Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze

Writing and art are excellent, and the game feels like a real Miss Fisher story.

But this is an extremely poor mobile port. There's no graphic settings at all (not even a windowed mode or a resolution toggle), I ran into numerous bugs, no voice acting... the achievements are fine, as is the collection, but it's all very basic.

This has the worst interface of any visual novel I've ever played. Absolutely no sense of actually being in control of the game. When you click on the coloured words sometimes a little window pops up, other times... it doesn't. And why can't I see the entire scene to be examined at once instead of that horrible zoomed in view (probably because this was multi-platform... LOL)! And to top it off, the way any new text appears is very unappealing (even after turning the horrendous wavering effects off... wow, one a whooping TWO options in the menu)! You literally cannot decide whether you want to continue the previous game OR start a new one (which you likely might have to as there are branching achievement paths and NO SAVE SLOTS) – that option is hidden (!) in the load/save menu accessible only after you indeed continue. What the hell were they thinking! Next time use that same software all other visual novels use, look it up damn it!

The deductions quickly got on my nerves to the point I was just combining anything with anything else (I did like that they put custom messages for almost all of those possibilities in!), still not succeeding and having to look up the actual solution on Youtube. Pfff

Other than that, it was a pretty decent Ace Attorney trilogy clone with its own little atmosphere (if none of the humour of that game). But episode 3 got cancelled, so the story doesn't have a conclusion and there's really NO reason for anybody to buy this now.

A good foray into Miss Fisher's Universe and a solid adventure, I only wish they had more chapters especially at the given price point. Perhaps trying the phone version may be more enjoyable to some people, other than that it is a solid romp.

Really charming cozy mystery, integrating the Miss Fisher characters with a new puzzle to solve. Challenging without being frustrating.

Classical who-done-it.
Love the whole approach to this game, the idea's, and the era. Great time and very similar to Murder In The Alps.
Full of suspense, with twists and turns around every corner.
The changing of the clothes reminds me a lot of Mata Hari game.
Good locations and scenery. Interesting story lines.

Honestly one of the best games I've played. I'm a huge story-rich nerd so this game gave me a pretty fun time. Although I have not read any of the novels, the TV series was one of my favorites to watch so the existence of this game gave me a huge serotonin boost. It's a point & click game so it's not very time sensitive; all of you who are anxiety prone can relax with this one. I'm definitely looking forward to future episodes if they ever add more!

If you are a fan of Phryne Fisher through either the book series or the television series, you'll love this game. I have enjoyed the Australian made 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' television series for years and I was delighted to get another chance to experience this world again, this time through a game. I'm not a huge fan of the visual novel genre, but this had a little more going for it having some point & click adventure game elements such as an inventory you can interact with and some hidden object type mini-games. There are several choices you can make throughout the game that will change certain elements of the story but it's not enough to really make for an enjoyable replay.

The graphics, writing and music manage to capture the essence of the show really well. One of my favorite elements is actually collecting all Phryne's clothing items. Her outfits are, in-game, as amazing as they always are in the show and it's more fun than it should be to change her outfits for the various outings. There's no voice acting done in the game but it's easy to imagine the dialogue being said in the same voices from the show.

The puzzles in the game are few and far between but are relatively easy. Putting together clues is sometimes a bit annoying because even if you can see where something is going you still have to wait for specific clue pieces before Miss Fisher realizes it in the game. I found the clues and deduction system to be a little clunky, but overall effective for the game.

This game has 36 achievements that you can earn. There are many that are story unlocked with each chapter and then there are quite a few related to collecting Phyrne's outfits. A few are related to specific story choices and there are several related to different endings. Collecting them all means playing through the game multiple times as it's difficult to manipulate the save slot to experience the different endings and story branches. For the most part those choices don't change the overall story which can make it feel more like a chore. If the story changed more based on the different choices replaying for missed achievements and different endings might have felt much less tedious.

The biggest and only real drawback to this game in my opinion is that it was released as episodes. It contains two episodes each designed to be a self contained mystery with an overall story arc link. While I don't mind that it was created that way, only two of what would have had to be three or more episodes were ever made. That leaves the story arc unresolved and feels pretty frustrating, but finishing each chapter that is available still feels rewarding.

