Released on Steam in June of this year, The Innsmouth Case is a text-based adventure from RobotPumpkin Games that is heading to the Nintendo Switch at the end of the month.
Assemble Entertainment are ticking all my boxes of late, if I were a clipboard. Leisure Suit Larry, Endzone, Shakes On A Plane (watch out for a review) and now The Innsmouth Case, a detective adventure inspired by Lovecraft, James Lovecraft. Sorry, the other one: H.P.
Following the disappearance of Tabitha Marsh, a desperate mother has enlisted you, a second-rate detective, to locate the child’s whereabouts in the remote fishing village of Innsmouth. Why settle for second best? Because the ‘toughest and cleverest detective of all’ does not have the time.
There’s hope for the missing child, but you have to find her first, and that means meeting with the locals, quizzing them appropriately, but keeping your wits about you as The Innsmouth Case features some horror elements on par with Lovecraft. But to take the edge off a bit, there’s a spritzer of comedy thrown in for good measure.
Some titles claim that your actions have consequences, and while they often do, few games can boast the 27 possible endings to be discovered in the game. That’s not a typo, your actions really will determine the outcome. 27 times.
But perhaps the biggest surprise here is The Innsmouth Case is a text-based adventure. I was expecting a point and click, so it’s an interesting choice. Don’t let that you put you off; you’re reading this, if you’re familiar with Lovecraft, you may have even read a book. Well, this game is that: an interactive book.
While text-based adventures or perhaps visual novels aren’t my thing, reading through the ‘specs’ of the game and watching the trailer has completely reeled me in. How about you?
The Innsmouth Case is currently available on Steam, and if the low asking price is daunting, why not try the demo first? Otherwise, you only have to wait until the 28th of December for the Nintendo Switch release date!
