STOVE Lounge

Dragon's Wrath caught 55 dinosaurs!
I got 0 Flakes as a challenge reward.
You have some good skills!
But aren't the real experts faster?

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Mr. Han Ga-han caught 53 dinosaurs!
I got 900 Flakes as a challenge reward.
You have some good skills!
But aren't the real experts faster?

👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Namblenaejwo-nim caught 60 dinosaurs!
I got 700 Flakes as a challenge reward.
You have some good skills!
But aren't the real experts faster?

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

The number of dinosaurs caught by the person who said "Nugabasajuseyo" is 53!
I got 500 Flakes as a challenge reward.
You have some good skills!
But aren't the real experts faster?

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Mr. Phil Fritz caught 77 dinosaurs!
I got 500 Flakes as a challenge reward.
You have some good skills!
But aren't the real experts faster?

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

Love Honey caught 114 dinosaurs!
I got 500 Flakes as a challenge reward.
Top Ranker Mode ON 👑
But you mustn't let your guard down!

🦕Catch the moving dinosaur
Take the challenge now!
👉 [Play on the Stove App]

『A masterpiece that combines the strengths of other mystery games 』

💎 First impressions of the game

Compared to 10 years ago, we often see Chinese games actively advancing into the domestic market these days.

In online games that are mainly PC-based, there are open-type RPGs such as Genshin Impact, Ming Dynasty, Star Rail, and Zenres Zone Zero.

Among games that are mainly mobile, subcultures such as Arknights, Mugimido, and Girls' Frontline 2 are exerting influence.

This is no exception in indie games.

Even if you just go to the Stove store page right now, games from Chinese developers like Sand of Salzar and Guigok Palhwang are immediately noticeable.

And the Yangtze River Murders game we're introducing today is also a game developed by Omegames Studio, a developer located in Beijing, China.

Actually, I don't really like Chinese indie games . I have some prejudice against them.

I don't like the sloppy movements, similar character artwork, and the composition that seems to be pushed towards the game's length.

This time too, before I started playing the game, I had that kind of prejudice.

And that prejudice was quickly erased shortly after starting the game.

Today I'm reviewing a Chinese mystery game (in a good way) , called "The Yangtze River Murders."

※ Due to the nature of the review, some spoilers from the early part of the game may be included.

⌚ Gameplay

『Originality and fun are separate stories 』

<Opening video showing beautiful visuals from the beginning>

The game begins with a spectacular opening in Chinese.

The visuals were impressive, with a bloody scene, a young man examining the traces left behind, and a scene connecting the dots.

Except for one thing, you can't see such good quality video anywhere else except when you start the game.

Well... if we try to understand it with a broad mind, it may have been difficult to include it due to time and money issues in indie games, but

Still, it's a bit disappointing when you consider the developer's ability to create such a great opening.

<The main character's visuals are also quite brilliant. It's hard to believe that it's a game aimed at women...>

And as the game started, I was really struck by the main character's appearance .

These days, it's hard to see male characters in games, and there aren't many cases where they're chosen for their good looks.

When I look at other female-oriented visual novel games, it's rare for the appearance to be to my taste, but I feel like the main character's appearance definitely stands out.

The game itself is not a game aimed at women, either in terms of genre or illustrations...

At this point, I would believe you if you told me that this was a new female-oriented game with just one trailer screenshot.

<Actually, the story is simple for a mystery game released this year. Even considering that it's only one chapter.>

Should I tell you a little bit about the story without giving away any spoilers?

In the very beginning, Chapter 1, the protagonist visits a writer and soon collapses.

And when he wakes up, he finds himself clutching a bloody knife in his hand, and at the same time, he is suspected of being the murderer by the investigators who barged in.

The door was locked before they broke in, so it was a closed room before they broke in.

"

The subject of a secret room may be a bit stale these days.

"

In fact, the condition of an incident taking place in a locked room is a material that is often used not only in detective games but also in comics.

Even in the Ace Attorney series, which has been around for 25 years since its first release, incidents in locked rooms have occurred frequently.

It often appears in classic mystery manga such as Detective Conan or Kindaichi, as well as in the somewhat minor manga QED.

So, what about the locked room? I couldn't help but think that it was a bit boring for a mystery game that came out recently .

