A solid follow-up with a “refined” UI (which I’m still not sure whether I like) and quality-of-life “improvements” (which I didn’t really feel necessary), atop weaker storytelling and puzzle design. The mystery unfolds a bit too predictably, and some puzzles feel like busywork rather than meaningful deduction. Still enjoyable, but an unfortunate step down.

New DLC for The Case of the Golden Idol has been released, which is a good opportunity to shout out what was one of the best, most slept on releases of 2022. It’s called The Lemurian Vampire and it I can’t wait to get stuck into it. And if you like detective games and haven’t played Golden Idol, what are you waiting for?

Cleverly expands on what Obra Dinn did with the genre while painting a gripping story. Doesn’t waste your time or rely on gamey logic. Extremely hard to pull off, but it’s been done wonderfully here.