If, like me, you enjoyed The Rise of the Golden Idol, a game we called “a compelling modern mystery thriller that's bigger, better, and more ambitious than its already brilliant predecessor,” then this news may be just the thing for you. you.
Will Ackermann, one of the game designers of The Rise of the Golden Idol, today unveiled his next game: City of Voices. He's working on it in collaboration with pixel artist Matt Frith through his own studio Kini Games.
Described as a “Golden Idol-like” release, City of Voices takes place in suburban England and centers on a young girl who is bullied on her first day at high school. If that weren't enough, she soon finds herself “thrown into a fantastic adventure,” putting even more on her plate.
Like the Golden Idol games, City of Voices will challenge players to “investigate a series of moments frozen in time, examining clues and solving deduction puzzles to uncover a rich story.” However, unlike the Golden Idol games, players will have to answer questions by choosing from a selection of images (see below), rather than dragging and dropping words instead.
If this sounds like the City of Voices is still standing a little too close to the Golden Idol formula, don't worry. Ackermann made sure to receive the blessing of his creators before starting his own game.
“I was pretty nervous about asking Andrejs and Ernests, who co-created those games, for permission to essentially steal their mechanics,” Ackermann admitted, “but luckily, they were flattered!”
Frith added: “Since then, they've both been very supportive and even said they 'loved every minute of the demo' we made, which means a lot to us. We hope other players feel the same.”
There is currently no release date for City of Voices, but it is now available to wishlist on Steam. You can see a trailer above.
As for The Rise of the Golden Idol, we gave it four out of five stars upon release.
“This is a brilliantly plotted suspense story packed with a huge cast of memorable scoundrels, jesters and quietly tragic bystanders, and it's all backed up by wonderfully devised puzzles that really give your brain a run for its money before you can crack open its difficult secrets earned,” our Katharine wrote in Eurogamer's review of Rise of the Golden Idol.