If you are already a Miss Fisher fan, you don't need my review to convince you to buy this game, the franchise already speaks to you and you know you'll probably like it. If you've never watched or read Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, maybe experience it first to see if you like the franchise overall, that's really going to be the best gauge as to whether you like the game. If you love visual novels and period detective pieces... you'll probably enjoy this whether or not your already familiar with Miss Fisher or not.

I always loved to watch Miss Fisher series. She is strong, has great personality, independent. Together with Dot, her assistant, they solve murders mysteries. This game could not be a greater adaptation of what the series is all about. This game is based on point-and-click adventures, a gameplay style that works really well with detective mysteries. Unfortunately, the game has only episodes I and II, that do not conclude the main story behind all cases. However, for those that likes detective stories, and with great characters, I strongly recommend. The main feature of the game is that you can flirt with Jack, one of the main aspects that I really like on the series. Also, the game has some collectibles, i.e., you pick in several locations pieces of Miss Fisher's dresses. It is fun that you can really change her outfit after picking all the pieces. This game is soooooo charming.

I cannot recommend this dated and dull murder mystery. Controls are not friendly to the PC and the main point of the game seems more to be hunting for hidden dresses than solving anything. The deduce model is woefully underemployed and the lack of freedom is suffocating.
The source material is a TV show which I hadn't heard of and therefore I can only conclude that this appeals to fans of that show. That being said I would have expected voice performances rather than the text (so hard to skip?) and audio rubbish that this game gives.
Overall totally unsatisfactory and not a surprise the third wasn't made.

This game is a really faithful adaptation of the Miss Fisher series, and I love so much that it exists! Fans will appreciate the attention to detail, from the quirky animation of the opening jazz sequence to the witty repartee between the beloved characters. Being able to dress Miss Fisher (always divine in her 1920s get-ups) was an unexpected delight. For non-fans, this is also an enjoyable, low-stress adventure game with a compelling story and item-search elements. If a third season is created (as I very much hope), there is room to improve the function whereby Phryne puts clues together in order to deduct a solution - the combinations are not always the most logically linked.

Beautifully crafted, fun stories &sassy lady detective that we all love. Grat work by the developers - they really brought the character and and fun of the tv serise into this game!

For fans of the TV series, this carries the story on and keeps well to the feeling of the show. There is a lot of dialogue and reading. If you like to read and enjoy character development this is for you. If you generally skip dialogue boxes and don't care much about story, look elsewhere. There is some deduction but the overwhelming focus is on story. The artwork is good and the interface is mostly good. I enjoyed it.

Absolutely love this! I'm a huge fan of the series and really enjoyed this game. There are only 2 episodes so far unfortunately, but if there were a crowd funding of some sort (patreon, kickstarter, etc), I would happily contribute to see more episodes. Character dialogue choices felt perfect and the use of music from the show had me immersed. 10/10 for me

All I had to read was "Miss Fisher" and I was sold. Game is as charming as the show and the art is beautiful. Runs really well and I enjoy every moment. Really bummed there doesn't seem to be any movement on episode 3 though! (PLEASE GIVE ME MORE ADVENTURES!!!)

A charming mystery game, maybe halfway between visual novel and point-and-click adventure, that captures the feel of the TV series very well. If you're familiar with the source material you'll probably know whether you want to play a game where you flirt with Jack and collect outfits for Phryne to wear. The game uses fairly limited animation, which is acceptable but can be slightly distracting when it's trying to convey different physical actions (look out for the endearingly shoddy way it recreates the dancing legs bit from the title sequence).

Note that this takes place after season 3 of the TV series. There are spoilers, especially for the end of season 1 but pretty much for the entire series in terms of character relationships. (It came out before Crypt of Tears and it doesn't really seem like they're intended to be in continuity together, but game maybe goes between series and movie.)

Note also that it's unfinished. There was at least a third episode planned which wasn't released, and the titular "deathly maze" never even appears. You get two self-contained mysteries but the overarching plot unfortunately ends unresolved.

I find it amazing that on Steam you can find such a variety of games. Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze is a cosy little crime game with a very nice story and beautiful graphical expression true to the television series aesthetics. If you are a fan of Miss Fisher and crime novels like Agatha Christie, this game is for you. I hope there is another chapter of this coming along.

