CASE WILL BE AS EASY AS ABC

PostedApril 1, 2023

sunnyglow

from“Shepfir:” I love learning new vocabulary words from Domini Games. Never have seen the word “shepfir” before. According to this game, “shepfir” is a fabric used to make “cheapie” clothes, ones that cause a rash. Watch out for the shepfir label!

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My time - around 12 hours)

Our crime detective turned novelist returns in a second whodunit. Three people have been murdered and the only things the murders have in common is that the victims were killed in alphabetical order. Although the murders seem unconnected, further investigation will disclose ...Show more

REVIEW BASED UPON THE ENTIRE GAME
4 Chapters Plus a Bonus Chapter – Strategy Guide: 47 pages (My time - around 12 hours)

Our crime detective turned novelist returns in a second whodunit. Three people have been murdered and the only things the murders have in common is that the victims were killed in alphabetical order. Although the murders seem unconnected, further investigation will disclose hidden ties between all three. An actor, a dress boutique owner, and a businessman are the victims; however, what ties them together? Travel to various locations throughout the city on a lengthy investigation to locate the culprit(s) behind the murders. However, with your experience, detective, solving this case should be as easy as ABC!

This is a lengthy game, one that is as long as many adventure games which I play. This game took me around 12 hours to play, perhaps even longer. It is chock full of activities. Domini Games always provides spectacular games, providing those extras that none of the other developers provide. This game will not appeal to everyone. It is a little more challenging than games from other HOPA game developers, including other Domini games. This is not an “easy breezy” game. I even found some the HOP scenes somewhat challenging. I like the theme of the story but some of the threads do not tie together in this game. I still do not see the connection between the murderer and the actor nor the boutique owner. The actor disappears and is not even mentioned after the second chapter. I am still trying to figure out the connection, but after reading my notes, I still don’t see any. I am also delighted I could play the game without glitches as in some other of this developer’s games. Overall, to me, this is one of Domini’s better games. It does become tedious to play in some parts; however, I play HOPA games for the puzzles, and this one is chock full of them.

The framework of this game is the same as in Domini’s other games. There are three (3) collectibles. There are fifteen (15) morphing pieces of evidence and fifteen (15) miniatures of inventions. There are also seventy (70) brooches to be collected which are used to exchange for items in a boudoir. Returning is the sidebar on the left side which indicates the number of collectibles which have been located plus lights up when one of them is within a scene or in a close up from the scene. The difficulty for the puzzles can be set in the menu; yet can be changed while playing the puzzle if it turns out the puzzle is too easy or too hard. I also love the optional extra footage within the game. The player can play this footage by visiting an extra room with extra puzzles or HOP scenes. However, the player can opt out as well and skip the extras. There are three extra rooms in this game – one is Arnold Adams’ workshop. The second is a bedroom belong to the Willoughby girls and the third is in the bonus chapter which is Fred Jones’ office.

MECHANICS:
• Four (4) levels of play including a customized version.
• 38 achievements.
• Collect 15 morphing pieces of evidence and 15 invention miniatures.
• Collect 70 brooches which can be exchanged for items to place within a boudoir.
• 15 Wallpapers along with concept art, music, and video sequences.
• Replay 23 HOP scenes and 21 mini-games.

BONUS CHAPTER: It is a sequel. Our crime novelist returns on a follow-up to the main game. Fred Jones, from the main game has taken over his father’s fashion house. He has become famous, even outfitting the famous actress, Whitney Winslow. However, this actress is suing him for developing an allergy from the type of material he used in making the dress. Fred vows that he is not the blame for the dress causing the allergy as he ordered only the finest material to create it. It appears someone altered the material used in the dress. Now, you must investigate who is behind this switch. This is a nice sequel to the main game and this chapter is long as well. There are six (6) HOP scenes and twelve (12) mini-games. And although Domini changed Fred’s name from Jones to Johnson in the bonus chapter, this minor error did not decrease the quality of the chapter.

