Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 261 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? Game Cover
Your family is bat-shit crazy, you’re guilted into spending time with them, and the only relative you like is your uncle Marcus. And now one of them has gone and poisoned him. Shit.
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"Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?" is a thrilling murder mystery game set around a family quiz. When Uncle Marcus reveals he's been poisoned, Abby becomes the prime suspect's target. Featuring a star-studded cast and shot in lockdown, the game challenges you to expose the killer before it's too late. From the creators of "The Complex," "Five Dates," "Night Book," and "Bloodshore." 'WISHLIST THE ISLE TIDE HOTEL' on Steam.

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Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 261 reviews
story39 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • Engaging story with a compelling mystery that keeps players wanting to uncover the truth.
  • Strong performances from the cast, adding depth and humor to the characters.
  • High replay value due to multiple endings and the need to gather clues through different playthroughs.
  • Gameplay can feel tedious as players must replay the game multiple times to gather enough evidence, leading to repetitive scenes.
  • The skip function for previously seen scenes is inconsistent, causing frustration during replays.
  • Dialogue choices often feel random and lack clear logic, making it difficult to deduce the correct paths to uncover clues.
  • story108 mentions

    The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its engaging and humorous elements, particularly in the context of a dysfunctional family and a murder mystery. However, many reviewers noted issues with pacing, repetitiveness, and a lack of clarity, leading to confusion and frustration during gameplay. Overall, while the writing and character development received some commendation, the execution often fell short, resulting in a narrative that could feel tedious and overly reliant on multiple playthroughs to fully appreciate.

    • “The pacing and acting are marvelous, and the story is genuinely interesting.”
    • “The story is fun, engaging, the characters are hilarious and just interesting to watch.”
    • “The humor made me laugh out loud many times and the story was actually really enjoyable.”
    • “The game could have given more time to get into the story.”
    • “The plot is pretty ridiculous as well.”
    • “The bad: the plot and game is severely limited by the fact that it was shot during COVID restrictions, so there aren't really any interactions between the characters.”
  • gameplay46 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, often feeling like it plays itself with minimal player agency. While some appreciate the unique style and humor, others find the mechanics tedious and repetitive, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Despite its interesting premise and engaging characters, the gameplay is often described as lacking intuitive design and meaningful choices, resulting in a less satisfying mystery-solving experience.

    • “Unique style of gameplay, very fun.”
    • “Good acting (except Marcus), interesting characters, good script, and simple, but fitting game mechanic.”
    • “The gameplay is quite nice; you get to question the family members in each round, and each one has a different outcome and evidence.”
    • “There is no skill to the gameplay, or the deduction since the game basically plays itself.”
    • “The experience leaves one feeling like the developers added gameplay as an afterthought.”
    • “However, the gameplay is like playing a slot machine: it’s all luck, no thought… just pull the arm and hope for the best.”
  • humor40 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging character interactions, and dark comedic elements, making it a highlight for many players. While some found the humor to be hit-or-miss, with certain characters being frustrating, the overall tone is described as entertaining and filled with sharp, satirical wit. The blend of absurdity and familial dysfunction resonates well with those who appreciate a cynical sense of humor, contributing to a memorable gaming experience.

    • “The writing was hilarious and the actors are superb.”
    • “The acting and the writing make this hilariously toxic family enjoyable to watch and explore.”
    • “Right off the bat: if you have a cynical sense of humor, and/or find familial dysfunction funny, then you will find this game hilarious.”
    • “I guess the game is supposed to be funny, but I mostly found it annoying.”
    • “The humor fell flat for me; it felt forced and unoriginal.”
    • “I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes were stale and predictable.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to frustration as they navigate convoluted dialogue paths and replay sections to uncover all evidence. While the murder mystery premise is engaging, the necessity to repeatedly grind through choices and scenes detracts from the overall enjoyment, making the experience feel like a slog rather than a rewarding sleuthing adventure. Some players note that the game can still be fun when played with friends, but the grind remains a significant drawback.

    • “I really want to like this game but as everyone else has said, having to repeat the game over and over and over and over to maybe get a new piece of evidence is too tedious.”
    • “Drab, tediously repetitive gameplay interspersed with hit-or-miss dialogue options that may or may not nudge the plot forwards with an obtuse crumb of information to keep you marginally nursed until your next, undoubtedly even more tedious and obtuse run, as your patience grows thinner by the minute with each replay rife with repetition.”
    • “What should be a game of sleuthing and deducing becomes a slog of grinding and guessing.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, providing a smooth experience despite its indoor, webcam-based setup. While the performances are generally strong and contribute positively to the overall experience, the writing and puzzle design are noted as mediocre, which may detract from immersion. Overall, the solid acting and intriguing story make it worth playing, even if some aspects could be improved.

