Loco Motive

A point-and-click murder mystery set on an Art Deco era train. You play same timeline as three different characters: a lawyer, a detective, and a spy. It’s a clever and there are good jokes based on the layering.

The game is unusually deep. Lots of places to explore on (and off) the train. The pixel art is charming and detailed, though could be a little less pixel-y in places.

For our kids, this all works really well. They treat it more like an interactive novel than a puzzle game. The puzzles are fair—no weird item combinations or odd logic. If you played Tangle Tower, this has similar replay-ability due to the storytelling side of things.

There’s a hint system (you call a phone line in-game) that helps without spoiling things. The writing is funny and the path to solve the mystery is convoluted. Old Kings Quest vibes at times. It’s medium length, lasted through quite a few weekend mornings.