Mystery Case Files
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| Mystery Case Files | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Big Fish Games |
| Publisher(s) | Big Fish Games |
| Distributor(s) | Various |
| Engine | Big Fish Games Framework |
| Platform(s) | Windows / Mac OS X |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone-Teen (E-T) |
| Media | Download/Physical Release |
| System requirements | OS: Win 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista. Memory: 600 MB RAM. DirectX: 6.0. |
| Input methods | Keyboard, Mouse |
The Mystery Case Files (also known as MCF) is a casual game series developed by the internal studios of Big Fish Games. The MCF series is known for its ‘Hidden Object’ puzzles where, in order to progress through a game, the player must find a certain number of items hidden somewhere on a painted scene. There are usually thousands of items hidden in the game and while some of them are easy to find, some can be quite difficult.[citation needed]
There have been six games in the MCF series to date. After MCF: Huntsville, each one added additional features including flashlights,—by MCF: Prime Suspects—door puzzles,—by MCF: Ravenhearst—word and crystal ball puzzles—by MCF: Madame Fate-cause and effect objects,—by MCF: Return to Ravenhearst—and morphing objects—by MCF: Dire Grove.
Storyline and characters have played an increasingly important part in the development of the series, especially from the 3rd game onwards.[citation needed] The game released in November 2008 (MCF: Return to Ravenhearst) has a plot that directly ties into the previous 2 games in the series (MCF: Ravenhearst & MCF: Madame Fate).
Big Fish Games "estimates that 100 million people have at least sampled trial versions"[1] of the MCF games since the initial launch of MCF: Huntsville.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Computer Play
- Mystery Case Files: Huntsville was released in November 2005 and immediately broke sales records for casual games. The player takes the role of a master detective to solve a series of seemingly random crimes in the small town of Huntsville. The game features a number of locations to explore and introduced the Crime Computer which is still a main part of the series.
- Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects was released in April 2006. The player is tasked with investigating the disappearance of the Queen’s Hope Diamond in Capital City. MCF: Prime Suspects added items that players have to discover to unlock later levels (such as finding a battery to power a flashlight). Characters also became a more prominent part of the series with the investigation revolving around multiple characters with different personality ‘quirks’.
- Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst was released in December 2006 and features an investigation centered on a mysterious manor located in England. Players find objects to unlock diary pieces to follow the life of Emma Ravenhearst. MCF: Ravenhearst introduced elaborate door puzzles to the series that were similar to a Rube Goldberg type puzzle.
- Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate was released in November 2007. The player investigates Madame Fate’s Carnival and the carnival workers to see which one of them causes the fortune teller’s death at midnight. MCF: Madame Fate introduces more types of puzzles (including word puzzles and multiple crystal ball puzzles) while also changing the way a player can find items. Sometimes the player must combine two items on the screen, other times they must locate hidden areas to progress. The bulk of the game is still finding hidden objects, but there are a lot of other types of puzzles.
- Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst was released on November 26, 2008, for Big Fish Games Game Club members whereas the public was able to download this game on November 27, 2008.[2]
- Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove is the sixth installment of the MCF franchise and was released December 11, 2009. It had its first release on November 25, 2009 as a Collector's Edition. It follows the events of four graduate students who travel to a small township near Blackpool, England. They were never heard from again as they went missing in Fall 2009. The game follows on from the previous game, Return To Ravenhearst, but does not directly lead into the Ravenhearst story-arc.
- Mystery Case Files: 7 will be released in late 2010.[3]
[edit] Portable Devices
- Mystery Case Files: Agent X is the first in the MCF franchise to be to be released for portable devices. MCF: Agent X is usable by Glu Mobile capable cell-phones.
- Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir was released in September 2008. It is the second game in the MCF franchise to be released for portable devices. MCF: MillionHeir requires a Nintendo DS system and was published by Nintendo.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Mystery Case Files Website
- MCF: Huntsville at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Prime Suspects at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Ravenhearst at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Madame Fate at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Return To Ravenhearst at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Dire Grove at Big Fish Games
- MCF: Dire Grove: Collector's Edition at Big Fish Games
- Seattle is the hotbed of the $2 billion casual game industry, in which women are the dominant players - Seattle P-I Reports on the Role of Women in the Local Gaming Industry
- The Mossberg Solution: Online games appeal to 'casual' players
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