$14.99Murder by Numbers A colorful 90s whodunit with pixel puzzles
Solve four murders in 1996 Los Angeles as actress turned detective Honor Mizrahi, scanning crime scenes and cracking a conspiracy one puzzle at a time.
Is Murder by Numbers worth it?
Murder by Numbers is worth it if…
- you like nonograms and want each solved grid to actually mean something
- you want a funny, low-pressure detective story you can play in short sittings
- you have a soft spot for the 1990s, from the fashions to the TV procedurals
- you enjoy banter-heavy casts and colorful characters more than branching choices
Screenshots
Fired, framed and on the case
Honor Mizrahi plays a detective on TV, which turns out to be the closest thing to a qualification she has. Her boss fires her, and minutes later he is dead, leaving Honor as the suspect with the clearest motive. To clear her name she teams up with SCOUT, a reconnaissance robot thrown away after a mysterious incident, and the two stumble into a detective duo. The setup is pure 90s TV: a hit show, a body on set, a heroine with more sass than experience. It is a mystery that knows exactly how silly it is, and it is better for that.
Pixel puzzles that become evidence
The detective work runs on nonograms. SCOUT scans an object or a scene, you fill in the grid, and the finished picture becomes a clue you can carry into an interrogation. Solving a puzzle is never busywork: each one hands you something concrete to confront a witness with. There is a hint system when a grid stalls you, and beyond the main cases there are extra memory puzzles to chew on. The difficulty settles at a moderate level rather than climbing forever, so the puzzles stay satisfying without ever turning into a second job.
Questions, alibis and a slow-burning conspiracy
Clues are only half the job; the other half is using them. You interrogate a wild range of weird and wonderful characters, from TV producers to drag queens, checking stories against the evidence SCOUT has scanned. Each case is a self-contained murder, but a darker conspiracy threads underneath them, and the story builds toward it case by case. The fun is in the push and pull: corner someone with a clue, watch them squirm, and piece together what really happened across the glitzy, ridiculous world of 1996 Los Angeles.
A story you read, with jokes to spare
This is a visual novel at heart: dialogue-heavy scenes with colorful, hand-drawn character art carry the mystery from one puzzle to the next. The writing leans hard into comedy, with sass dialled up, pun names and banter between Honor and SCOUT that gives the cases their charm. The plot stays linear, so you are along for the ride rather than steering it, and the ride is cheerful, funny and genuinely sweet in places.
What about the puzzles and the difficulty?
Do you need to be good at nonograms to enjoy this?
No. The puzzles start small and there is a hint system if a grid stalls you, so newcomers can get through the story comfortably. If you already play a lot of nonograms, the later grids and the extra memory puzzles give you something meatier, though the difficulty does level off partway through. One thing to know: the hacking sections add a timer to the puzzle format, and that is the one part some players find frustrating.
How does the 90s setting and the music hold up?
The setting is played for charm: 1996 Los Angeles with TV studios, glitzy award shows, drag clubs and period fashions, all in a bright, cartoony, hand-drawn style. The soundtrack is by Masakazu Sugimori, known for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick and Viewtiful Joe, and it is an energetic, upbeat match for the tone. Some players find the 90s dressing mostly flavor rather than something the plot leans on, but as a mood it lands.
