Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny

About

Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny is a point-and-click adventure game where players assume the role of Federal Agent Nicole Bonnet, hunting down a vicious serial killer. The killer leaves a trail of clues in the form of cards, taunting Nicole and staying one step ahead. Players must search dangerous and macabre locations to find and decipher clues, ultimately bringing the killer to justice. The game features a tense plot with surprising turning points and takes players across different federal states.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny screenshot

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 135 reviews

story24 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

Engaging story with multiple locations and characters, making it a must for point-and-click adventure fans.
Improved graphics and atmosphere compared to previous titles, with a decent soundtrack that enhances the experience.
Challenging puzzles that require careful observation and item combination, providing a rewarding experience for dedicated players.

Frustrating gameplay due to poorly designed puzzles that often rely on trial and error, leading to tedious backtracking.
Awkward dialogue and voice acting, often resulting from poor translation, detracting from the overall immersion.
Slow character movement and clunky mechanics, making navigation and interaction cumbersome and less enjoyable.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
55%
9%
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and improved over previous installments, featuring interesting twists and a rich narrative. However, many criticized it for being convoluted, filled with plot holes, and poorly executed dialogue, which detracted from the overall experience. While some appreciated the character dynamics and settings, others felt the story was ultimately mediocre and lacked depth, making it difficult to stay invested.
- “I think the story is engaging too, leagues above the first two outings, has vibes of the Bone Collector, that Denzel Washington film from 1999.”
- “There were aspects of this game that were enjoyable: graphics were decent and the storyline was interesting with some twists and turns.”
- “The story is so much better than in previous games and the puzzles were engaging although rather easy.”
- “Also, the whole story as to why this whole thing happened seemed utterly forced.”
- “Bizarre, convoluted, nonsense story with plot-holes galore.”
- “It is a mean game all along, hating its main character, hating all the rest of the characters, giving you sudden deaths with no shame, like a game done by designers wanting to undermine the whole point-and-click adventure genre, making a decent story a chore to play with bad writing, bad characterization, bad design, bad puzzles, and annoying use of environments, which turns a generous length into a painful experience.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
31%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful and detailed visuals, improved graphic engine, and decent resolution. However, some players noted that the graphics feel outdated in certain aspects, and there are complaints about the inability to adapt resolution settings. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, they are not enough to elevate the gameplay experience for some users.
- “Beautiful graphics, mostly fair puzzles, thrilling soundtrack, characters and dialogues a bit under-developed, but a story which increased in tempo and tension and made you want to play to the end (an ending which itself was a bit weird, but nevermind).”
- “This is the 4th in the 'series' and is the best so far, better graphics, better story, better puzzles.”
- “+ great looking and detailed pre-rendered graphics”
- “The story is okay, but the gameplay is boring, the character moves very slowly, the graphics are old, the resolution can’t be adapted, etc. I won’t keep playing this game.”
- “All of this could be forgiven if the graphics, music, story, dialogue and plot were good, but alas, mediocre is the best I can say about it.”
- “Truly the trilogy is rich in story and content, but I miss this graphics era of gaming since I feel it looks great, we get so much but do not need or really worry about our computer's lack of space.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its excellent soundtrack and ability to create a tense atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience, particularly during key moments. While some reviewers noted that the background music can occasionally overshadow dialogue, it is still considered effective in setting the tone and contributing to the game's sense of danger. However, there are mixed feelings about the overall quality, with some describing it as merely "good enough" rather than outstanding.
- “The soundtrack is excellent and the atmosphere is really tense at times; the hair on the back of my neck was standing up while investigating the theater.”
- “Some highlights are still memorable, with great atmosphere, varied and fitting soundtrack.”
- “That said, I did really like the background music; I thought it helped set the tone and gave the game a sense of danger, particularly in the swamp.”
- “Edit: I must add that the voice acting is awful as well, not matching the tone of what the game is telling. The way it is designed, the main character is absolutely useless as an FBI agent, and it is almost a pity that a good work on graphics, videos, and above all, music is wasted on this mess.”
- “The background music also tends to drown out the dialogue, which can be quite frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
- “While the backgrounds, music, and pre-rendered cut-scenes are all well done, they can't compensate for the lack of engaging gameplay and character development.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
36%
43%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with many players finding it boring and slow, hindered by clunky mechanics and unbalanced puzzles. While some appreciated the graphics and interface, the overall experience is marred by a lack of intuitive flow and engaging elements, leading to frustration and a desire to stop playing.
- “The interface is a little bit clunky but it functions well enough not to interfere too much with gameplay.”
- “I would have liked to have seen a few achievements integrated into the game, but that is just personal preference and doesn't affect the gameplay at all.”
- “Gameplay was fine, graphics were good, puzzles were a little unbalanced (some too easy, some only solvable with save-scumming), which made the pacing a little awkward.”
- “The story is okay, but the gameplay is boring. The character moves very slowly, the graphics are old, and the resolution can’t be adapted. I won’t keep playing this game.”
- “My main issue is that it completely lacks intuitive gameplay; you won't get into the flow of the storyline.”
- “Bad story, bad mechanics, awful dialogues, and annoying puzzles.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious, particularly in the forensic tasks that require repetitive and drawn-out actions, such as scanning documents. This lack of flow and engaging gameplay leads to boredom, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the puzzle and crime-solving elements.
- “The game is insanely tedious; anything that can be dragged out seems to be so.”
- “Then you need to open it, then you need to place the paper inside, then you need to close it, then you need to press a button to scan it, then you need to open it again, then you need to reverse the paper, then you need to close it, then you need to press a button, then you need to open it again, take out the paper and finally close it... this is just to 'scan a document'... just give that a moment to sink in... this is just the process to scan the evidence, not even the tedious work of getting the item and putting it back afterwards.”
- “The forensic work is also tedious.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its tension and immersive qualities, with an excellent and varied soundtrack that enhances the experience. Players report memorable moments that evoke strong emotional responses, particularly during investigations in the theater. Overall, the game effectively creates a gripping and suspenseful environment.
- “The soundtrack is excellent and the atmosphere is really tense at times; the hair on the back of my neck was standing up while investigating the theater.”
- “Some highlights are still memorable, with great atmosphere and a varied, fitting soundtrack.”
- “The game does a pretty decent job of creating a tense atmosphere.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game appears to be unintentional, with players finding parts of the dialogue laughable, possibly due to translation issues. Additionally, some elements, like the concept of the FBI having a bomb-defusing room, are noted as amusing.
- “It's funny that the FBI bureau has its own bomb-defusing room.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its exceptional stability, with users reporting no technical or buggy issues, indicating a well-executed programming effort.

65%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny

10h Median play time

10h Average play time

10-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny

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PC Review - 'Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny'

PC Review - 'Art of Murder: Cards of Destiny'

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