The Rise of the Golden Idol is finally here, and fans have been scratching their heads about what this new puzzle game has in store for them. This is the highly anticipated sequel from Color Gray Games’ underrated detective game inspired by Lucas Pope’s Return of the Obra Dinn.
With this release, there will be many questions brewing. What is this game all about? In this guide, we talk about the do's and don'ts of The Rise of the Golden Idol.
This is a Puzzle Game
The most important thing to note is that this isn’t unlike other games we play in the market. It’s no Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6, where we shoot and slide whenever we please.
It’s a puzzle game that requires you to stop and think for hours because before we get any answers, there are a lot, I mean a lot of questions about what’s going on here.
The Golden Idol games take pride in their complex deductive puzzles, making us feel like Sherlock Holmes on retirement.
The gameplay mechanic is simple: if you’ve played Return of the Obra Dinn, you’d know it is a game about identifying who’s who.
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+ 5Rise of the Golden Idol and the game before it operates under two puzzle sections: Exploration and Thinking. Exploration Mode lets you scour the crime scene looking for clues and facts, whereas the Thinking Mode lets you piece all the mysteries together from one massive detective board.
Bring A Notebook
The game has 20 cases, each packed with its own twists and surprises. You won’t be able to keep track of every little detail along the way, so it’s best to keep a notebook and a pen ready. You know, like a true detective.
click to enlarge + 5This is essential because some key information, such as the names of suspects and events, can get buried as we progress through the later chapters. These facts are the bread and butter of the Golden Idol games. Once you’ve memorized the ins and outs of the story, you won’t have a problem breezing through its tougher puzzles.
Taking mental notes isn't advisable, but if you don't have a pen and paper with you, your phone’s notepad or Steam’s Notes could help.
Double Check Information
It’s easy to make a mistake as we pile up the facts—typical detective work blunder. Double-checking information is highly advisable during Exploration Mode.
Can’t find the name of this dead fellow? Search for clues around its gorgeous hand-drawn vignettes. No cause of death? Well, you’re probably not looking hard enough.
click to enlarge + 5Missing pertinent information can be costly and result in confusion. So, it’s best to keep track of any missing words and facts in your toolbar. You should know you have everything when it has a green checkmark.
Watch Out For Typos
This is an important tip once you’ve acquired all the necessary information during Exploration Mode. Once everything is compiled in your detective board, it’s time to piece out the overall narrative of its chapter.
click to enlarge + 5Dragging corresponding words to each section should result in a complete sentence summarizing the chapter's events. Be careful when dragging the names in the wrong order. It could complicate things even further for you and everybody else.
Take this for example: John Doe smacks Jane Doe’s head using a Police Baton, resulting in her death, yadda yadda. Make sure you read each section and double-check everything again. You know you got it right when you hear a satisfying ding, and everything turns green.
Brute Forcing Usually Works
One final tip is that this game is a victim of brute-force solutions. It’s easy to drag and drop names onto the detective board, hoping to get a hit.
click to enlarge + 5This is pretty much doable in the first chapters, but the later chapters have a lower margin of error, so it’s hard to pinpoint which section you got wrong. These climactic chapters need more precise details that dragging and dropping just wouldn’t do.
But if you’re persistent, brute force usually works. However, it takes away the satisfaction of putting two and two together. There’s no Eureka! moment if you keep doing it repeatedly, but hey, you do you.
Rise of the Golden Idol is currently available on Steam for $19.99. As part of its launch period, it receives a 10% discount until November 20.
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