Murders on the Yangtze River

Despite some awkwardness in English localization, this is the best Ace Attorney inspired game I have played. The murder plots are clever with fun twists, along with some great QOL in the form of a hint system and speeding up dialogue.

Murders on the Yangtze River is a captivating and atmospheric detective adventure that expertly blends historical intrigue with compelling mystery-solving gameplay. Set against the evocative backdrop of 1920s China, the game immerses players in a richly detailed world filled with cultural nuance, political tension, and the haunting beauty of the Yangtze River itself. Developed by a team dedicated to crafting a narrative-driven experience, it places players in the role of a detective tasked with unraveling a series of grisly murders aboard a luxury steamer. The story unfolds with a perfect balance of suspense and depth, weaving together complex characters, hidden motives, and a slow-burning plot that keeps players engaged and eager to uncover each new clue. Gameplay in Murders on the Yangtze River revolves around investigation and puzzle-solving, with an emphasis on exploration, dialogue, and critical thinking. Players meticulously examine crime scenes, collect evidence, and interrogate a diverse cast of suspects, each with their own secrets and conflicting stories. The game’s design encourages careful observation and deductive reasoning, as subtle details in conversations and environments often hold the key to progression. Unlike more action-oriented mysteries, it favors a methodical pace that rewards patience and thoughtful analysis. The puzzles are integrated naturally into the narrative, ranging from decoding secret messages to piecing together alibis, all contributing to an immersive detective experience that feels both challenging and satisfying. Visually, the game excels in recreating the era with detailed environments that capture the elegance and tension of a 1920s river cruise. The art style combines realistic character models with painterly backgrounds, enhancing the moody and suspenseful atmosphere. The soundtrack complements this setting perfectly, with haunting melodies and subtle traditional Chinese instrumentation that enrich the emotional weight of the story. Voice acting and dialogue writing are strong, bringing authenticity and personality to the characters, which deepens the player’s investment in the unfolding drama. While Murders on the Yangtze River shines in storytelling and ambiance, it may not appeal to players seeking fast-paced action or straightforward gameplay. Its deliberate pacing and focus on dialogue-heavy investigation can feel slow to some, and the lack of combat or high-stakes thrills might disappoint those expecting a more adrenaline-driven mystery. Additionally, the complexity of certain puzzles may pose a challenge, occasionally leading to frustrating trial-and-error rather than logical deduction. However, for those who appreciate narrative depth, cultural richness, and a thoughtful mystery to unravel, these elements contribute to the game’s unique charm. In conclusion, Murders on the Yangtze River offers a beautifully crafted and immersive detective adventure that stands out through its historical setting, intricate narrative, and emphasis on cerebral gameplay. It’s a rewarding experience for players who enjoy slow-burning mysteries and cultural exploration, inviting them to lose themselves in a dark and elegant story along one of the world’s most iconic waterways. The game’s meticulous attention to detail and atmospheric storytelling make it a memorable addition to the genre, perfect for those seeking a mystery that challenges both their wits and their appreciation for history. Rating: 10/10

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 223: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (10/10) This game is everything I want from a mystery adventure. Set in early-1900s China, it blends courtroom drama with scenic exploration, deep cultural context, and a love letter to the detective genre. I binge-played it in one sitting, and each case built on the last—until that final, brutal finale that nearly broke me. It’s not just inspired by [i]Ace Attorney[/i]—it perhaps surpasses it in cultural depth, narrative pacing, and emotional weight. 🏮[b] Pros:[/b] [list] [*] Masterfully structured mystery arcs. Each of the interconnected cases is self-contained yet clearly builds toward the emotional core of the story. The pace tightens as you go—from clever locked-room puzzles to morally complex courtroom-esque showdowns. The writing is airtight, with clues woven elegantly into dialogue and evidence. No filler, just purposeful mystery progression. [*] Cultural immersion that deepens the narrative. Beyond murder puzzles, the game immerses you in early 20th-century Chinese legal customs, societal trauma from opium wars, and colonial tensions in Shanghai. Historical fact cards give you context without dragging down the plot. It's detective work and cultural exploration—a rare, welcome combo. [*] Visuals that blend elegance with storytelling. The game’s ink-wash, brush-style art makes it feel like walking through a living painting. The beauty contrasts perfectly with the darker, more realistic courtroom scenes, giving the whole game unique visual identity—stylized, but serious. [*] Engaging gameplay flow with varied mechanics. You move between collecting evidence, analyzing dialogue cues, presenting contradictions, and activating specialized minigames—mixing science-y liquids, re-enacting crime scenes, group interrogations. It keeps the detective experience fresh. [*] Expressive voice acting and atmospheric OST. Mostly Chinese voice acting with English subtitles adds authenticity. The music strikes a perfect note between tense drama and scenic reflection, elevating every courtroom moment into a cinematic experience. [*] You can skip the minigames! Good accessibility. [/list] ⚖️[b] Cons:[/b] [list] [*] Final case is a serious brain-buster. The final mystery not only ties every previous plot thread together, but demands razor-sharp attention from you. The payoff was good, but man, was it hard. [*] Some puzzles lean into trial-and-error. A few deductions feel like wild guesses more than logical leaps—though the game’s retry system softens the blow, it can still be difficult. [/list]