<Investigators who accept logical approaches more easily than you might think, even though they may seem illogical>

The part that was surprisingly not boring was the investigators who appeared thanks to the setting being China in the late Qing Dynasty.

In fact, even though the job of a bureaucrat is civil service, there have been many cases where they appear as corrupt officials in dramas and other media.

It felt more like it was more about dealing with people appropriately rather than feeling logical .

However, the investigators in this game are lenient about the claims of the person who (in their opinion) appears to be the murderer.

In order to find the real culprit, he ends up hiring that person as a detective, which I found quite amusing.

Plus, I was pleasantly shocked by the way he pointed out flaws in logic and asked for evidence.

<The system of investigating the scene and finding clues is now a cliché in detective games>

To convince such a rational and logical investigator, you need to present solid evidence .

To do this, you need to investigate the scene and obtain clues one by one, and this method is now common in detective games.

In the previously reviewed Lumine Night, we collected circumstantial evidence one by one through conversations with witnesses.

In another game, Staffer Reborn, you experimented directly on the body of an old man or deduced the situation through conversation.

"

It is a universal method of solving a case through clues.

The fun of the mystery itself is certain.

"

But just because it's universal doesn't mean it's not fun.

Through the evidence discovered one by one, we find new clues to solve new questions, and through the chain of events connected in this way.

The thrill of the moment when a case is solved is a unique pleasure that is hard to find in other genres.

<The opportunities to provide clues are not endless>

And if you can just throw out random evidence when doing a deduction, the fun of the deduction is halved.

That's why the method of solving a problem by randomly presenting evidence without knowing the whole story of the incident will not work.

Of course, it is possible if you use the invincible method called Save & Load... but let's make that an exception.

In this game , there is a set number of times you can present evidence (although the number of times you can present evidence may vary depending on the timing).

You should have some sense of the overall story of the incident.

If you have experienced the previously mentioned Ace Attorney series, this system will be familiar to many of you.

Since it is a method that has already been verified, it is certain to increase the fun of reasoning.

<The fact that you can customize the main character's outfit to your own taste is a big advantage of this game>

Now, let's take a quick look at elements other than reasoning.

I personally liked the ability to change the main character's outfit .

In order to maintain immersion, most detective games often progress through the story with fixed costumes.

In this game, you can dress up your protagonist in any outfit you want.

Of course, there is a downside that it can ruin the immersion of the game, but you can also choose clothes that fit the scene.

Above all, I think that the fact that I can see my favorite characters in various forms more than compensates for these shortcomings.

<You can really get a feel of the late Qing Dynasty with illustrations and descriptions that you would see in ancient Chinese books>

And as you progress through the mystery, you may acquire clues or knowledge.

This is a different element from the mystery, but since the main character is active in China or other countries,

From the user's perspective, especially overseas users, there are many cases where they do not have sufficient prior knowledge.

For these users, game companies have introduced a method of knowledge acquisition.

We've added explanations with illustrations that fit the game to make it easier to understand the historical background or brief words that come up.

It may not be a very important part, but I like the way it is a little more considerate to the users.

📌 Game Review

『Highly recommended if you like mystery games

Even if it's not my taste, I'll at least try it... 』

In the introduction, I mentioned that there are many cases of Chinese games entering the domestic market.

If we look specifically at indie games among them, there is something in common across the board.

That's right, they benchmark the strengths of other games and apply them to their own games.

I remember giving a very similar review to what I just mentioned in my previous review of Sands of Salzar.

In fact, this method is not without its drawbacks.

Some users may say, "Where did they copy another game?", while others may say, "I've already experienced it, so I don't want to do it again."

What's great about taking something that works in other games can turn out to be a fatal flaw if it doesn't fit well with your game.

In that respect, this game makes good use of a good system in an appropriate way.

The gauges used in presenting evidence, the method of collecting evidence, the method of conducting reasoning, and so on are not new and are methods we have already seen elsewhere.

However, because it is used 'well and in an appropriate way', it can be felt as 'fun' no matter where you see it.

It's not a new game, but it's a game that provides the pleasure of mystery itself in a familiar way, "The Yangtze River Murder Case" !

▶ Go to store

A flake event prepared for those who read this review to the end!

Among those who leave comments below by Monday, June 16, we will select 10 people and give them 🎁 1,000 Flakes🎁 .

Thank you for your many comments!

thank you