The Trace: Murder Mystery Game puts you in the detective’s seat

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If you’ve got some free time to spend with your face (and hands) absorbed in a good murder mystery, then The Trace: Murder Mystery Game will give you a healthy dose of too-many-hours-on-one-game. The point-and-click puzzle adventure will send you on the trail of a murder suspect that twists and turns with every new clue discovered.

Players take on the role of a detective investigating what appears to be a suicide. After discovering a few interesting clues, you embark on a quest to find a killer before he strikes again.

Instead of simply gathering evidence and storing objects in a virtual backpack, players add information from clues they find to a deduction branch. When you find an interesting object, it leads to more questions that need to be answered. Add clues to the branch to help answer a specific question, like “Where did the glass shards in the office come from?” As clues are added, the truth becomes clear. When you solve an unknown element, a recreation of that event plays out for you to see.

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Using dragging and swiping gestures, players look around a room. To go to an area and search, tap on an object and you will zoom into it.

The environment around you is deeply interactive. Players can open drawers, cupboards, and cabinets in search of clues. When you find something, tap it to investigate further. In this world, detectives have a forensic scanner built in, so they can scan items for additional evidence, like fingerprints.

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Similar to other puzzle adventure games, players must perform a chain of actions to move forward with the story. For example, to unlock a door, you must find the key, which may or may not be locked in drawer that you will need another key for.

This game has no in-app purchases and no gameplay wait times. You don’t have to pay for hints (there are none) and you are not pressured to purchase add-ons to help you succeed. Which is why The Trace: Murder Mystery Game costs $4.99. It is available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download it in the App Store today.

What do you think of The Trace? Let us know in the comments below.