The best thing about indie games is that you can often sense when developers are inspired by other games to make something they truly love. SFB Games have been on a roll over the past decade or so with Snipperclips and Crow Country. But I truly fell in love with their work when I played the 3rd installment of their Detective Grimoire series, Tangle Tower. Now, Detective Grimoire and Sally are back in The Mermaid Mask. This detective is everything mystery, puzzle and narrative fans could hope for. A tightly woven story with some absolutely gorgeous visuals, this is one you shouldn’t overlook.

Waking up in the abandoned Stonetop Inn, Detective Grimoire and Sally are called in by the captain of a mysterious submarine called the Mortuga Submarine, which has recently turned into a crime scene for the murder of its previous captain, Magnus Mortuga. It is the detectives’ job to hunt for clues, interview all the suspects and discover the secrets aboard the submarine. All the while, an ominous feeling hangs in the air, given the eclectic nature of its inhabitants.

The visuals are immediately striking, retaining the gorgeous palette and animation style from the previous game, but updating it in subtle ways. It’s endearing to notice the manner in which the nervous writer J.D. Wirman hunches over as he polishes his glasses, the joyful motions of the strange salesman Mr. Gripp and the slow and imposing figure of Dr. Zephyr. Each character is performed astonishingly well: from the little intonations to the way these characters feel like fully realized people. All the dialogue is voiced and it never ceased to amaze me. The way in which Grimoire and Sally react to objects around the submarine and their little jokes are especially funny. That goes doubly so for the writing overall, perfectly nailing the tone, character and mannerisms of everyone you come across on the adventure. So much so that by the end I secretly didn’t even want to figure out who the culprit was, because I was so endeared to everyone on board. And yet even then the game manages to beautifully subvert expectations.

Structurally, I also found the locations to be a lot more fun to explore. While the submarine isn’t as large as the Tangle Tower, the way in which its rooms are interconnected is easy to keep track of. The game also has a great hint system, which is always optional but doesn’t spoil the required clue immediately. Each location hides several items and objects you can present to the crew of the Mortuga submarine. Their responses are noted alongside the clues so you can easily refer to vital evidence for your investigation. Often clues are used in multiple ways and unlock new items or information. I never found them to be too strained or tedious to put together. Only once did I fall into the trap of having to present every item in my inventory to proceed in the investigation. Even then, I probably could’ve figured it out with all the information the game provides you with.

In between finding the items, you will have to solve little puzzles. These are all different in design from one another. Some see you positioning pieces on a board; others want you to twist and turn dials to recreate patterns and even others are about sharp observation. Presenting the solution is easy and if you do not figure it out, a remark from Sally may point you in the right direction. It’s the perfect amount of puzzles to break up the exploration and the narrative to satisfy the reward of being able to proceed with a new clue in hand. It’s at this moment that I realized every character and room had their own musical theme, which are all fantastic as well.

The Mermaid Mask’s parts all add up to this wonderful narrative with its own identity and a cast of characters that I loved to spend time with. While the ending could’ve been a bit more involved for my taste, I did like that it left me with a bittersweet feeling. That’s not something every mystery game is able to pull off, but it felt right for this particular tale. It adds to the strength of these characters that I felt satisfied leaving them in this particular place, even though I wanted to see more of them. I think that’s the mark of great writing: something that is thought provoking and allows you for a moment to inhabit a character or view the world through a different lens. It is so hard to weave a compelling mystery adventure but SFB Games have simply struck gold with this fourth Detective Grimoire adventure. The passion for their work oozes from the game and I think it is impossible to not love all of these characters. Frankly I cannot wait to see them return to the world of Detective Grimoire. But until then, The Mermaid Mask is a must for anyone looking to dive into the weekend with an engrossing mystery experience.