Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder Demo

There’s something very relaxing about watching other people solve mysteries in TV shows, but it can be just as enjoyable having a more active part in the matter. Video games can be designed to put your imagination to the test as well, especially in terms of puzzles and riddles. A compromise must be reached when it comes to the difficulty level, however, otherwise players get too frustrated to see how the mystery unfolds.

Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder is an interactive visual novel that puts you in the middle of a juicy mystery involving murder, a cruise ship, ghosts and a temperamental detective with a sidekick. Humor appears to be the centerpiece of the game, since the story is far from original or groundbreaking, but it has the charm to keep you engaged until the end.   The plot revolves around a quirky detective by the name of Butler, who is investigating a cruise ship with a shady past. As it happens, the son of a wealthy CEO joins his investigation as well, and the two of them collect clues and gather information throughout the game. Another murder takes place in the meantime too, which makes things even more interesting.

Although the can be is mildly interactive every now and again, but don’t expect an actual point & click game with hardcore puzzles. Instead, most of the clues are found by the characters on their own, so your role is that of an observer most of the time. It’s still exciting to see the evidence make sense toward the end of the story, much like when you are reading a book.   As far as the graphics are concerned, you shouldn’t expect an awful lot in this regard, but the game does not disappoint in terms of character design and environments. It can fall a bit too flat sometimes, unfortunately, especially when it comes to background design and the washed out colors. The soundtrack is decent as well, and at least it doesn’t get on your nerves along the way.

In the end, Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder might just have what it takes to keep you engaged for a few hours, especially since the mystery gets more intriguing along the way. Hence, it certainly deserves a try from every visual novel fan, even more so since it’s free-to-play.