The Mulldoon Murders

Baf's Guide

Puzzle-fest epilogue to the long and sprawling Mulldoon Legacy, set in some of the same locations. The puzzles in "Murders" are mostly quite ingenious, and several make good use of liquid simulations and heat and cold. A few seem a bit unfair, but there are not too many of those.

Mood is also strong: there's a sense of isolation and an ominous quality that tinge much of the game. It's not full-blown horror, exactly, but it is surreal and somewhat frightening, and grows more so as the plot progresses.

As story it's a little less successful. There was some newsgroup discussion about the meaning of the ending, but it doesn't seem to be universally obvious. (Some people speculated hopefully about a forthcoming Mulldoon III to tie off the ends.)

While it may be best as a follow-on to Legacy, Mulldoon Murders is playable even if you haven't played the first game. People who found Legacy dauntingly enormous may still enjoy this installment.

-- Emily Short