Another day, another asymmetric co-op puzzle game review from me and Gaz. This time we got together to tackle some comic book-based sleuthing in Unboxing the Cryptic Killer, from Polish developers, Eleven Puzzles, who kindly sent us copies of the game to play while we wait for their next release, Parallel Experiment, which later launched in June.
The game is the start of what will become an ongoing story surrounding a pair of detectives, the flame-haired Scot, Ally, and the grizzled veteran from Poland, Old Dog, and their pursuit of a deranged murderer, known as ‘The Cryptic Killer’. Things kick off with Ally and Old Dog about to bust the killer at an old warehouse, but things quickly go awry, and the detectives have to think quickly to keep from two more names being added to the list of The Cryptic Killer’s victims.
In a strange departure from our norm, Gaz and I found ourselves in disagreement about the game very early on, with some rather differing opinions on the game’s art style. While I wouldn’t claim that it’s my favourite, I can get behind its indie comic book stylings, with things hand-drawn in a consistent style and splashed in a slew of bold colours. Gaz, however, was significantly less enthusiastic about the presentation, feeling that the visuals lacked polish and feared they might put off some players who might be concerned about the production values. I think in gambling, they call that ‘a push’.
Once you make it to the game proper, each player is given their half of the puzzle, and it’s down to you to work together to unravel the riddles laid out by the psychotic fugitive. As always in these types of games, communication is key, and that’s where the only real downside of Unboxing the Cryptic Killer shows up, in that there’s no dedicated in-game chat function. Instead, the game suggests that you use Discord to voice chat, with Eleven Puzzles also offering a link to their dedicated channel for anyone who might be searching for a Player Two.
And while I’m never thrilled about a game requiring some additional app to play (looking at you, Splatoon), I have to admit that this is a quick and simple fix that worked without any fuss for us, but it’s fair to say that there will be a little more faff for players who aren’t already signed up to Discord. That said, not investing in dedicated in-game chat will have certainly helped to keep production costs down, especially since the game is fully cross-play between PC, Android and iOS (where you probably already have plenty of voice chat options).
The puzzles themselves are well designed and take on a variety of different formats and solution styles throughout. Each ‘level’ is presented as a box full of puzzles (hence the title of the game), and with each success, you’ll unearth one digit to a combination lock, which, once completed, allows you access to the next boxful of problems. Most of the puzzles take only a few minutes of conflab to unpick, though a few of the more awkward ones take twice that, even for players who have played a lot of similar titles before. There’s a hint system available for anyone who gets stuck, though Gaz and I did manage to grind our way through the game without ever needing it. There’s also a really handy feature that allows you to toggle on and off ‘Drawing Mode’; this lets you scribble notes all over your screen in red pen, which can be incredibly handy in piecing things together without having to scrabble around in the kitchen drawers for paper and a fully working pen.
With the heavy use of cyphers and locks, I have a feeling that the folks at Eleven Puzzles are avid real life escape room goers, as almost all of the puzzles feel grounded in what would be possible in a bricks and mortar escape room, rather than anything overly elaborate or fantastical. The overall theme feels plausible enough that it’s easy to engage with the story, though it does walk a pretty well-worn road, with the ultra-intelligent serial killer trope absolutely in the forefront. (Perhaps it was my recent series binge last Halloween, but Saw would seem to be a pretty heavy inspiration, without any of the nasty gristle and gore.)
It took the VGamingNews sleuths about 90-minutes to unbox The Cryptic Killer, which about replicates a real life escape room in length, just without anywhere near the price tag. Yes, you’re only getting a couple of hours of play time, but the game only costs a couple of quid, and this ‘buy and immediately consume’ format gave me some pretty big Blockbuster movie rental nostalgia, where you can inexpensively pick something up that you can start and finish in a single sitting. Once it was all said and done, we both agreed that it had been an enjoyable little experience, and it was certainly more enjoyable than being parked in front of another few episodes of TV for the same period.
But the thing is, it’s all played rather safely. While there’s not a lot to criticise about Unboxing the Cryptic Killer, there isn’t a huge amount to recommend either. Neither of us were grumpy at how things played out, but neither of us would especially ring the bell for others to go out and try it either. To paraphrase Gaz’s parting thoughts as we logged off, “It’s fine. It’s a bit like a ham sandwich and a glass of water when I’m hungry; it’ll do the job, but it’s not what I’m rushing for at a buffet…” An unorthodox description, for sure – but I certainly can’t argue with his sentiments! If co-op puzzle games are your jam and you haven’t played the genre to death, think about giving this one a go. Or don’t. Your existence will very likely continue on the same path either way.
Unboxing the Cryptic Killer is an enjoyable little co-op puzzler that’ll let you wile away a couple of hours with a partner, should you want a short break from yet another true crime documentary on Netflix. While the art style might not be for everyone, the puzzle design is solid, and the game doesn’t hold your hand until you ask it to, which makes for a moderate and fun challenge. But, despite no major knocks to report, there’s nothing especially noteworthy either. All told, Unboxing the Cryptic Killer is the gaming equivalent of a ‘straight-to-DVD’ movie (remember those?) – it’s inoffensive and entertaining enough, but it isn’t especially memorable one way or the other.
Recommendation Score
In the interest of full disclosure, VGamingNews was provided with a copy of the game in order to conduct this review.
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