Crime Mysteries: Find objects

Review by eFreeware

If you like the idea of working homicide cases, Crime Mysteries is built for exactly that. G5 Entertainment's game puts you alongside two detectives, Cache and Blunt, as they clear a backlog of murders across Los Angeles, and it hands you two familiar puzzle styles to do it with: hunting for hidden objects in cluttered scenes and matching gems in rows.

The setup is a busy desk of cases. You move between crime scenes, examine evidence and size up suspects. It's a rhythm that suits short sessions as much as longer ones, and the game can be played offline.

It has been downloaded more than a million times and holds a 4.5 average from 26,025 ratings, which suggests the formula lands with a good number of players. The game is free, carries ads and offers in-app purchases, so the cost of entry is low.

Two puzzle styles, one case file

What separates this from a straightforward hidden object game is the alternation. You search a scene for clues, then switch to a match-3 board to push the investigation forward, then return to the evidence. The two halves keep a case moving instead of letting it stall on one type of puzzle.

Bonus combos give you a way to break through tougher boards, and the developer describes hundreds of puzzles. The hidden object scenes sit in landmark locations around the city, which gives the search rounds some variety in setting.

Between puzzles there's the detective work itself: analyzing clues and evaluating suspects. How much that matters to you will depend on whether you want the crime fiction or just the puzzles.

Cases, collections and monthly additions

Quests are described as keeping players entertained for months, and collections give you something to assemble over time as you unlock new areas and content. If you like a game that keeps handing you a reason to come back, that structure is the appeal.

That cadence matters for a game built on episodic cases: a steady supply of new murders to work is what keeps the format from running dry.

The most recent update addressed a freezing issue. It's a maintenance note.

How it plays offline and in other languages

That makes it a reasonable fit for a flight, a long wait or anywhere the connection is unreliable.

The game is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Spanish. If you prefer to read a case in your own language, there's a decent chance it's covered.

The content rating is Everyone 10+, which fits the subject matter: murders, suspects and crime scenes, handled within the bounds of a casual puzzle game rather than anything graphic.

Ads, purchases and what they mean for play

Crime Mysteries is free to download, and it carries ads. In-app purchases are also available, described by the developer as optional bonuses that can be unlocked from within the game. Purchases can be disabled in your device settings.

That combination is standard for the genre, and it's worth going in with clear expectations. Whether that bothers you depends on how much you value an uninterrupted case.

If you're setting this up for a younger player, the ability to switch off in-app purchases in device settings is worth knowing about. The rating and the subject matter suggest it's aimed at older children and up.

Who tends to enjoy this sort of casework

This is a good fit for players who want a crime story they can dip into without committing to a long, demanding campaign. The two puzzle types are approachable, the cases are episodic, and you can pick it up whenever you have a few minutes.

It also suits anyone who already enjoys hidden object games and wants a bit more structure around them. The match-3 rounds break up the searching, and the clue analysis and suspect work give the sessions a narrative thread rather than leaving them as pure spotting exercises.

If you'd rather not deal with ads and purchases in a free title, this one's design points the other way. It's built around the case, the characters and the monthly drip of new content, and that's the experience you're signing up for.

A steady pick for casual detectives

Crime Mysteries does one thing clearly: it turns a homicide investigation into a sequence of hidden object searches and match-3 boards, wrapped in a Los Angeles setting and a pair of detectives with personality. The formula isn't novel, but the execution has clearly found an audience, and the monthly content promise gives it legs.

The trade-offs are the usual ones for a free game. Ads and in-app purchases are part of the package. If you want a crime-flavored puzzle game you can play in short bursts, it is.

Start with the free download and see whether the rhythm of search, match and analyze holds your attention.

What's new in version 1.30.3400

This update fixes the game freezing issue and makes improvements to the previous update featuring: Download this FREE update and continue to investigate haunting cases, interact with intriguing characters and catch twisted killers! Join the G5 email list and be the first to know about sales, news and game releases! https://www.g5.com/e-mail