Detective Grimoire is back in The Mermaid Mask, the long-awaited new entry in the stylish comedy whodunnit series. After a seven-year wait, the game delivers a locked-room murder mystery set aboard a submarine, packed with witty dialogue, colourful characters, and clever puzzles.
A submarine full of secrets
Players take on the role of casually competent detective Grimoire and his sarcastic sidekick Sally. They are summoned to a submarine to solve the murder of its captain, Magnus Mortuga. The gameplay involves clicking around cluttered rooms, hearing comedic commentary, and examining objects by clicking and dragging to solve puzzles. For those on Nintendo Switch 2, mouse controls are useful but not comfortable for extended play.
Puzzles that flow naturally
Puzzles are never too taxing, offering variations on arranging objects to satisfy logical rules. Solving them usually opens a door or reveals a new object to examine, which can then be presented to suspects. The core of the game lies in fully voice-acted conversations with a cast of colourful characters. The music is less memorable than in Tangle Tower, so lowering its volume helps focus on the well-performed dialogue.
Memorable suspects and stylish moments
The suspects include Madam Tadpole, a buff, green-skinned woman with gills; Mariana Moon, an older woman with a keen sense of smell whose voice acting is muffled when she chews on her pipe; and Godric Gripp, a compass repairman with an anthropomorphised stick named Cornelius Cane. The game introduces stylish 3D animations to illustrate suspects' recollections, a noticeable addition since Tangle Tower.
Deduction mechanics refined
Solving mysteries involves forming hypotheses by filling sentence blanks with nouns and verbs, similar to Tangle Tower and other deduction games. The process is methodical: the inventory shows blank slots for missing objects, each topic addressed with a suspect gets a tick, and Grimoire and Sally indicate when enough clues are gathered. A bug where this unlocked prematurely was reported but is being fixed.
Pacing and conclusion
Some players may find the completion percentage approach formulaic, especially when pixel hunting for remaining clues. The pacing falters in the final chapter, which presents a literal checklist before tying up loose ends and making the final accusation. However, the conclusion is more satisfying than Tangle Tower's, and the game's strength lies in its twisty journey and humour. The Mermaid Mask is available now for £17.75 on PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PS5.