-Great game -Great story -Has a hint and a spoiler free answer in game for people that have brain fart like me (no need to google) -Has a skip button for minigame if you just want to play the story -The game also credited that it was inspired by games like ace attorney which is a plus for me

an alright ace attorney like game, but the translation is a bit rough around the edges

不愧是97%好评的游戏！诚不欺我！尤其是第三个案子的最后 把整个游戏推高了一个层次！

There's a lot to like here, but instead of me finding clues and discovering connections myself, the characters do it for me.. and instead of allowing me to build a theory and a killer, the "deduction" part just comes up with questions on its own and forces the player to guess the mental gymnastics the storywriters had in mind with a crumb of evidence that supposedly gives it away.

Very fun little mystery game. I wish it had been a bit longer but I still really enjoyed it. Definitely reminds me of Ace Attorney so if you like those games you'll like this game.

This is an amazing detective game with great characters, interesting mysteries, and a satisfying overarching mystery. I never felt like the answer to one of the murders was too obvious and each case has it's own twists and turns without feeling contrived. I feel like this game was made with a lot of love by it's creators in how it's mysteries were created. All of the other things bring this game together too. The art style is fantastic and the sceneries are beautiful. Throughout the game you're given information about different people, places, and events that have happened that relate to the story ad well as some more information about the different forensic and scientific terms they used. I thought it was cool of the developers to do and I learned a good bit about China's history. There's a few fun mini-games too that you can play or skip through but I played them because I thought it was a nice little addition to the game. Overall, I would definitly recomend this game to anyone who is even remotly intersted in it. It's genuinly the best time I've had playing a game in awhile. Also Shen is hot.

Game mixes historical events with lots of information in how investigation science are developed and used in the real world. Beautiful graphics and great voice acting. A must play for those interesting in detective novels and puzzle solving.

Really good game: good story, good puzzles, good mechanics, artwork is great. If you like narrative/puzzle games, you should buy it, 100%

A great ace attorney-like game with a surprisingly deep and emotional heart. Strongly recommended. An exceptional effort for what seems to be a very young development studio. Mostly runs very smooth. A few times it refused to load any saves but luckily each time restarting the computer worked.

100% recommend! I have a lot of fun! Totally worth my money. I hope they release DLC in English too. :) If you are same as me love Ace Attorney & Danganronpa games, you most definitely will love this game too.

-Great game -Great story -Has a hint and a spoiler free answer in game for people that have brain fart like me (no need to google) -Has a skip button for minigame if you just want to play the story -The game also credited that it was inspired by games like ace attorney which is a plus for me

An absolutely incredible journey that will push you mentally and reward you emotionally. Masterful, educational, and extremely challenging (for me...). Be aware - audio is 90% Mandarin. I'm not fluent in Mandarin but I've studied it for years, so I was very pleased with the excellent voice acting in both English and Chinese. For those who can handle subtitles, or who study Chinese as a language or as a culture, this game is a treasure I cannot recommend enough. I can only hope this team has another game in the works!

I had such a good time playing this - very refreshing to get this take on a detective type game and the mysteries were very smart and made me think which I enjoyed a lot - I hope to see more from this series.

Great game! I strongly recommend it. I played the demo first but got hooked and bought the full game.

