Murder Diaries

About

In Murder Diaries, you play as a free-floating entity, exploring atmospheric landscapes and abstract environments to unravel a thrilling murder mystery. As you collect pieces of the story, experience the narrative of a young man's life, revealing a chilling tale filled with blood and mystery. This unique game combines storytelling with aerial exploration for a captivating experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

music3 positive mentions

The game features an interesting plot and unique storytelling approach, allowing players to experience a narrative from the perspective of the killer.
The soundtrack is well-chosen and enhances the atmosphere, providing an emotional backdrop to the gameplay.
The graphics, while inconsistent, have moments of creativity and imagination that can be visually appealing.

The gameplay is monotonous and lacks depth, consisting mainly of flying through hoops to trigger narration without any real challenge or engagement.
The story is linear and predictable, with little to no twists or revelations, making it feel unoriginal and unexciting.
Controls are limited and frustrating, with no mouse support and poor camera mechanics that hinder the overall experience.

story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
The story is criticized for being short, predictable, and lacking depth, with no significant twists or engaging elements. Players navigate through a linear narrative delivered in a monotonous style, which fails to evoke any emotional response, making the overall experience feel aimless and uninspired. Despite its attempt at a unique perspective on a murder story, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a forgettable and minimal effort narrative.
- “Bow instruments, a piano, and vocalizations from a choir create a carpet of emotions that is sorely absent from the story, and the piece ends with a rock ballad e-guitar that comes across as really powerful after the mostly sad tunes that precede it.”
- “Our task is to collect some fragments of the story and finally investigate a murder.”
- “The story is so short and pointless that it's impossible to talk about it without 'spoiling' anything, but it's also so predictable that I don't think knowing the plot changes anything for potential players.”
- “This story is narrated to you by the protagonist itself in 200 voiced lines that are drip-fed to you, with pauses after each line, over the course of 2 hours.”
- “It's a minimal-effort attempt at a narrative-focused game with paltry gameplay, similar to what Dear Esther did, but with a completely linear story.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The gameplay is criticized for being monotonous and lacking depth, primarily involving slow navigation through 3D spaces and passing through hoops, which many find boring and pointless. While some appreciate the relaxing nature of the gameplay, it is generally viewed as minimal and uninspired, with a lack of engaging mechanics and usability features. Overall, the gameplay fails to elevate the experience, especially when paired with a weak narrative and unattractive environments.
- “Nice music and relaxing gameplay.”
- “But on the other hand, I enjoyed the gameplay, although it is not very diverse.”
- “While I did not run into any gameplay bugs, I did notice that my mouse pointer was somewhere on the screen all the time, constantly reminding me of how useful it would be to have actual mouse controls in this game.”
- “We are witnessing an amazing symmetry of form and function here, as the gameplay is exactly as pointless and boring as the story: you are flying slowly through various 3D spaces and have to pass through 200 hoops.”
- “It's a minimal-effort attempt at a narrative-focused game with paltry gameplay, similar to what Dear Esther did, but with a completely linear story.”
- “Unfortunately, this does not work when the story is dreadful, the environments are ugly, the one gameplay mechanic is mind-numbingly boring, and standard usability/accessibility features are completely absent.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some users describing them as "deplorably bad" and lacking in options, while others note that they are "nice" and contribute positively to the overall experience. Despite the criticism, the soundtrack is highlighted as a strong point, suggesting that the visual quality may not detract significantly from the game's appeal.
- “Pros: interesting plot, good graphics, well-chosen soundtrack”
- “The game has a well-chosen soundtrack, nice graphics, the game was played in one gulp.”
- “Good graphics”
- “While the graphics are deplorably bad, and sound effects are almost non-existent, the music is probably one of the game's strongest suits.”
- “There are exactly two graphics options: a resolution selector, and a 'quality' setting with 6 presets that all look terrible.”
- “Of course the game doesn't bother with superfluous luxury settings like a brightness slider - I mean, why would anyone want to actually see the graphics in all their ugliness?”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The music in the game is widely praised as one of its strongest features, with a well-chosen soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the relaxing gameplay complemented by the music, despite criticisms of the graphics and sound effects. The audio options allow for customizable volume settings, further enhancing the enjoyment of the soundtrack.
- “Also, the music is my favorite part of the game :)”
- “Nice music and relaxing gameplay.”
- “While the graphics are deplorably bad, and sound effects are almost non-existent, the music is probably one of the game's strongest suits.”
- “The audio options consist of separate volume sliders for music, effects, and master volume (voice is notably absent here).”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, effectively blending elements of mystery and intrigue that enhance the detective experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a captivating environment that draws them into the narrative.
- “The game creates an incredibly immersive atmosphere that pulls you into its world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
- “The atmospheric design is so rich and layered, it feels like you're living in a noir film.”