    • “The game is well optimized.”
    • “There are some good performances, enjoyable twists, and a fun level of camp.”
    • “The interesting mystery, the relatively high production values (for a strictly indoors 'we all look into webcams' setup), and the competent performances make this game worth playing, even though the writing is at best mediocre.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, players find that games with multiple endings and engaging narratives offer high replayability, encouraging them to explore different outcomes. However, some titles, particularly in the whodunit genre, lack replay value due to a linear experience or the diminishing appeal after the initial playthrough. While short FMV games can provide replay incentives, they may lose their charm once the solutions are discovered.

    • “These endings add a level of replayability and make players feel more invested in the game.”
    • “These FMV games function pretty well in their short length with multiple endings; it does add to the replay value quite a bit because you won't be satisfied with just one ending.”
    • “+high replay value.”
    • “The replayability aspect of the whodunit just is not there.”
    • “You're very likely to fail on your first run, which leads into the second issue, the 'replayability'.”
    • “But on the other hand, once you do figure it out, the replay value is pretty well gone.”
  • graphics7 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some praise the slick 2D visuals and overall aesthetic, others criticize them as simple and uninspired. Despite the high-quality acting and audio, the visuals are seen as lacking depth and failing to enhance the storytelling experience.

    • “Acting is brilliant, and the 2D graphics are really slick, which simulate the situation well without being too tacky.”
    • “I love the acting and overall aesthetic of the game.”
    • “Great acting, audio, visuals -- all top notch.”
    • “Graphically, this isn't anything to write home about at all, but that's so far away from the point of the game that its UI may as well have been in Courier font with white boxes or dots where it existed at all, and I wouldn't throw shade at the game for it.”
    • “It's a little pity the developer didn't combine the plot with the music and graphic effects, so the story didn't have its ups and downs.”
    • “Since the writing is not that great and the visuals are very simple, I do not care for the good ending only by doing repeated work and not by playing a game, which is what it should be.”
  • music5 mentions

    The music in the game is described as subtle yet effective, enhancing the atmosphere and immersion during key moments. While it is not frequently used, when it does appear, it successfully sets the tone, although some reviewers felt that a stronger integration with the plot and visual effects could have elevated the overall experience.

    • “The music and atmosphere created the immersion.”
    • “The music and visual design worked for me too, and I liked the way the premise of the video call facilitated the information-gathering and secret conversations which could then be pieced together.”
    • “Music is used very subtly and sparingly, but to good effect.”
    • “It's a little pity the developer didn't combine the plot with the music and graphic effects, so the story didn't have its ups and downs.”
    • “Music is used very subtly and sparingly, but to a good effect.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game delivers a profound emotional experience, particularly during the initial playthrough, where players encounter impactful moments that evoke laughter, tears, and shock. While subsequent playthroughs may feel repetitive, the narrative effectively transitions from lightheartedness to intense emotional depth, particularly in key scenes.

    • “Emotional moments like surprised laughter, tears, or shock are all depicted believably.”
    • “The beginning of the story shows Uncle Marcus and Abby joking about the poisoning, but suddenly it becomes very serious, intense, and emotional.”
    • “You have to keep having the same or similar conversations to uncover more information, and really only the first playthrough hits you with the emotional shock.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only minor glitches reported, such as occasional video frame skipping and issues with the skip button not functioning properly on previously viewed scenes. However, the presence of a semi-buggy skip function helps mitigate some of these concerns.

    • “Luckily, they have a semi-buggy skip function that helps, but it was really hard to know what conversation choice I had already picked.”
    • “I only encountered a few very minor glitches, like the video sometimes skipping a few frames, and occasionally the skip button wouldn't work on scenes I had seen before.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    Reviewers highlight that the music significantly enhances the game's atmosphere, contributing to a deeply immersive experience.

    • “The music and atmosphere created an incredible sense of immersion.”
    • “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, drawing you into its world.”
    • “Every sound and visual detail contributes to an immersive atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
    • “The music and atmosphere created a sense of immersion.”
    • “The overall atmosphere felt flat and uninspired.”
    • “The game lacked any real atmosphere, making it hard to stay engaged.”
  • character development1 mentions

    While the game's narrative structure is praised, the writing and character design are seen as lacking, resulting in underwhelming character development.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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