Project VOID - Mystery Puzzles 9+

I’m not much of a puzzle game type of person. I got this app solely out of curiosity. But when you start playing, it turns a puzzle game into internet research of actual people/places/things. Next thing you know, you’re looking into old 1920s-50s newspaper articles for answers to puzzles and looking up historical figures that you may not have known before this app. I loveee learning about history, so that was right up my alley. Anyway, This is a very good detective-esque puzzle game that will probably have you addicted after the first few levels (if you’re anything like me, anyway).

The design of the app itself looks very sleek and is easy to navigate through. The in-app browser is a bless, and also makes the app much more immersive. The notes section is a lifesaver as well. There was some bad spelling and grammar in a few of the descriptions, but it almost seemed intentional.. As if to throw you off course from the solution and purposely use weird wordings to confuse you.

All in all, this is a fantastic app and a great way to get into the puzzle genre.

I appreciate all the work you’ve put into this, Dr. Quantum! (and by Dr. Quantum, I mean the developers lol. People who’ve played will understand 😆)

What’s wrong: If you know what ASCII and Caesar ciphers are, then that’s basically the what’s in store for you here as far as clues go. Because the clues are on images, you find yourself transcribing numbers and text from the images in a way that feels like busywork. You’re encouraged to Google things, but the game is popular enough now that all the clues have been Google bombed (i.e. Google will auto fill the clue and tell you the answer to many of them now). The in-game browser lacks page search and navigation is broken (the back button passes through taps and this mutes and unmutes sound rather than going back). Sometimes the browser crashes and displays strange iOS errors. I ended up paying to get rid of the ads right away as I really have no patience for the kind of ads they show. Since they show up super early and fairly often I really hadn’t even gotten a taste of the game yet.

What’s right: The in game browser is a thoughtful touch, as is the notes feature. There are hints of a clever storyline. The image viewer for clues does give a sense of immersion missing in other games of the genre.

Unfortunately I just can’t get through the tedium of the clues, but I’m glad to have supported the developers. I have a feeling they’ll be making better games in the future.

I am typically not one to leave reviews, but this game deserves it. There are plenty of complex solutions mixed in with some simpler ones as well, all which require some thinking outside the box.

Is it perfect? No, there are certainly some bugs with the in-game browser, however it doesn’t distract from the gameplay too much.

As for the advertisements, they are very generously placed and relatively short ads. The game does not force you to a thirty second ads every interaction/level. There are occasional ads here and there, which the developer(s) comically apologize for each time while the ad loads. Much better than the advertisement spam seen in many other similar puzzle games.

Overall, quite fun to play and am excited to check out Chapter Two! Thank you Dr. Q, when the clock is right, feel free to flag me down again :)