Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor. Spooky Investigation

• Cons: too short, some items are hard to find.

• Pros: additional puzzle elements, cute presentation, atmospheric storyline.

In this game, the player takes over the role of Mortimer Beckett, whose eccentric uncle has sent him a cryptic package with a guide book inside. It turns out that ghosts have stolen the starter unit to a ghost-machine and Mortimer must travel to his uncle’s spooky manor to find the parts needed to re-assemble this contraption. Mortimer accepts the invitation without hesitation.

The feature that makes Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor truly engrossing is the ability to navigate between the manor’s rooms and floors using the map. Even if you haven’t completed a room, you can always return to it or any other unfinished room to continue where you left off. Say goodbye to being stuck on a level!

Mortimer Beckett’s most innovative deviation from other hidden object games is that items are broken into pieces and scattered across the room. For instance, not only do a clock, mask, pot and chess piece need to be found, but each one is in four parts. Also, in this game, there are two different types of items: misplaced and puzzle. Misplaced items must be returned to their correct place in the room, while puzzle items are used to perform actions, such as open the way to new floors, obtain other items, open chests etc. Who would guess that a bottle of “good old wine” can make a ghost leave?

One may think that Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor is just a seek-and-find game, but it’s not that simple. At first, some pieces of the items may not be visible. While searching for items, actions may need to be performed to reveal the piece. Clicking on incorrect items too many times disturbs ghosts, causing them to fly around the screen and make studying the scene much more difficult. In additional to all of these innovations, the absence of time limits in this game makes it even more addictive.

In general, Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor is an excellent game for its genre. Realistic atmosphere, complicated plot, and unusual music let you feel like a real ghost-hunter.