Release Date: July 21, 2023
A combination of an adventure, puzzle and hidden object game. Crime O'Clock puts us in the shoes of a time detective, examining different stages in search of clues and evidence to let us prevent crimes before they happen.
Crime O'Clock is a combination of an adventure, puzzle and hidden object game. It was developed by an Italian indie studio Bad Seed and published by Just for Games.
Crime O'Clock puts us in the shoes of a time detective tasked with preventing crimes before they can occur. All the minor investigations we carry out turn out to be connected to a massive intrigue spanning centuries.
The gameplay of Crime O'Clocktakes place on large stages shown from the top-down perspective. In order to solve the forty-something available cases we must carefully examine the stages in search for anomalies to prevent crimes, ranging from burglaries and thefts to murders. The further we progress, the more we learn about the game's overarching intrigue.
The cases are set in five different eras - Steam (featuring automatons and steam-powered technology), Atlantean (dominated by a highly developed, peaceful civilization), Information (set in Milan), Lost (hiding staggering technological wonders) and Aeon (a futuristic sci-fi world). Curiously, our actions in one era affect the stages in different eras.
The work of a time detective is, as you can see, rather challenging and easy to get lost in. Fortunately the player can always count on EVE, an advanced AI providing them with clues and useful tools, helping them find clues and evidence. Progressing through the game slowly upgrades EVE with new abilities.
The visuals of Crime O'Clock are simple and cartoonish. The stages are kept in a distinctive monochromatic color scheme, while the interface, highlighted objects and characters are brightly colored.
Platforms:
PC Windows
Nintendo Switch
Developer: Bad Seed
Publisher: Just for Games
System Requirements for Crime O'Clock Video Game:
PC / Windows
Minimum System Requirements:
Dual Core 1.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460 or better, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7 SP1 64-bit.
Game Ratings for Crime O'Clock Video Game.
GamingTrend: 70 / 100 by Corvo Rohwer
Preserving the true timeline alongside my AI companion was certainly an interesting investigation. Finding clues amongst the crowds was a simple yet entertaining gimmick, often making for enjoyable short play sessions. With a large amount of story missions alongside a decent free-play mode, there's definitely fun to be had even if the gameplay lacks complexity.
COGconnected: 65 / 100 by Jaz Sagoo
Crime O’Clock’s lovely art direction and charming premise can’t save the game from its repetitive gameplay loop. While at first, it delivers a wave of nostalgia, it soon drowns in its concept. Even though it’s extremely accessible and fun to play with others, it quickly loses momentum as it struggles to innovate on the idea.
Gaming Age: by Matthew Pollesel
Crime O’Clock shows that even within a genre like hidden object games, evolution is possible, and the end result is a lot of fun.