Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth Collector’s Edition Review – An Intriguing and Engaging Crime Puzzler (Switch)

There were a few things that drew me to Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth Collector’s Edition. For one, it’s a hidden objects game, a genre of puzzle game that I enjoy playing. But add in the fact that this is also a detective mystery game, that intrigues me even more. Plus, there are more than just hidden objects puzzles included in this game, to really mix things up. 

Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth isn’t a brand-new game, having first released in 2023, but it has recently made its way onto consoles, including Nintendo Switch, which is the platform I chose to review it on. Plus, this is the Collector’s Edition, which adds a bonus chapter, which expands on the original story and adds more puzzles to solve.

When I first started this game, I wasn’t sure I’d be any good, but by the end, I’d had a good time playing it. If you want to know why and why you may want to get it yourself, here’s my review.

Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth Collector’s Edition is available now on PC via Steam, Mac, PlayStation 4 | 5, Xbox One | Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.

Story – The Scarlet Hyacinth Killer

I should start by explaining that The Scarlet Hyacinth is actually the third game in a series called Unsolved Case, created by Domini Games. I’ve never played any of these games, so this is my first Unsolved Case game, which for me makes doing this review more interesting.

Anyway, about the story. In The Scarlet Hyacinth, you are a detective tasked with solving a series of strange murders. They’re just like any other murders, except the killer leaves something significant behind at every crime scene: a red hyacinth, hence the title of this game. With your detective skills, you need to find out who the killer is and stop them. This involves visiting crime scenes and other important locations, speaking to witnesses and suspects, and collecting evidence. It’s your typical murder mystery game, but an interesting one.

Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth isn’t that long a game. It took me a few hours to complete it. The game itself is made up of 3 chapters, all of which take some time to do. The average playtime is probably between 5 and 10 hours, depending on how good you are at puzzle solving. I didn’t rush this game, as I didn’t want to miss anything, but it felt long enough to not feel too short, but not so long that it wasn’t pointlessly padded out. The overall playtime was a comfortable sitting.

I overall really enjoyed the story of The Scarlet Hyacinth. It was certainly intriguing enough to keep me going, and I really wanted to solve the case. There were also a few unexpected twists and turns that took me by surprise. It may be your typical mystery crime story, but it’s not a boring one. 

I should also like to add that with the Collector’s Edition, you get an extra chapter. Not only that, but in this chapter, you assume the role of the killer! I actually found this really fascinating, and it expanded on the original story, making you understand what motivated the killer. I even found myself quite moved by the storytelling that was going on. The bonus chapter was certainly a great addition to the original game.

This trip to the amusement park will be anything but amusing.

Gameplay – Searching & Solving

Being a detective game, Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth incorporates the following gameplay: hidden objects and puzzles. Let’s look deeper into how this works.

Exploring the Scene

Throughout The Scarlet Hyacinth, you’ll visit several different locations. These can be interior or exterior. In every one of these scenes, there are certain areas of interest where you can zoom in for a closer look. Here, there may be items of interest to pick up, which serve as clues for the crime, or usually a piece of a puzzle or something to help access a point, such as a key.

You’ll find that you’ll be spending a lot of time trying to unlock a door or cabinet to gain access to more items, but this is what keeps the game going. It wouldn’t be very exciting if everything was practically handed to you. It’s also very creative how you have to “unlock” these “inaccessible” items. For example, you can see an item of importance hidden under a pile of broken glass, but you need to find something to sweep the glass away, so you don’t hurt yourself. Unsolved Case works a bit like a chain-link: you have to do something before you can continue, and so on, eventually leading to moving onto the next scene.

You’re not just stuck in the same location either. In each segment of the game, you’ll have 2-3 areas to explore and shift between. In order to progress, you might need to go back to the first location. In the first place you visit, there may be a puzzle or inaccessible location that you need to come back to later, once you have the means to.

In one scene, there will be lots of places where you can zoom in and explore closer.

What Can I Use This For?

A common theme that runs throughout Unsolved Case is coming across seemingly random items which you can then use to progress with. These items can be used to access a puzzle or reach another item. Some items you find also may need work done to them in order to use them. For example, you may find a flashlight but with no battery, so your new sub-task is to locate one.