HOP SCENES AND MINI-GAMES: There are twenty-three (23) HOP scenes, all of which can be replayed upon completion of the games. As stated previously, I found some of the scenes puzzle-like and difficult. In many the player must combine an item with some other item within the scene to remove it. Some of the items are also in the dark or hard to see. Some are also well-hidden There is a nice variety of scenes as well including standard lists of items, silhouette, and matching. There are also narrative scenes with highlighted items which add to the storyline of the game. There is a spot-the-differences scene and a couple of search-and-replace scenes in which items are either placed into the scene in the proper location or searched for and then returned to the scene in the right location.

There are thirty-five (35) mini-games, twenty-one (21) of which an be replayed upon completion of the game. Most of the puzzles are available to be played in either an easy or hard variation. There is quite a variety of mini-games and some of the hard variations are challenging.

SPOILERS: HERE ARE SOME OF THE 35 MINI-GAMES FROM THIS GAME:

A. E/H. Connection puzzle. On a grid, use a water drop as a magnet to connect all flames to it within the grid The hard version has more flames to connect
B. E/H. Cryptic puzzle. Enter a word password into a lock via clues around the safe. Letters in separate grids allude to the letters needed to open the lock. The hard version has more letters to decipher.
C. Switch puzzle. Switch spools of thread so no threads cross each other.
D. E/H. Switch puzzle. On a grid, switch neighboring pieces to recreate an image. The hard version has more pieces to switch.
E. E/H. Physical puzzle. Click on 3 levers when 2 sliders reach a green area on a sliding scale. The slider on the hard version moves faster.
F. E/H. Click on matching bales of hay wrapped in wire. If a match is underneath another bale, it cannot be matched until the bale above it is matched. The hard version has more bales to match.
G. Maze puzzle. Get a chip to the exit while avoiding obstacles. Use arrows and do it in the dark.
H. E/H. Paint by number. In this case, paint by symbol. The easy version provides 6 paints, the hard has only 3 and the player must create the other paints by combining them together.
BONUS CHAPTER:
I. E/H. Rotate and place pieces of a key into position. The easy version allows the player to rotate the fragments. The hard rotates them randomly.
J. Connection puzzle. Place fragments with prongs into slots so that all connect with each other. The easy version has less pieces to connect.
K. E/H. Maze puzzle. Go through the city through alleyways. Look for items which can be used within the maze as well. Show less

I recommend this game!

+24points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

14 of 24 found this review helpful

Criminal Archives: Alphabetic Murders Collector's Edition

PostedApril 2, 2023

andrewhow122

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Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

I enjoy playing games by this developer. I enjoy playing games based on crime

I recommend this game!

+4points

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Overall rating

5 / 5

5 of 12 found this review helpful

loved it!

PostedApril 2, 2023

gemi76

Skill Level:Expert

Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object

Fun Factor

5 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

5 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

Cant wait for another!! I love Dom games anyway tho! I am a bright scenery type of gal =)

I recommend this game!

-2points

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Overall rating

4 / 5

13 of 13 found this review helpful

Dreaded Lock and Chain on the Hops

PostedApril 8, 2023

MajesticSunset

fromUSA

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Skill Level:Intermediate

Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object

Current Favorite:

Mystery Case Files: The Dalimar Legacy Collector's Edition

(82)

Fun Factor

4 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

5 / 5

The dreaded lock and chain on the hops really takes down my enjoyment of your games. I don't like the scramble words in a hop either. The hops with the sewing patterns would of been good if it was side by side instead of from memory. I like my hops easier.

I have problem with your sounds too. I turn down the music, effects, environment and turn the voice all the way up and I can barely hear ...Show more

The dreaded lock and chain on the hops really takes down my enjoyment of your games. I don't like the scramble words in a hop either. The hops with the sewing patterns would of been good if it was side by side instead of from memory. I like my hops easier.

I have problem with your sounds too. I turn down the music, effects, environment and turn the voice all the way up and I can barely hear the voices. It's like the voices are tided into the music. Terrible. Don't like the shrilly sound of entering places so that's why I turn down the effects.

Also in the opening scene the presser foot is facing away from the person, that isn't how sewing machines are made.

On the art it gets a A+. Liked the paint by number and found a few mgs I liked. Liked the Extras and the story line of a fashion house.