A treat for series fans, and not a bad mystery game overall, if you can get over the atrocious engine.

6.5/10

First off, I must admit I'm a huge fan of Miss Fisher series, murder mysteries, and point&click games. So I'm the demographic bullseye here. But I was also very wary and prepared for a huge disappointment, a cheap cash-grab with no substance.
Well, it's not as bad as all that. It still is a bit of a cash-grab, you can tell, especially with the game's terrible engine. It doesn't play like a "normal" P&C adventure, where you have characters on screen all the time and talk to them or examine things at your leisure. Here, you have an empty background and several menus which offer you actions - talk, examine etc. - which means you never know who is there until you choose the talk action, and you're forever clicking through the menus to get at stuff to actually *do*.
It's especially bad with the "examine" action, which requires you to get at the menu, choose "examine," then find a thing to examine, then watch Miss Fisher popping up on the background to deliver her line and disappearing, at which point you're back at the beginning and have to repeat this process for every object in a location.
Speaking of characters popping up, they do just that - every character has three static poses in which they are drawn, and switches between them like a cardboard cutout. They also pop up and disappear and overall behave like something out of a children's game.
However, the actual art is very nice (even though they managed to make Miss Fisher even thinner than she already was) and the soundtrack is not bad. There is no voice acting, though, and that's a shame, because voices would bring a lot of life to the cutout characters.
Overall, the engine feels like it was cribbed off of some simplistic edu-game for basic school, especially since it does tend to lead you along the plot. But that's basically the worst you can say about this game.

Now for the good: the dialogue is decent, sometimes even reaching the quality of the actual series, which is a big compliment. There are several quintessential Miss Fisher moments (such as when she's piloting a plane and has to drop weight - and you have to choose which *hat* to sacrifice) . Characters stay in character. At the end of a case, Miss Fisher delivers a summary which at several points requires you to choose the next line, testing your understanding of the case, which is a very nice touch.

The game comes with two scenarios, and the second one is much better than the first - set in Broome among the pearl divers and exploring the (horrifying) history of the Colonial Australian pearl industry, it could have been a perfectly good episode of the series.

If this exact content was done with a "normal" point & click adventure engine, it would be one of my favourite games, ever. As it is, it's still fun, but there's room for improvement.

An enjoyable murder mystery game based on the popular TV series.
There are two cases (one double-part case if you are pedantic) to work thru and a set of 36 achievements to complete. Question witnesses and search locations for clues/info, then put the pieces together. The game is well set out and looks really smart on screen.
The only minor drawback was that the game seemed a little slow-paced at times.
A real pity that Tin Man Games were unable to produce more titles in this series. Good vfm at the price.

An average game, but for fans of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries TV show it is a must-have!
Although there is NO voice acting in this game, it is very easy to imagine our favourite characters reading these lines.

Pros:
- The artwork is spot on and the characters are true to the tv show, even though they get less screentime in this game.
- Simple linear storyline but the player chooses where to go, who to talk to, etc.
- No punishments for wrong guesses in the "deduction" screen, and no wrong choices in the entire game. This is a blessing in games like this, as otherwise I find myself wrought with anxiety and double guessing myself. (Don't fear, even if you get everything wrong when the mystery is solved, you will still find out what happened and will not be left hanging.)

Cons:
- Only one save slot, which means you usually have to replay the entire episode to try out other options or to get certain achievements.
- There is no audio dialogue, only written.
- Unfortunately the writing is a bit lacklustre. Minor things such as doubling up words, missing words, and using the wrong pronouns rather often. To a level that makes me wonder if they proof-read it before publishing the game.
- The sound effects are a little bit... off.

Other:
- The second part of the game is noticeably evolved from the first part, featuring changes to the "examine" ability, and the addition of simple "hidden object" games in strategic parts of the story.
- The game ends with an indication that the over-arching story will continue in the 3rd act, but sadly the developers have had to announce that there will be no part 3.
I list this as an "other" rather than "con", because each of the two parts in this game stand alone and are perfectly enjoyable as is. Also we see a resolution to Foyle's evil schemes in the tv show, so only those who haven't watched the show should feel a sense of frustration and feel that the story is unresolved.

