Mystery Falls

Mystery games require a certain degree of suspense and intrigue, which is not easy to obtain unless you have a great story to tell. Hence, it’s quite difficult to make the players wait in anticipation, especially with indie games. However, a stroke of genius is all it takes to capture someone’s attention, after which things go much smoother if you can follow the opening with something just as intriguing.

Mystery Falls is a top-down adventure game in which you play the role of an FBI agent investigating the disappearance of a girl. While the core gameplay mechanics are nothing out of the ordinary, the fact that you are free to roam around town unhindered and lead the investigation as you see fit means that you can have a lot of fun while you’re at it.

The story, the atmosphere and the characters are heavily inspired by the classic TV show Twin Peaks, which is obvious from the first few seconds of game. There are other clues as well, such as billboards that say “Damn good coffee!”, but there’s no doubt that the developer is a big fan of David Lynch’s show. On the other hand, the plot features different characters and a unique narrative, so it’s not actually a clone.

As mentioned before, you have to find your own way around the map, but there’s no minimap to guide you. Instead, you have to rely on your memory and directions from other characters to get from one place to the other. Thanks to this it is much easier to form a connection with the town, especially since you have to walk everywhere. On the other hand, players who lack patience might be a tad annoyed by this.

The graphics are not extraordinary either, especially when you consider the fact that they are as basic as possible. Even so, the artwork is quite expressive, especially when the imagery tries to copy Twin Peaks and present you with disturbing dream sequences. On top of that, the soundtrack is unique and quite powerful as well, although you need a lot of game time to come to a verdict on it.

In the end, Mystery Falls is a great homage to Twin Peaks, as well as an intriguing adventure game on its own. Thus, as long as you can cope with the plethora of inconveniences regarding the controls and the interface, Mystery Falls can certainly keep you busy for a long time.