CRIMO Stories

Aside from solving numeric puzzles, kids take a generally passive role, watching characters discuss potential clues -- which might be as enticing as the puzzles if that aspect were more interactive. The puzzles in CRIMO Stories are solved somewhat like crosswords. Kids need to click on squares to make the amount of filled-in boxes in each row correspond with the number beside it, without exceeding the horizontal or vertical limit that's listed. They can start by filling in any rows that are given. Completed rows are greyed out, and the portions kids have already figured out can serve as a clue for the rest of the puzzle. Incorrect guesses will cost kids a life, represented by hearts at the top of the screen. The game will end if they run out, but the app seems to let players try to beat levels again indefinitely without any penalty, other than watching an ad. Kids can skip the storyline scenes, if desired, or click through them and read each comment. As a potential secondary benefit, the investigators mention a some scientific concepts as they find clues, and while they don't go into a terrific amount of detail about each one, the dialogue could introduce kids to some new terms and potentially inspire them to learn more about some of those principles.

Some situations could be iffy viewing for a younger audience, such as a conversation with the man who found the murder victim, who repeatedly talks about using marijuana. Beyond that, kids may feel like they're not as actively involved in the investigation as they could be, since they don't do much first-hand examining or analyzing, despite some levels bearing names like "Analyze Body." The numeric puzzles aren't visually compelling, but can still be fun to tackle, though, because they get increasingly more challenging as kids play. Even without many bells and whistles woven into the design, the escalating difficulty level could be enough to keep them interested in CRIMO Stories.