Golden Idol Investigations: The Lemurian Phoenix

Golden Idol Investigations: The Lemurian Phoenix is a detective game DLC that expands The Rise of the Golden Idol. The puzzles are presented as fill-in-the-blanks descriptions of illustrated cases, with precise solutions to deduce out of thousands of combinations. This second DLC includes five new cases unfolding the spiritual intrigue and political turmoil that beset modern-day Lemuria.

As in the base game, The Lemurian Phoenix contains several point-and-click vignettes which display confounding situations. You navigate the vignettes in search of clues and meaning, collecting relevant names and words in the process. Once you feel comfortable enough about explaining the events, you use the collected words to complete fill-in-the-blanks solution sheets. A gradual hint system is also included with each scenario.

The five cases from this DLC span four decades of modern Lemurian history, with an overarching plot mostly independent from the events of Rise. Character Tesa Nevari returns in a tangential capacity; the focus is rather on the dealings of a new cult, and how its main figures came to shape the country’s politics. Some events are presented out of chronological order, and one of the cases involves language deciphering puzzles.

As with The Sins of New Wells, the previous DLC, each case’s difficulty has been met with varying reactions. The second case relies on a notably elaborate setup which makes intermediary solution sheets particularly helpful. On the other hand, Color Gray Games’ foray into language deciphering puzzles will probably feel familiar to players who already experienced Chants of Sennaar or Heaven’s Vault.

This description was written by Oriane Tury.