Murder by Numbers blends campy 90s TV detective sleuthing with Picross Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Murder by Numbers blends campy 90s TV detective sleuthing with Picross From Hatoful Boyfriend, Swords of Ditto devs. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 11 Oct 2019 12 comments If you've ever found yourself cursing the lack of detective-themed mystery games with the sharp manga lines of a visual novel and the aggressively numerical puzzles of Picross, then it's time we had words. And those words are: Murder by Numbers. Fulfilling all the above criteria and then some, Murder by Numbers is directed by Swords of Ditto writer Ed Fear (who calls it camp, fun, and "a big warm hug"), with characters designed by Hato Mao, the creative force behind pigeon dating escapade Hatoful Boyfriend. It also features music from Masakazu Sugimori, whose many notable soundtracks include Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Viewtiful Joe, and Ghost Trick. Unfolding in the Los Angeles of the mid-90s, Murder by Numbers charts the adventures of Honor Mizhari, a television actress on a hit detective show, whose sleuthing skills are put to real-world use when her boss is found dead. What follows, according to the official announcement, is a story of "conspiracy, deception and - of course - murder", that plays out across the TV studios, glamorous award shows, and drag clubs of LA. Watch on YouTube I'm not precisely clear how Murder by Numbers is structured from a gameplay perspective, but the trailer above suggests an experience that blends visual-novel-style narrative progression with Picross-style logic puzzles - which, I've now discovered, are technically known as nonograms. Multiple cases are promised as Mizhari attempts to prove her crime-solving prowess, and there's some sort of clue-hunting element involving your SCOUT, a reconnaissance robot "thrown away after a mysterious incident". There's no exact release date for Murder by Numbers just yet, but developer Mediatonic says to expect it some time "early" next year on PC and Switch. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store