Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate (2007)
Released in November 2007, the fourth entry in the Mystery Case Files series, Madame Fate, was among the first hidden object games I ever played. That was over a decade ago. I featured the game on Samooja three years ago, but rereading my old review now left me dissatisfied. The introduction was overly brief, and there were too few screenshots. As I have since set myself the task of revisiting the first nine Mystery Case Files games in a more analytical spirit, I am returning to Madame Fate to do better justice to its variety. This search-and-puzzle game, set in a carnival run by a medium, is a low-fi audiovisual feast.
As with the first three entries in the series, Madame Fate was designed by Adrian Woods and developed by Big Fish Games’ in-house studio. I have followed the series closely and can attest that its evolution is genuine, even though the overall structure and mechanics remain very similar. The games consist of cluttered hidden object scenes explored via word lists, interspersed with puzzle tasks. All entries are built around a map of locations that the player revisits multiple times. I have previously reviewed the first three Mystery Case Files games on Samooja: Huntsville, Prime Suspects, and Ravenhurst.
When the clock strikes twelve
In Madame Fate, the agent controlled by the player receives an unusual assignment. Madame Fate, a medium who runs a carnival, claims to have foreseen her own death. She suspects that the murderer will be one of her employees. I have no idea how likely it would be for the real-life FBI to investigate a clairvoyant’s murder prophecy, but never mind; the agent of the Mystery Case Files series clearly operates in a paranormal parallel reality of their own.
Madame Fate returns to the character-gallery approach of the first two entries, Huntsville and Prime Suspects, introducing fifteen eccentric carnival employees. The portrayal of the characters remains exaggerated and grotesque, but it is less humorous and no longer cartoon-like. Stylistically, the series has now shifted towards fantasy. I enjoy this transition greatly. The character portraits are intriguing and beautiful in their own way.
The player’s task is to uncover each employee’s motive for murdering Madame Fate. As usual for the series, this is done by searching cluttered scenes and solving puzzles. Once the required number of clues has been found, the medium’s crystal ball reveals a vision of the suspect at the moment of the future murder. Before long, the case takes a macabre turn: it appears that all of the carnival workers are themselves in danger of being killed.
Madame Fate contains references to the previous entry, Ravenhurst, and the ending foreshadows a return to the Ravenhurst mansion in the next game.
Refined hidden object scenes
Madame Fate offers two types of hidden object scenes: traditional cluttered locations searched via word lists, and character portraits in which two object types are found in multiple visual variations. I particularly enjoyed the latter, as they encourage fast, rhythmic play. By this I mean not only the punchy sound effects, but also a new feature that rewards quickly finding three objects in succession. In both traditional scenes and character scenes, clicking three listed objects within a short time grants an extra minute of search time. Madame Fate has noticeably improved the game’s responsiveness to clicks, giving the player more room to shine.
A new feature in the series is the introduction of morphing objects. These are not listed explicitly, but must be recognised by observing changes within the scene. In practice, this means an object alternates between two forms in real time. You do not need to witness the transformation directly; noticing that something has changed and clicking it is enough. Each morphing object alternates between two items. Madame Fate was the game that introduced morphing objects to hidden object games, and today they are standard fare in the genre. Finding all of them is an optional challenge that rewards careful observation rather than hurried scanning.
Location scenes in Madame Fate can also expand in depth. A single location may effectively contain two layers. The player “dives” into a specific area of the scene for closer inspection and is presented with a new word list. Both base scenes and expanded views may contain morphing objects.
Another new addition to location scenes is drag-and-drop tasks, in which two or three objects are combined to fulfil a single word-list entry. For example, a match is dragged across a matchbox to light it, and the lit match is then dragged to a candle to complete the entry “lighted candle”. This clearly echoes inventory puzzles from adventure games.
Word games and unique puzzles
Puzzles remain a core mechanic and cannot be dismissed as mere mini-games, though the series is approaching that territory. They appear in two contexts: as tasks unlocking character scenes, and as challenges that open the crystal ball visions at the end of each chapter.
The puzzles in character scenes are word games, of which there are five types: long words revealed one letter at a time; scrambled words based on a shared theme; two long intersecting scrambled words representing opposites; short three-letter intersecting words arranged in a grid; and four-letter words formed from a pool of seven letters. I derive particular pleasure from solving word puzzles, and Madame Fate’s sound effects and visuals further enhance that enjoyment.
The word games are not particularly difficult, but they do require a solid grasp of English vocabulary and word formation. I found the grid of intersecting three-letter words the most challenging, and on a couple of occasions solved it almost by accident. Word games can be skipped by using the phone, but it is worth trying a reset first. If you exit a word puzzle midway and return later, the game reshuffles the words. This reset trick seemed to require taking on another task in between, but it definitely works if the game is closed and restarted.
The crystal ball puzzles are different every time. They are interactive visual riddles that require logical reasoning. While they can be compared to Ravenhurst’s elaborate mechanical contraptions, Madame Fate’s puzzles are clearer both visually and mechanically.
As there are no explicit instructions for the crystal ball puzzles, the rules must be deduced through experimentation. Sometimes they are straightforward and easy; at other times, precise timing is required. Some puzzles consist of multiple stages and take longer to solve. I also enjoyed the sound effects and the slightly Monty Python-esque paper-doll animations used in these puzzles.
Audiovisual strength carries the setting
I greatly enjoy Madame Fate’s carnival theme. The cast of carnival employees, including the medium herself, is wonderfully diverse. Within the constraints of a hidden object puzzle game, deep characterisation is not possible, but Madame Fate certainly offers visual appeal. The graphics also feature animation of a kind not seen in earlier entries.
The background music and soundscapes suit the amusement park theme well. There is a curious sense of distance to them, something dreamlike or ghostly. I could listen to them for hours without growing tired, even though they vary little. The sound effects are effective, and in my view particularly well executed.
The medium indulges in macabre wordplay, delivered in a vaguely Spanish-accented voice and accompanied by eerie laughter. She also comments on the player’s actions or inaction over the ambient soundscape and music. Spoken dialogue feels like a significant step forward for the series.
A relaxed game with a ticking clock
The player has a limited amount of time for each chapter, corresponding to each investigated character. At the start, you can choose between a tighter or looser schedule, opting for Seeker Mode or Relaxed Mode. As a seasoned veteran, I chose Seeker Mode and had no trouble keeping to the time limits — except right at the end, where I failed repeatedly while solving the final puzzle. That, I recall, has always been the case.
In Seeker Mode, the player initially has 35 minutes per chapter. This time covers both hidden object scenes and puzzles. The available time can increase through the streak bonuses described earlier. This playthrough of Madame Fate took me nine hours. It was no walkover, which speaks to the game’s solid replay value.
Five hints per chapter are available in hidden object scenes. A hint broadly highlights an area where one of the remaining listed objects can be found. Puzzles offer no verbal instructions; their rules must be discovered through reasoning and experimentation. They also provide no hints, but can be skipped using the phone — except for the final puzzle, which cannot be skipped. That one, however, can be retried indefinitely.
A separate strategy guide is available for Madame Fate.
Verdict
I see no reason to change the score I gave Madame Fate three years ago: 70 points out of 100. I still consider it an impressive and cohesive whole, a pure hidden object puzzle game that does not try to be an adventure game. It delivers mechanical, repetition-based enjoyment in an intriguing carnival setting. Bravo.
Availability
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.