This game is a gem!! While the "playable" art is not too elaborated, it does justice to the enormous amount of hard work bleeding through the story. It's incredibly well written. It's constantly intriguing, every case is hard to solve and has a very satisfying ending, and I absolutely love when a game actually takes the time to teach me key points to understand its story better. Also, the characters get very lovable after just some minutes of gameplay. Afu is a sweet potato, MUST PROTECC For those of us that are still waiting for a new Ace Attorney game, this game not only fills the void but also opens a new path for a really, really interesting competition. Because it's got nothing to envy to that game. I'm intrigued to see Shen and Afu in a next adventure!

Jogo excelente! História muito boa, com casos super interessantes que aumentam gradativamente em seu nível de dificuldade. A lógica por trás de cada argumentação é super consistente. A narrativa casa perfeitamente com os acontecimentos históricos e raramente tomam liberdades narrativas; quando o fazem, os desenvolvedores deixam explícito nos registros históricos que posicionam o jogo dentro do contexto político chinês da época. 10/10

One of the best games I have played in a while, in terms of story. There was a duration where I questioned whether the mechanisms were even plausible. But everything was tied together extremely well at the end, with hints and references to the true ending being sprinkled throughout the whole game. Thank you for this game and the inspiration to fight for what you believe in.

The strong point is definitely the setting. Throughout the game, you get some history explanations, which are a nice touch. The cases are not too long, but very enjoyable!

This game should have extensions or a new similar game. The game play is very enjoyable and satisfied. The background music is really good, and not as noisy as Ace Attorney which gave me headache after a while.

This game is actually really good. The characters speak Chinese when you are in China, and English when he is talking to non Chinese. The game is interesting and serious.

Overall: MOTYR is an engaging mystery detective game that has you cracking tough murder cases. The overall story, cute animations, and great dialogue all add to the game's charm. If you enjoy Ace Attorney or mystery stories, this game comes highly recommended. Pros: - The main story raises the stakes of the game due to the personal nature of the murder in relation to the main character. As the game progresses, you get more insight into why the MC is doing what he does. - The game provides historical information about the era and Chinese lore. - The animated scenes within the game are creative, fun, and cute. - The game strikes a great balance of using your own deduction skills and nudging you down the path to solve the murders without holding your hand. There is an option to receive hints if you get stuck. - Each chapter can be done in 1-2 hours depending on how thorough and slow you want to take the game, which is broken up perfectly into consumable bites. Cons: - The amount of information in each chapter can at times be overwhelming. Final Rating: 8.8/10

I loved this game, it's similar to Ace Attorney but with a more grounded story. The historical and forensic-science facts were really interesting, too. I hope they make a sequel.

I'm a huge lover of detective games like the ace attorney series. This game was really really really fun! I love the detective and his assistants relationship and characters. The game mechanics were easy and fun to use and gave me enough hints if I was really confused but enough for me also to figure it out on my own. I learnt a lot about history in China too! I highly recommend you give this game a try!

If you love the Ace Attorney Investigations games from recently playing the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, you will love this adventure of solving murders in early twentieth century China.

Super chill, great animation, funny dialogue. Recommended highly by me.

"I am a fucking prosecutor!" This game had the balls to use the line that Capcom won't let Edgeworth say. 10/10

Great detective game I hope the dlc gets a translation

Surpassed all my expectations! Just try it out.

If you liked the Ace Attorney Games, and especially if you happened to enjoy the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles in particular, then this game is probably one you'll enjoy quite a lot. Murders on the Yangtze River is definitely a good game for scratching the Ace Attorney itch, and it's actually quite accessible even if you struggle a bit with picking out the correct evidence or anything along those lines like in the base Ace Attorney games where you might get stuck for a good while trying to figure out the contradiction with its hint system. You basically can get a free basic hint if you're struggling to put together what you should be looking for, and if all else fails, an option to see the answer itself after that just to save getting stuck in place for ages. Which is just a nice thing to have. Combine that with the usual Ace Attorney formula of mystery, an overarching narrative that ties together by the end like the Ace Attorney Chronicles, and surprisingly a good few fairly well animated CG's and a really good soundtrack, and this game absolutely fits the Ace Attorney niche that many folks might be looking to fill the gap for until the next game gets released. 100% recommend giving it a shot.

If you like mystery and crime plus old history setting this game is really good.

I honestly can't stop playing it. It's that good.

Amazing episode and storytelling!

Very good game. Story well written

非常棒的推理体验！

the best game I've ever played!!!!!!!!!!!

A very impressive game!

Good game