Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile Review: A Tale of Two Detectives | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: PC (Steam)

Also on: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Price: $39.99 USD

I love a good mystery, and Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. In fact, one of my favorite books and movies is Death on the Nile. So it’s no surprise that I was excited when the opportunity to review Death on the Nile came across my desk. For the better part of the game, I enjoyed what I played. However, some parts felt too gamified, which I didn’t particularly like. I don’t mind puzzles, but at times there were simply too many stacked together just to get past one area. The worst part, though, was the lack of direction in certain moments, where I felt lost and unsure of where to go next. Overall though, I enjoyed my time with the game.

The game is split into two stories. The first is Death on the Nile. Even though I already knew how that story plays out, I still enjoyed solving the mystery. The second story follows Jane Royce, an admirer of Poirot who fancies herself a private detective. Both narratives are connected by recurring characters: Poirot is drawn into a murder investigation, while Royce is searching for the killer of her friend. Having both stories kept the experience fresh, and as someone who already knew Poirot’s case, it was nice to have another mystery to unravel with Royce. Truthfully, I enjoyed Royce’s story more. Her investigation felt personal since the victim was her friend, whereas Poirot didn’t have the same connection beyond his passion for finding the truth.

Both stories played in the same way. I interviewed characters and searched for clues to piece together the mystery. I expected a simple point-and-click adventure, but instead I found myself exploring a 3D world with fully voice-acted characters. Discovering clues placed nodes on a mind map, and once I had enough, I linked them together by choosing a reason for why something happened. Usually, there were three options to pick from, and picking the wrong one wasn’t punishing, it simply counted as a mistake at the end of the chapter. If I ever got stuck, a hint option was available, giving me up to three clues before revealing the answer.

When I found all the clues, a final solution would unlock. Sometimes this meant putting a list of events in order. The more interesting challenges placed me in a room with silhouettes of characters, where I had to decide who was doing what activity at a given time and place. I really enjoyed these mind-mapping sequences, which added a clever layer of gamified deduction.

While uncovering clues and talking to suspects, there were times when I had to solve small puzzles to move the story forward. I liked that these offered a reprieve from clue-hunting, but sometimes the mechanic went too far. For example, I had to repair a jukebox so Poirot could get a character to dance with him and answer questions. First, I needed to move the gears into place, similar to Tetris or a sliding puzzle. Then the power was out, so I had to rotate the wires to line them up correctly. Finally, the record selector jammed, and I had to shift the pieces so the gears wouldn’t collide. One puzzle would have been enough, but three in a row felt like padding puzzles for the sake of puzzles.

The game is divided into chapters, but they bounce between Poirot and Royce. While the two stories are connected, I would have preferred to play one at a time. What I did enjoy about Royce’s story was the added emotional weight. I was given choices in how to approach situations, like whether to trust the justice system or take matters into my own hands, and those decisions shaped future interactions. This mechanic only applied to Royce, which makes sense. Poirot is already a defined character, but with Royce I was helping to shape who she would become.

I also found Poirot’s clues easier to uncover, while Royce’s were more difficult. Maybe it was because I already knew how Poirot’s story would play out, but I was able to add nodes to his mind map much faster than hers. More than once, I wasn’t sure where to find the next clue in Royce’s investigation, and that became frustrating. Maybe I am not as good a detective as I thought.

Besides the main story, there are also a few collectibles in each level: gold mustaches and gold records. These are hidden throughout the environments, and while it makes sense for Poirot to stumble upon golden facial hair, it felt a little odd for Royce to be collecting mustaches. It’s a minor detail, but still an amusing quirk.

Final Grade: B

I enjoyed my time with Death on the Nile. Both Poirot and Royce’s stories were engaging, though I would have preferred to see them as two separate games rather than alternating each chapter. Interacting with suspects and having the game fully voiced was an unexpected surprise. Some of the puzzles felt a bit overdone, and there were moments where I grew frustrated trying to figure out the next clue to move the story forward. That said, the mind-map feature and drawing conclusions made me feel like a true detective, and it was a fun and unique way to gamify the deduction process.

Review code provided by Homerun PR