The Mermaid Mask is a perfect vacation murder mystery
The Verge’s review finds The Mermaid Mask to be an engaging point-and-click murder mystery, built around the locked-room death of a submarine captain. Its confined submarine setting, colourful suspects and satisfying confrontations make it particularly effective as a compact, holiday-friendly detective game.
Players control returning detectives Grimoire and Sally as they question suspects, inspect detailed rooms and solve puzzles, with strong voice acting encouraging thorough exploration. The reviewer says newcomers need not have played Tangle Tower, and praises the roughly 10-hour game’s deduction sequences, though notes that repeatedly showing clues to suspects and following required evidence orders can become tedious.
- A polished locked-room mystery aboard a submarine
- Strong characters, voice acting and detective confrontations
- Some investigation mechanics can feel repetitive
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The Mermaid Mask is a point-and-click detective game in which players investigate a murder by exploring locations, finding clues and questioning suspects. The case centres on the death of a submarine captain inside a vessel, creating a closed setting where the possible suspects are limited.
Players take the roles of detectives Grimoire and Sally, characters who previously appeared in Tangle Tower. The game can be understood without knowing that earlier story, as it presents a separate investigation with its own cast and setting.
The appeal of this type of mystery is working out how the crime happened and which character is responsible from the evidence gathered. Its submarine setting also keeps the action focused, with rooms to inspect, puzzles to solve and conversations used to test each suspect’s account.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Mermaid Mask makes a strong case for itself as an ideal holiday mystery: its contained submarine setting, vivid cast and focused ten-hour length offer a complete detective experience without demanding a major time commitment. Supporters would value its accessible standalone story, polished voice acting and satisfying deduction sequences, which reward curiosity and give players the pleasure of carefully assembling a case.
The case against
A sceptical player could argue that its detective work risks becoming overly procedural rather than genuinely intuitive. Repeatedly presenting clues to multiple suspects and needing to follow a prescribed evidence order may create friction, especially for players who expect an investigation game to recognise sound deductions made in a different sequence.
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