Has 4 chapters + bonus. Replay 21 movies, 23 hops, 21 mgs and 5 music. Has 15 wallpapers and 15 concept art. Still has characters on the wallpaper which I won't use. I like just pretty scenes. Found 70 Brooches, 15 morphing evidences and 15 Invention miniatures. Has better sizes. Nice Boudoir. Show less

+13points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

58 of 87 found this review helpful

THIS GAME IS SO GENERIC THE NAME PLATE ON MY DESK JUST SAYS "CRIME REPORTER"

PostedApril 1, 2023

pennmom36

fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

3 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

3 / 5

Storyline

3 / 5

Completed Game in about 7.0 hours
22 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner

"Solving this case is as easy as ABC" couldn't be a more accurate statement! Put yourself on auto-pilot and start clicking to figure out why someone is murdering people in alphabetical order. You know what to do, Fix that leaky steam pipe, fix that wheelbarrow blocking your path so you ...Show more

Completed Game in about 7.0 hours
22 Main Game Scene Locations +9 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner

"Solving this case is as easy as ABC" couldn't be a more accurate statement! Put yourself on auto-pilot and start clicking to figure out why someone is murdering people in alphabetical order. You know what to do, Fix that leaky steam pipe, fix that wheelbarrow blocking your path so you can expose that freshly dug pile of dirt, look for a coin screwdriver, use that cork as a handle, find something to clean up the pile of glass shards, find matching motif's to open drawers, prop up that sofa that is missing a leg, (why would a sofa be missing one leg in the 1st place?) use something to rip out stitches because someone decided to sew something into the lining of a brand new coat. Of course, you will need that hairpin spoke the detective endowed you with! The murderer will be pretty easy to spot in a crowd; just look for someone wearing a cloaked hoodie! When you get finished with all these tasks....don't worry; chapter two will give you another chance to complete the same tasks, lather, rinse, repeat!?!

DIALOGUE CHOICES:
If the game isn't boring you out of your mind, you can opt for extended gameplay via Conversation Choices. The story itself will not be affected if you opt out, but if you opt in, you will get an extra quest with additional puzzles and HO scenes. This option would be amazing if the tasks weren't so cliche and repetitive. Can you imagine this feature in a game like Lost Lands?!

COLLECTIBLES/MORPHING OBJECTS (CE version only)
Can't they come up with anything different to add or change? Okay, in all fairness, they did change one of the collectibles in the last game to 14 versus the usual 15 per game! Does that count as a change? There are 15 Miniature Invention items, 15 Morphing Evidence items, and 70 Zoom Zone Broaches that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Boudoir items. I'm sorry, but purchasing 15 Boudoir items such as a hat or a dollhouse just screams, "we don't really care about this CE extra, but BF makes us add them" Is it because you don't care what the player thinks, or you just don't want to have to recode a game to make the collectibles more appealing?

HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES:
WOW! They have really lowered the standards on a lot of these HO scenes! Several of the HO scenes are identical to the scenes offered in their simple HOGs (Connected Worlds & The Intersection of Worlds) This is where they list 3 words at a time, some of which are x3 (multiple's of the same object) and as the player finds an item, another listed word takes its place. If you have played the HOGs mentioned above, you will realize that the objects aren't hidden, and the HO scene is over within seconds! There are also Interactive Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Spot the Differences, Find & Replace, and Keywords in Sentence Finds. Many of the scenes are dark, which makes it difficult to recognize objects...I don't consider this to be "challenging" just because they have poor graphics! The HO scenes are located in uninteresting and very typical locations. They were so boring that I opted to play the Alternate Match 3 game which was slightly less boring.

ALTERNATE MATCH 3 GAME:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene. NOTHING has changed in this Match 3 game for decades! Not only are the icons & features exactly the same in every match 3 game, but you cannot make consecutive matches quickly because you have to wait for all tiles to stop falling before you can make the next match.

MINI-GAMES:
They did try to add a few new games, one of which I just couldn't figure out why my solution wasn't correct when sliding icons to the correct spot according to the clue shown. I finally referred to the SG where they were showing the placement of one of the icons, which was nowhere near the location of the clue shown. All the other icons were correct and did match the clue shown, so the only thing I can figure out is that it was a glitch of some sort. I really enjoyed the Key puzzle; although there have been several variations of this game in the past, it was still fun to swap key sections on the left & right to align 2 sections because the sections that matched were hidden behind a panel.

