Mindcop is a great cerebral, strategy-based adventure for those who enjoy a good mental and thrilling workout.
Mindcop is a singular investigative adventure game hatched from the mind of André Gareis and published by Dear Villagers. It really feels like a smudge of film noir with innovative gameplay mechanics that break conventions in most detective games. This 2D sidescroller thriller puts you in the shoes of the titular Mindcop, out to solve a murder that has taken place at the quaint yet mysterious Maryland Crater Camp.
The most promising aspects I’ve noticed are its innovative, time-sensitive mechanics, nonlinear storytelling, and the sense of literally getting into the suspect’s head. There’s so much to love here. This is going to be a review of its strengths and weaknesses, and we will delve deeper into just why Mindcop can be such a sweet deal for anyone who has even a little taste in mystery and strategy.
That said, the whole concept of Mindcop is as much about time management as it is about mystery-solving. Where the other detective games allow free roaming, allowing trial and error to progress the experience, Mindcop is based on a time-structured, turn-by-turn base. Every single action you take in this game, from examining a clue to the interrogation of a suspect, eats up precious in-game time.
In my experience, this design has introduced more suspense into the decisions’ outcomes, and you have to be very considerate about the results of each choice. In Maryland Crater Camp, you will speak to a host of characters, gather clues, and try to unravel an advanced puzzle.
However, since the game is not at all linear, you have choices as to where your investigation takes you, but the time is so very short that trying every avenue simply won’t work. Therefore, you have to tread carefully as each choice can be potentially critical.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature, in my opinion, is the power of the Mindcop, his “mind surf.” That is, he digs into suspects’ brains for memories, deceptions, and realities. At variance from any other detective game, Mindcop boasts time management and diving through puzzles.
Fascinating and filled with strategy, the match-3 mini-game adds a completely new angle to the investigation. The player is given lots of freedom in how the story unfolds and will be able to go through some unique experiences across multiple playthroughs.
This adds a whole other dimension to the story with a large cast of characters. Each of their suspects brings along a different perspective and a problem to solve. A perfect balance between the noir-like feel of the game and the cartoonish art style is sure to suck anyone into its universe.
This mini-game is a nice break from the usual detective work and another strategic element, as success within it amplifies one’s investigation skills. Inside suspects’ minds, there are three types of “memories”: truths, lies, and ambiguous events.
Whereas the first one allows the player to develop the overall case, the other two make life a bit more complicated because you have to decide what really happened and what did not. This really is an innovative and tough mechanism since even false memories can hint at something if analyzed properly.
At its core, though, Mindcop remains a detective game. You will gather evidence, interview people, and manage community dynamics. Other layers of challenge in this game draw mechanisms from time-sensitive ones.
For example, investigating the scene of the crime can take a lot of time away from other activities. This forces you to balance your duties, which does a really good job of adding an extra layer of realism and urgency to the game. One of the novel features involves the Mindcop having the freedom to arrest suspects or obtain search warrants based on the absence of evidence.
While this latitude would lead to some remarkable discoveries, it does pose a few risks: wrongful arrest would surely alienate influential individuals and render cooperation pointless. Something I’d like to mention is that there really is no system of manual saving involved, which makes it easier to pick it up right where you left it.
All a player will have with him or her are autosaves, and he or she will have to live with the choices- and that does make foresight and planning paramount. This does take away some of the freedom, which could get frustratingly exhilarating just the same since mistakes tend to add up pretty fast, but it isn’t that big of a deal.
The investigation of a murder in the novel Mindcop is pitted against the backdrops of a camp called Maryland Crater Camp, wherein the setting is inextricably linked with the plot. These have realistic dialogue and backstories, fleshing out the town’s denizens-from the reclusive flat-mate to the bereaved parents. Their motives can only be deciphered with time and scrutiny since these characters usually mask something.
Non-linearity in storytelling here would mean you actually do have control and will figure out aspects of the story differently based on their choices. This would indeed make the mystery much more organic and personal, but it does lend itself to frustration if someone just happens to miss a crucial clue.
Visually, Mindcop has a super-deformed aesthetic boiled down to its base elements. The character designs are exaggerated compared to the bleak noir tone. I understand this might not fit the options best for every gamer’s taste, but it does lighten up the tone and strikes a great balance between being too serious and too playful. From dark forests to cozy cottages, everything is highly detailed!
The sound design is yet another prominent and significant strength of the work. Ambient music, despite only occasionally being heard, enhances emotion and tension without interfering with the experience. It is remarkable how much louder the background music is in more action-packed sequences, and it manages to keep the audience interested deep into the narrative.
The merging of the lounge-style instrumentals with the occasional vocal song is very soothing. Most notably, the music in the “mind surf” segments is catchy and really sells the surreal atmosphere. However, sound design is mostly competent throughout, almost never really leaving a lasting impression except in key moments.
The community has complained of frustrating interactions with some objects or background pieces that may not be well recognized and cause disturbances in the general flow. While the time-sensitive mechanisms create quite a wave of excitement, at the same time, they do lead to situations whereby one is bound to make hurried decisions to keep up, hence skipping minute details in a scene and, therefore, less fun.
I’ll gladly regard Mindcop as a bold, imaginative foray into the detective game genre, adding fresh insights to the investigation narrative. Combining time management with non-linearity and brain-twisting puzzles speaks volumes about a challenging yet rewarding game experience.
Due to its tough difficulty level, steep learning curve, and hard gameplay, not every gamer will be fascinated by this game, but for most players, and particularly for those who are fond of solving complex puzzles, this game is what will appeal to them the most.
Mindcop merits its marks with interesting mechanics, a deep plot, and atmosphere galore to really push the boundaries on how much one detective game can do. Be it grizzled mystery veterans or fresh-eyed newcomers, Mindcop is well worth digging into.
