Castle: Never Judge a Book by its Cover

About

"Castle: Never Judge a Book by its Cover" is a first-person puzzle-adventure game. You play as a young boy who must navigate a mysterious castle, solving complex puzzles and uncovering hidden secrets. Along the way, you'll encounter seemingly ordinary objects that hold unexpected powers, challenging you to think creatively and redefine your perception of reality. Exploration and problem-solving are key in this immersive, atmospheric experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Castle: Never Judge a Book by its Cover screenshot

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 107 reviews

story21 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game captures the essence of the Castle TV series, with familiar characters and settings that fans will appreciate.
The puzzles are varied and can be genuinely challenging, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy problem-solving.
The storyline is engaging and reminiscent of an actual episode of Castle, making it enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with the show.

The game suffers from illogical item usage and backtracking, often requiring players to find mundane objects in unrealistic scenarios.
There is a lack of voice acting, which detracts from the immersion and overall experience, leaving the game feeling flat.
Some puzzles are frustratingly difficult or poorly explained, leading to a reliance on the skip feature rather than genuine problem-solving.

story
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
61%
5%
The story received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and well-written, reminiscent of an episode from the TV series, while others criticized it for being straightforward, predictable, and lacking depth. Many noted that the character development was weak and the dialogue flat, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, a few players appreciated the plot twists and the detective elements, suggesting that fans of the genre might still find it enjoyable.
- “The story is quite good for the genre, and I am left both satisfied and wanting more.”
- “I found the story compelling and I love these types of games.”
- “The story is excellent, and the game is really like an episode of the series Castle.”
- “There isn't the spirit of the series; the characters don't feel like themselves, the dialogues are flat and boring, the music is standard and doesn't suit the atmosphere of the castle, and the quests are very stupid.”
- “Without spoiling it, I will say that it was obvious from very early on what the situation was and who the killer was - the story doesn't do anything clever with it and comes to a boring and obvious conclusion.”
- “For a game based on a TV series with pretty decent storylines, and featuring a professional author, it commits the ultimate sin of 'poor storytelling', and that's the final nail in the coffin.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The gameplay is a mix of hidden object mechanics and puzzles, offering a casual adventure experience that some players found engaging despite its lack of finesse. While the game features fresh puzzles and unique elements like suspect interrogations, it suffers from a lack of depth and reliance on a hint system that can diminish the challenge. Overall, players appreciated the story and the acceptable gameplay duration, but noted that the mechanics could feel repetitive and somewhat disconnected from the narrative context.
- “I liked the extra gameplay elements like doing the lab work and the way you interrogate the suspects.”
- “Very nice casual adventure with puzzles and hidden object gameplay.”
- “For what it is, it kept me engaged during all of the gameplay.”
- “But the gameplay is terrible.”
- “While the story could be converted into an episode, the gameplay is the standard one: list of items and puzzles.”
- “Most of the game is spent playing the missing objects mechanic whereby you pick out a small list of items from a large screen full of stuff.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers noting that it lacks the spirit and character of the original series' soundtrack. Critics pointed out the absence of the iconic theme song and the repetitive, dull background music that fails to enhance the atmosphere. Overall, the music is described as inadequate and not reflective of the show's vibrant score, leaving players disappointed.
- “It also has very few faults, if you even want to call them faults... the music scores/themes are well done.”
- “Music may repeat itself from time to time entering a new cast but you can overcome that, so far best crime solving game ever!”
- “Written, designed and soundtracked well enough; features a good deal of hidden objects scenes and puzzles, though they are rather stereotyped, and a piece of literature and science education.”
- “The music is dull and from what I can recall, only 1 track.”
- “And the repetitive background music got old the first two minutes.”
- “The entire game takes place in virtual silence, with some barely adequate, low-key synth music to fill the void of all the text boxes as the characters 'talk'.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the crisp and detailed artwork that enhances the hidden object scenes, while others criticize the choppy performance and simplistic designs. Many players appreciate the respectful representation of characters from the show, though some find the overall aesthetic to be minimal and lacking in engagement. Overall, the graphics are considered above average by some, but inconsistent in quality and execution.
- “The artwork is crisp and beautifully drawn and detailed, making the actual hidden object scenes a pleasure to complete.”
- “The graphics and storyline were nice.”
- “The detective story is good, graphics above average, item usage makes sense (mostly) and puzzles are entertaining, although sometimes really hard.”
- “Annoying puzzles, choppy graphics even on my 1080...”
- “The graphics were average and the game itself a bit bland.”
- “Artwork (whilst decent for most of it, and an okay representation of the actors in the show) is very minimal, often having the characters awkwardly staring out of the screen instead of at each other in certain scenes.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is polarizing; while some players appreciate the beautiful graphics and find it reminiscent of the series' silliness, others feel it lacks the spirit of the original, with flat dialogues and standard music that fail to enhance the experience. Overall, it offers a mix of enjoyable elements and shortcomings, making it a decent choice for fans of hidden object games.
- “The atmosphere reminded me a lot of the silliness of the show, and it was just an easy, simple game to play.”
- “Apart from this small issue, I found that the game was entertaining, had some hard puzzles in it (for me at least) and a dozen very easy puzzles :) It has a nice atmosphere due to the beautiful graphics, and I can recommend this game to anyone who likes a hidden object game with a nice storyline to it.”
- “+ very similar to the series - atmosphere, setting, dialogue”
- “There isn't the spirit of the series; the characters don't feel like themselves, the dialogues are flat and boring, the music is standard and doesn't suit the atmosphere of the castle. The quests are very stupid.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the hidden object segments, which can become repetitive. While some enjoy the gameplay, the cheesy dialogue and the overall experience can wear thin quickly, though the inclusion of skip and hint features provides some relief.
- “Which is tedious.”
- “I enjoyed the basic hidden object segments but found some of the cheesy dialogue a bit tedious.”
- “A bit 'where's Waldo', but fine, although this does get tedious rather fast.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report stability issues, particularly when activating hints in areas without clear hotspots, leading to glitches that cause the game to cycle between screens repeatedly until the hint expires.
- “Unfortunately, if you activate it in an area with no obvious hotspot, the hint glitches out between screens, sending you back and forth until it runs out.”
- “The game crashes frequently, especially during key moments, making it frustrating to progress.”
- “I've experienced multiple instances where the game freezes, forcing me to restart and lose my progress.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is criticized for being absent, as the text conversations fail to capture the charm and wit of the original show.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over the lack of quality in voice work, script, and puzzles, suggesting that the game prioritizes profit over player experience.
- “If they'd gotten the cast to do voice work and had a better script and better puzzles, this could have been a great castle game, but as it stands, it's just a cheaply thrown together cash grab.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's frustrating that so many features are locked behind paywalls, making it feel like the game is more focused on profit than player experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features enjoyable puzzles and familiar elements from the TV series, but its lackluster sound, animation, and storytelling result in a brief experience that offers little to no replayability.
- “To summarize: the game has some fun little puzzles and recognizable scenes/characters from the TV series, but the lack of good sound, animation, and poor storytelling make it very bland. The short, limited story is too brief, with no hope of any kind of replayability.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's really no incentive to go back. The story is too linear and doesn't change with different choices, making replayability almost nonexistent.”
- “While the initial playthrough was enjoyable, I found that there was little to discover on subsequent runs. The lack of varied outcomes or hidden content really diminishes the replay value.”