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Where to get it

2012 · Pretty Simple · Adventure · Platformer

Criminal Case

Criminal Case - the #1 free hidden object game! Are you ready to solve murder cases?

Released: 15 November 2012
Platforms: Android Browser Windows iOS
Genres: Adventure Platformer Point-and-click adventure Puzzle
Developers: Pretty Simple
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Mystery
Country: France
Languages: Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Spain), Turkish
Time to beat: 80hwith extras

About

Criminal Case is a detective-themed hidden object game released on November 15, 2012, for Facebook. An iOS version was released worldwide on August 28, 2014, followed by an Android version on April 15, 2015. In 2018, the Facebook version was converted from Adobe Flash to HTML5. Developed and published by Paris indie studio Pretty Simple, Criminal Case has over ten million average monthly users.

On December 9, 2013, Criminal Case was crowned the Facebook Game of the Year 2013. The game released its final case on January 21, 2021. In the game, the player is a detective solving crimes. Along the way, they earn coins, experience points (XP) which increases their level, rings, stickers for their album, and they can raise police canines.

›Story

The player takes on the role of a police officer in the Grimsborough Police Department, helping to solve series of cases by investigating crime scenes to uncover clues and evidence, interviewing witnesses and suspects, while working together with crime laboratory. The purpose of the game is to solve the immediate case, by solving various puzzles and riddles. Solving a case will allow the player access to the next chapter and a new case to solve, if requirements are met.

Keywords

baseball
soccer
football
bloody
serial killer
detective
murder
crime solving
police
death
hidden object
time limit

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

Pretty Simple was founded in 2010 by partners Bastien Cazenave and Corentin Raux and was backed by Idinvest Partners. Idenvest originally put up €300,000 in seed capital, which was followed by another €2.5 million after the game achieved a level of early modest success. The murder investigation theme was chosen first by the developers, who decided to make the game in the hidden object genre due to it making both business and personal sense. Just two months after the games launched, it had one million daily active users.

As of mid-2013, Criminal Case attracted more than ten million monthly average users and became highly competitive with Candy Crush Saga, the most popular game on Facebook with over 46 million average monthly users at that time. The developers explained in late 2013: "To put out an investigation each week, there are almost 30 people working on it. We have writers and artists who just really work hard to put out this content." On December 4, 2013, the game achieved over 100 million users.

Reception

Australian Council on Children and the Media gave the game an amber rating (parental guidance required) due to containing gambling elements. Similarly, SaferKid cautioned parents that the title included crude humor and profanity. Common Sense Media deemed it "polished" and "interesting". AdWeek praised the game's strong story and interesting gameplay.

The Spectrum felt the game was "oddly gruesome" and "whimsical". Funky Games thought it was one of the five best hidden object games for Android or iOS platforms. Kotaku described the game as dark and gritty, though felt that the pay-to-play element of gameplay held them back from progressing.