Part of the puzzler of Unsolved Case is coming across an item and then trying to figure out what it’s for. Can it be used to unlock a puzzle? To get something out of the way to reach a key item? To fix an incomplete item in your inventory? That’s part of the puzzle – and the fun!

Plenty of Puzzles (and Not Just Hidden Objects!)

One of the aspects of The Scarlet Hyacinth I found attracting to play was the mixture of puzzles. I initially thought it would just be hidden objects, but I was pleased to discover a whole range of different puzzles to complete. Some I found relatively easy, while others took much longer to solve. Every puzzle I was confronted with was a good challenge. Whoever devised these puzzles did a very good job!

Additionally, if you enjoyed the puzzles or wanted to do them again, you could do so via the Extras section in the main menu. 

With all the puzzles, you get instructions on how to play and solve them.

If You Get Stuck, Just Ask!

Being a puzzle game, and depending on how good you are at solving puzzles, it’s inevitable that now and again you might get stuck. It’s annoying when you can’t figure out what to do next, whether you’re missing an item or stuck on a puzzle. Fortunately, The Scarlet Hyacinth can help you out there (depending on which difficulty you choose to play in).

If you ever get seriously stuck at any point in the game, you can use the magnifying glass for help. It’ll tell you which area to visit where a clue is, or even highlight it directly if you’re in the right spot. During solving a puzzle, if you use the magnifying glass, it’ll even solve the puzzle for you! However, note that once you hit the help tool, you can’t stop or undo it, so you have to be sure that you don’t want to keep trying to figure it out yourself and spend more time on it.

Having the help tool was extremely useful in my time playing The Scarlet Hyacinth. I probably would have progressed without it eventually, but it certainly made life a lot easier. There is a time-frame after each use where you temporarily cannot use the help tool, even in easy mode, but I only used it when I was really stuck or lost.

If you get really stuck or you can’t be bothered to do it yourself, just ask the hints tool. It’ll gladly solve the puzzle for you!

Collectibles to Look Out For

There’s nothing like finding collectibles in video games, so you’ll be pleased to know that Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth has these as well. They’re not mandatory to gather, but a fun little extra, especially for collectible fans.

There are 3 different collectibles scattered throughout the game and its various locations: pill strips, patient photos, and poisonous flowers. You can view all these individually in the Extras section. The good thing is that the game tells you how many you’ve collected so far whenever you pick up a new one, and how many there are to find in total. Also, as you play the game, whenever you’re in an area where a collectible is, the game will tell you. For example, if a poisonous flower is in your current location, a picture of a flower will appear in the tab. It makes collectible gathering much easier.

In every scene, there are collectibles to find.

Graphics & Audio – Nice and Clean, With Some Audio Hiccups

For a detective-mystery, hidden-objects, puzzle-solving game, clean graphics are key. Fortunately, Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth ticks this box. The art style is realistic, but with a slight hand-drawn touch to it. You can clearly see what everything is, even when it’s small. The game’s UI is also neat and ordered, not looking cluttered or disorganized. You know what everything is used for and what it means.

There’s also a little use of animation with The Scarlet Hyacinth, instead of just flat stationary images. The graphics aren’t in 3D, but the way the animations are done still work quite nicely. Everything is presented well, including the cutscenes. I especially like that the cutscenes are done in a comic book style, without being really wacky or over-the-top. This actually suits the detective theme of the game well.

Regarding the audio, I’ll start with the soundtrack. The music that plays in the background of The Scarlet Hyacinth is nice and subtle, blending in perfectly while matching the mood and theme of whatever you’re doing, usually exploring or solving a puzzle. It’s not at all annoying or distracting. I certainly didn’t need to hit the mute button!

However, there was a bit of a letdown with the audio. In the cutscenes, the dialogue didn’t always play, at least not right away, which was a bit jarring. However, it didn’t hinder the scenes too much, although it was slightly off-putting. The audio also sometimes failed to play when it came to sound effects, especially when the same sound effect is repeated in a short space of time. I don’t know if this issue is only found with the Switch version though.

Unsolved Case: The Scarlet Hyacinth was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a key provided by Legacy Games.