Murder On Space Station 52 Review: Pulling The Thread

It's common knowledge that point and click adventures are my favourite genre and no surprise that Murder on Space Station 52 has been on the radar since the announcement. Bias to one side, this has to be one of the most engaging puzzle games of the year.

You play Edward Locke - a janitor who sports a 19th-century diving-type suit and is sent to the titular space station to replace a fellow custodian. However, there's been a murder! A serial killer is on the loose and dubbed the Keychain Killer due to their penchant for leaving keys embossed in the skulls of their victims. Locke isn't just a pretty face (who knows?); he's also an amateur detective.

Murder On Space Station 52 Review

Before you assume that Murder on Space Station 52 is solely a detective-based yarn, it's not. Yes, there's homicide. Yes, you investigate who the killer may be using evidence-based observations, but the game is more about conventional (and illogical) point-and-click-based problem-solving. To gain access to one room, you need to solve a puzzle, or when hot on the trail of a suspect, you'll get sidetracked by pixel hunting and interior design.

And, before that raises alarm bells as a tale of misdescription, it's not. The game is one of the more intelligent and enticing puzzle games I've played this year, and it's equally frustrating, too. Being granted access to an early review opportunity means there aren't any walkthroughs on offer; search results are redundant, and attempting to get a sneak peek at a solution doesn't give an answer. A handful of times, it was about deciphering what was required of the puzzle, not the execution.

Mechanic, Sleuth, Interior Designer

With a smug nod to its creator and others who've already finished it, my first hurdle was a Sudoku-like light puzzle, followed by a busted intangible door switch, an alien vending machine with a post-it for instructions and one of those cut-out puzzles (again using lights) used in prison dramas. I've given Murder on Station 52 a lot of thought. I've thought on the box, next to it, far away from it, occasionally within it and when the penny drops? It's exhilarating. Sure, jump off your cliff on a snowboard made of razors while drinking your Red Bull - I'll stick with this: what a rush.

The pixel-hunting aspect wasn't clutching at straws. On the contrary, it was guaranteeing that nothing was missed. Point and click games are notorious for their in-jokes and nods to other titles. While Murder on Station 52 adheres to this practice, the delivery was often very subtle, encouraging repeat playthroughs so as not to miss any nuance. Spending ample time over the mise-en-scene has incentives besides appreciating the creativity that's gone into this adventure. Each time you interact with the scenery, you earn cosmetic points to purchase items for your apartment. It's for aesthetics only but well-received.

Killing It

To the side of Locke's apartment is his mood board, a.k.a. evidence collection. Only a handful of suspects will show up through progression, and in the early part of the game, it seems like an afterthought as you're so engaged in the environmental puzzles that the narrative becomes secondary, which is quite unusual for a narrative-driven game. The storytelling here is very good and offers a fair amount of exposition. What really sells Locke as a character is his delivery. Voiced by Made From Strings (who writes the theme tune, sings the theme tune, etc), his voice is perfect for the role, though I wasn't a fan of the voice-changing aliens so much. Find out more about the sound here; the soundtrack is equally impressive.

Murder on Space Station 52 plays great on the Steam Deck™ and was my preferred experience to play while relaxing with the family, but also just before bedtime. After screengrabbing some images through my laptop, I appreciated the artwork even more. Thinking Locke's attire was a design to cater to animation costs (maybe that's a part of it), I can't help but think we might see a little more of this character in the end-of-year compilations, write-ups and streaming thumbnails.

Murder On Space Station 52 Review Summary

As if this Murder on Space Station 52 review would declare anything unexpected, this point and click adventure has been one of the more rewarding games of the year for the reasons stated above. With some terrific art, sound production and perplexing yet satisfying puzzles, it's time to make space for this most excellent adventure.