It's hard to describe the gameplay, it's mostly reading but in each scene, you will have the option to examine the location for more clues or items for Miss Fisher's wardrobe - which are some of the achievements if you get them all. You also click on a choice of clues - choose two out of about a max of 10 to make deductions to move the story forward. The second case also introduces about 3 hidden object scenes which if you complete, it goes towards the clothing achievement but you can also skip it if you aren't interested.

There are two different cases at the present time (E3 is coming but don't know how many is planned) and the second case is the better one in terms of gameplay and more choices in story although the choices are only minor differences as both cases are mostly linear.

I am a fan of the TV series Miss Fisher and if you have watched a few episodes then I think you'd appreciate it more - understand the characters and the differences and who they are etc. Although even if you haven't and won't get the nuances of the story, it doesn't matter that much and if you like a good mystery and like reading then I think you will really enjoy this game.

I'm not dyslexic so can't comment if it works or not but I thought having the option to use normal font or dyslexic font was good.

The writing was good, well edited and true to the characters. Although there are no voiceovers, the good dialogue brought the characters to life, true to the TV characters. I haven't read any of the books so I can't comment in relation to the books. The music was the same as the credit music in the tv series and nice period background music and atmospheric music at the right places.

There is an autosave and one manual save game slot and if you want all achievements you will remember to use the manual save slot and if you look at achievements can work out when to save or you would have to replay the 2nd episode about 5 times.

Although I felt the story was strong and good enough on it's own for a game it was really good they had the examine scenes and the deductions as it kept the gameplay varied and fresh and the deductions just make sure you are following the story and keeps you more engaged. They are easy so don't worry that it could be like some of the Sherlock Holmes deduction boards, it's not.

I loved the gameplay, the stories, the characters and can't wait for the next episode. Much deserved awards and well done for having unique gameplay experience. So if you want a relaxing easy game, love mysteries then I really recommend it.

Ginger’s Games Curator page

This is an episodic casual adventure based on the Miss Fischer books and TV show. If you are fan of either I really recommend picking this up as the mysteries here are very well told and it really captures the snappy spirit of the show.

All art for all the major characters in the game are based on the actors who portray them in the TV show and it's quite well done. There isn't a lot of animation (Hey it's an $8 game) but each character has poses for different emotions that help convey their lines quite well. The writing is good and really matches the tone of the show, it's hard not to read the dialogue in the voices of the characters from the show. The actual murders themselves are engaging and get you interested in moving from suspect to suspect, trying to find who the guilty party is. The music helps the atmosphere by being period appropriate and matches the tone of each scene well.

The gameplay has Phryne, sometimes accompanied by Dot or Jack, wandering around locations and speaking to characters in order to get clues to the case she is on. From time to time she will have to make deductions by matching up two contradictory clues from the clues she has found so far in order to move forward.

There are two episodes so far, with more to follow.

Episode 1, Murder at the Opera, takes takes place in Melboure and involves a murder at an opera and that has Phryne moving around Melbourne trying to uncover the killer and their motive. The mystery is good and I quite liked this episode. It can feel a little linear, but the pace is brisk. It's around two hours long, give or take.

Episode 2, Cleopatra's Curse, takes Phryne and Dot to Broome where they have to solve murder of a pearl diver. This episode was great. I enjoyed the first one but this one was even better. It's less linear than the first one and there a few choices you can make that will impact a certain part of the ending. The action will also switch back to Melbourne from time to time where you play as Jack who is working to help Phryne with the larger mystery at play that links the two episodes together. This one is longer too at around two and half hours.

Each episode has its own self contained murder to solve, but there is a compelling overaching mystery that Im really looking forward to seeing the conclussion to.

If you are a Miss Fisher fan and enjoy casual adventures, I highly recommend this game. The episodes are decent in size and with more on the way, it's good value for $8.

Can't wait for episode 3. Recommended.

I'm a fan of the series and started reading the books. I played the game on my mobile phone and had to buy it on steam, too. I really love it! It's not only for fans of Phryne, Jack and the whole world, it's for anyone! (but watch the series!) :)