BONUS CHAPTER (CE Version Only)
In the Bonus Chapter, you play as Fred Jones, a character from the main chapter who is being sued by a famous actress who claims Mr. Jones used inferior materials that caused an allergic reaction. There are 10 additional Mini-Games and 6 Hidden Object Scenes taking place over 9 additional scene locations. You will continue searching for the final 5 Morphing Evidence items, 4 Miniature Inventions, and 9 Zoom Zone Broaches that are used to purchase the final items in the Boudoir.

COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAS: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 21 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 21 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Miniature Invention items, 15 Morphing Evidence items, and 70 Zoom Zone Broaches that are used to purchase 15 uninteresting Boudoir items, 4 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.

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I don't recommend this game.

+29points

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Overall rating

3 / 5

32 of 54 found this review helpful

Get Busy With A New Mystery

PostedApril 1, 2023

HeavenBound7729

fromOcala, Florida

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Skill Level:Expert

Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

4 / 5

Level of Challenge

5 / 5

Storyline

4 / 5

Good storyline but where is it? The demo didn't offer much. Loved the graphics as I usually do in Domini games. The lone character in the demo looked and sounded great, more natural than usual but Ms. Watson mostly leaned up against a wall in the theater. Hopefully others will be rendered well, too. Zero character activity in the demo.

Something I never like is finding ridiculous things in ...Show more

Good storyline but where is it? The demo didn't offer much. Loved the graphics as I usually do in Domini games. The lone character in the demo looked and sounded great, more natural than usual but Ms. Watson mostly leaned up against a wall in the theater. Hopefully others will be rendered well, too. Zero character activity in the demo.

Something I never like is finding ridiculous things in weird places, all needed in my tasks. Lots of that here. Also the lock and chain drops down after several unsuccessful clicks. I hate that. You will not find items easily. The first HOPS was a good example due to the theater being very dark, items very small and hard to recognize. This is the first time the cursor hand didn't bug me. Without it I never would've found most of the items.

The scenes were all dark and made moving through the demo a drag. I think the game will be slow and tedious making it much longer than necessary. I found it difficult to realize where to use inventory items. Wasn't clear to me because they just didn't make sense, so that slowed me down. It was annoying. I guess I'm thinking too logically. Outside the theater was more of the same. I forced myself to continue, quitting with 10 minutes remaining.

The game felt uncomfortable which is an odd feeling, not fun. Everything seemed unclear as to the crime, suspects, connections between characters. Not much story to follow in the demo to indicate any kind of mystery I would want to spend time investigating. Maybe the game picks up later with a good adventure ahead.

I felt the whole time I was in a dead zone, not inspired to continue. Another no-buy for me but others may find it fun and worthwhile. Another reviewer mentioned 12 hours long. Wow! That's just too much for me but good news for many other gamers. Also mentioned was more than usual challenge. I love challenge but not the kind presented here with dark scenes, small items and tedium. I hope you find a good time with this game, it just didn't have the right stuff for me. Show less

I recommend this game!

+10points

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Overall rating

2 / 5

Mega bad confusing game

PostedMay 25, 2024

Morrigan1961

fromAachen-Germany

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Fun Factor

2 / 5

Visual/Sound Quality

3 / 5

Level of Challenge

2 / 5

Storyline

2 / 5

The length of the game is quite long. With the bonus game, and I played very few hidden object and mini-games, it took me almost 6 hours.I found the game boring and long-winded, without tension, so it wasn't fun to play.
Hidden object games with objects that are difficult to find, some of which are not related to the affiliation. Mini-games are so poorly explained that I either didn't play them ...Show more

The length of the game is quite long. With the bonus game, and I played very few hidden object and mini-games, it took me almost 6 hours.I found the game boring and long-winded, without tension, so it wasn't fun to play.
Hidden object games with objects that are difficult to find, some of which are not related to the affiliation. Mini-games are so poorly explained that I either didn't play them at all or explained them to myself.I didn't understand the game right from the start because there were a lot of names that were no longer visible later in the game.
Sorry, it wasn't my game. Show less

I don't recommend this game.

0points

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