Whispers in the West - Co-op Murder Mystery
- July 25, 2023
- Infinite Whys
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Whispers in the West - Co-op Murder Mystery" is a point-and-click game for 1-4 players, set in the Old West. It offers online co-op and free play for friends using the Steam demo. The base game includes a tutorial, a mini-mystery, and two full cases, "The Portrait" and "The Break-in," where players must solve crimes and investigate mysterious events.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun co-op experience where players can work together to solve mysteries, enhancing the social aspect of gameplay.
- The art style and music create an engaging atmosphere that complements the Western theme, making the game visually appealing.
- Only one player needs to purchase the game for friends to join, making it accessible for groups without requiring everyone to buy a copy.
- The base game is very short, with limited content, and most of the additional scenarios are locked behind expensive DLC, leading to a feeling of being overpriced.
- The gameplay lacks depth, often reducing the detective work to simply identifying inconsistencies in dialogue without much challenge.
- Technical issues and bugs, such as soft locks and freezing, detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating for players.
- graphics16 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the low visual quality and simplistic 2D art that fails to meet modern standards, while others appreciate the unique art style and attention to detail that enhances the immersive experience. Despite the lack of advanced graphical options, certain players find the visuals appealing and fitting for the game's theme, particularly in the context of indie titles. Overall, the graphics may not satisfy those seeking cutting-edge visuals, but they resonate well with fans of the game's artistic direction.
“One of the first things you'll notice is the game's appealing graphical style.”
“The attention to detail in the graphics and sound design further enhanced the immersive experience, making me feel like I was truly a part of this mysterious world.”
“The graphics give you the perfect backdrop of an old western town, even the excitement in getting to pet the cat.”
“It's unclear if this is due to a lack of budget to arrange someone who can create graphical assets properly, or a lack of talent.”
“Regardless, the overall visual quality of the game is very low, beneath what PC gamers have come to expect in this era of cutting-edge photorealistic 3D graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a point-and-click detective experience that emphasizes dialogue and evidence collection, but many users find it shallow and lacking in depth, often feeling more like a browser game. While the core mechanics are straightforward and intuitive, the overall experience is criticized for being slow and repetitive, with some players noting that the multiplayer aspect adds little value. Despite its simplicity, fans of the genre may still appreciate the deductive reasoning elements and the well-composed music.
“The gameplay and storytelling is fine; it's a point-and-click detective game that requires a tiny bit of brainpower.”
“The game excels in its core detective mechanics, offering straightforward and intuitive gameplay.”
“All in all, despite the issues I had with it, I would definitely recommend this game as someone who loves detective games that highlight deductive reasoning but wants gameplay that is simple with not-too advanced graphics and answers that aren't fed to you.”
“Thankfully I bought this on sale for just under £4, but even the sale price isn't worth it for what little it gives you in terms of maps to play and actual gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very shallow and consists more of spamming all dialogue options than really 'solving a mystery'.”
“The gameplay is slow and boils down to talking to everyone, asking about other characters, and showing collected evidence with nothing else.”
- story14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its humorous and engaging narrative set in the wild west, while others criticize the high cost of additional content and the lack of guidance on character choices. Overall, it offers intriguing plots and character interactions that challenge players' detective skills, but the pricing model for DLC has left some feeling dissatisfied.
“One of the standout features is the game's humorous approach to storytelling and character interactions.”
“I loved trying to piece it all together and discovering new bits of the story based on what each character said, and seeing that some things didn't add up made me feel like a real detective!”
“The game's gripping narrative, set in the atmospheric wild west, follows a cleverly written plot with intriguing characters and unexpected twists.”
“Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
“☐ no story”
“All missions need to be paid as DLC, which makes the content very overpriced.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is generally considered low, with many reviewers noting its short duration and limited content. While the inclusion of multiple playable characters offers some variation in responses, the lack of progression and randomization diminishes the incentive to replay. Additionally, the high price of DLCs is criticized given the minimal replay value after completing the main content.
“With 4 different playable characters, the replay value of each case is increased as the townsfolk will give different responses to each of the characters.”
“The game is about 40 minutes long and has zero replayability.”
“While the base game provides a glimpse into its potential, the limited content and lack of progression or randomization can affect its replay value.”
“The DLCs are just a bit too pricey, especially since there's very little replay value once you solve the mystery.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for being well-composed and fitting seamlessly with the overall experience, enhancing the atmosphere and gameplay. Players find the tunes catchy and enjoyable, often leading to a desire to hum along long after playing. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“Catchy music that will make you want to kick your boots off and hum the tune all night.”
“Music is wonderfully composed, and the gameplay itself isn't too difficult to grasp.”
“Nice music and good mystery.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, with well-written characters and amusing dialogue that enhances the storytelling experience. Players enjoy the lighthearted interactions and find themselves laughing throughout the gameplay, contributing to an overall fun and engaging atmosphere.
“One of the standout features is the game's humorous approach to storytelling and character interactions.”
“When my friends and I played, we had so much fun laughing at the silly characters and splitting up to piece together all the evidence. We were sure we'd fail, but we managed to solve the mystery with seconds left to spare, which felt great!”
“Really enjoyed my time with Whispers in the West - all of the characters are well-written and the dialogue is pretty funny at times.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Whispers in the West" is highly praised for its immersive and rich presentation, effectively transporting players to a captivating wild west setting. The combination of a gripping narrative, intriguing characters, and unexpected plot twists enhances the overall experience, leaving players eager to explore further.
“'Whispers in the West' boasts an enthralling plot, immersing players in a rich and atmospheric world that leaves them eager to uncover the truth.”
“The game's gripping narrative, set in the atmospheric wild west, follows a cleverly written plot with intriguing characters and unexpected twists.”
“Nice presentation and atmosphere.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the emotional engagement of the game, highlighting how its manageable difficulty allows for a deeper exploration of the narrative and character interactions. This fosters a sense of accomplishment and immersion, as they piece together the story and uncover inconsistencies, enhancing their detective experience.
“I loved trying to piece it all together and discovering new bits of the story based on what each character said, and seeing that some things didn't add up made me feel like a real detective!”
“As an adult, this game isn’t particularly hard, which was nice because you got to enjoy the ride and it made me feel smart.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Whispers in the West - Co-op Murder Mystery" has been criticized as a cash grab, with a low initial price of around $5 USD that only covers a small portion of the game, suggesting additional costs for full access.
“Whispers in the West - Co-op Murder Mystery has a cash grab price of around $5 USD, but that's just for a small part of the game.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as essential content is locked behind paywalls.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features that should be included in the base game being sold as additional purchases.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have stability issues, including bugs that can prevent players from progressing, such as a co-op partner being locked out during the tutorial.
“It was also buggy - my co-op partner got locked out in the tutorial and couldn't pick up the package.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
