Nine Noir Lives

About

"Nine Noir Lives" is a cinematic point-and-click adventure game centered around Cate Archer, a down-on-her-luck detective in a babylonian-noir city. With her unique ability to speak to cats, Cate unravels a mystery involving a series of disappearances and a shadowy organization. Utilize wit, charm, and feline companions to reveal the truth in this story-rich game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

story29 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game features excellent voice acting and a well-written, engaging story filled with humor and memorable characters.
The hand-drawn graphics are vibrant and charming, contributing to the overall enjoyable atmosphere of the game.
Puzzles are generally intuitive and not overly challenging, with a helpful hint system and the ability to switch difficulty modes.

The game suffers from excessive dialogue that can feel tedious and drawn out, sometimes interrupting the flow of gameplay.
Some puzzles are frustratingly illogical or require obscure solutions, leading to potential confusion and reliance on walkthroughs.
The controls can be cumbersome, particularly with the verb selection system, which detracts from the overall user experience.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging narrative, sharp humor, and well-developed characters, often likened to a compelling movie experience. While it successfully blends serious themes of crime and murder with comedic elements, some players found the pacing slow and certain dialogues excessive. Overall, the story is considered rich and thought-provoking, with a unique twist on classic noir tropes, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “This was a really enjoyable game with a well-written and engaging story, dialogues full of sharp humor and sarcasm, and music that perfectly fits the game's atmosphere.”
- “The story is way more serious and thoughtful than the art, snarky dialogue, comedy, and world it takes place in would have you believe.”
- “There's a story here, born of classic noir detective, that's equal parts fun and absurd, but deep, meaningful, and serious.”
- “There are huge swathes of what you're doing that are un-intuitive, and even with story mode turned on, there were times I had no idea what the game wanted me to do.”
- “Unfortunately, the weakest point for me would have to be the story.”
- “The game tries to be funny all the time, but I found most of the jokes really lame/childish and/or badly timed, the voice acting makes it even worse, and the story is told in a rather clumsy and boring way.”
humor
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging voice acting, and a mix of absurdity and wit that enhances the point-and-click experience. While some players find certain jokes hit or miss, the overall comedic tone, characterized by quirky dialogues and playful interactions (like licking objects), contributes to a fun and memorable atmosphere. However, the humor's juxtaposition with serious themes may not resonate with everyone, leading to mixed reactions regarding its effectiveness.
- “The voice acting is top-notch and the script is just too funny and clever.”
- “The humor is on point, the voice actors fit every single character, and the dialogue is never too much, always just right.”
- “The gameplay is typically that of a point & click game, but one of the actions consists of licking interactive elements, which adds a humorous depth to the gameplay and the game's world.”
- “Far too much crap chat and American humor that's not funny unless, of course, you are 5 years old!”
- “The negative comments about how there is too much exaggerated voice acting, the plot isn't compelling, or 'it's not funny' are unwarranted.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
44%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds, while some express a lack of enthusiasm for the character art style. Despite initial reservations, several reviewers noted that the visuals grew on them over time, and the overall aesthetic, combined with excellent voice acting, contributes positively to the game's atmosphere. While some found the art style inconsistent with the noir theme, others praised it as charming and fitting for the quirky narrative.
- “I love games with hand-drawn graphics, and although the style in this one isn’t my favorite, the vibrant colors make it pleasant to the eyes.”
- “The graphics are perfect, the characters are amazing, there are thousands of lines of dialogue, the voice acting is superb, and the story is on par with a good movie.”
- “The game grabs you by the scruff from the get-go and pulls you into a beautiful world with zany characters, great locales, and great visuals that suck you in.”
- “I wasn't a huge fan of the character art style, but once I got used to it, it didn't bother me, and I thought the backgrounds were very well done.”
- “At a glance, the art style isn't my favorite, and it is admittedly the main reason this game had been sitting in my wishlist for a long time.”
- “The graphics and especially the dialogue very much feel like throwbacks to early '10s games.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
27%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the noir atmosphere, featuring a solid soundtrack that includes a memorable piano theme. While some reviewers noted a desire for a more extensive soundtrack, the existing music effectively complements the engaging story and quirky characters, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience.
- “This was a really enjoyable game with a well-written and engaging story, dialogues full of sharp humor and sarcasm, and music that perfectly fits the game's atmosphere.”
- “The music is good; the noir piano theme that plays whenever you're in the start menu is really nice.”
- “Here the music all conveys that excellent noir vibe to every scene.”
- “So many smaller games ignore creating quality music, which is absurd as it’s critical to the game.”
- “The music does not match the tone of the game, making it feel disjointed and less immersive.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, which detracts from the overall experience.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click experience, enhanced by a unique and humorous mechanic involving licking interactive elements. However, the verb selection process is cumbersome, requiring players to cycle through options, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the engaging characters, dialogue, and atmosphere contribute positively to the gameplay, making it enjoyable overall.
- “The gameplay is typically that of a point & click game, but one of the actions consists of licking interactive elements, which adds a humorous depth to the gameplay and the game's world.”
- “But the characters, the dialogue, the gameplay, the graphics, and the atmosphere really made up for it, so I recommend it.”
- “Easy to use interface and smooth gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the verb selection mechanic itself is somewhat cumbersome as the verbs have to be cycled with right click or scroll wheel before they can be applied with left click.”
- “Most notably, the controls are way more annoying and tedious than the gameplay would excuse.”
- “I didn't mind as I liked the dialogue (mostly), but it did feel like it was being used to pad gameplay time.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances humor and emotional depth, featuring colorful characters that foster a strong connection with players. It combines whimsical worldbuilding with poignant themes, exploring the emotional impact of loss, resulting in moments that evoke both laughter and tears. Overall, the writing is praised for its ability to elicit genuine emotional responses.
- “A lot of the comedy genuinely made me laugh and made me feel closer to the characters, as all of them had such colorful and unique personalities.”
- “But what I got was whimsical worldbuilding juxtaposed with a surprisingly grounded exploration of the emotional toll of a person dying.”
- “The game made me laugh more than once and even shed a tear, which was very unexpected.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be boring and tedious, often exacerbated by frustrating controls and forced humor. While the puzzles are easy, the overall experience can feel monotonous, leading to a mixed reception regarding the game's enjoyment.
- “Boring and tedious, spiked with forced humor.”
- “Tedious.”
- “Most notably, the controls are way more annoying and tedious than the gameplay would excuse.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging noir aesthetic, complemented by sharp humor, jazzy music, and well-drawn environments. Players appreciate the combination of quirky characters and a captivating storyline that enhances the overall experience, making it a must-play for fans of the genre.
- “This was a really enjoyable game with a well-written and engaging story, dialogues full of sharp humor and sarcasm, and music that perfectly fits the game's atmosphere.”
- “If you love a detective noir atmosphere with jazzy music, fun quirky characters, and great art style, you will definitely vibe with this game.”
- “All the places you visit are so well drawn and convey the noir atmosphere of this world.”
- “But the characters, the dialogue, the gameplay, the graphics, and the atmosphere really made up for it, so I recommend it.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character design of the cats, highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances the overall appeal of the game.