The animated intro welcomes you to Los Angeles, 1996

Don’t let anyone undersell you on the value of animated intros for video games. I won’t hear it!

When done right, animated intros can fire up your imagination and establish the tone for the rest of the experience. Even before that point, they’re a novel way to help draw in casual observers.

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I wasn’t followingMurder by Numbers–not up-close–but now I am. It’s a ’90s-set Los Angeles detective adventure with Picross-style puzzles, a soundtrack by Masakazu Sugimori (Ace Attorney,Ghost Trick), and direction and character design from Ed Fear and Hato Moa (Hatoful Boyfriend).

The intro is nice and breezy, setting up several key players including protagonist Honor Mizrahi, a detective-show-actress-turned-murder-suspect, and SCOUT, an emoji-faced “reconnaissance robot.”

The ghost at the end of the hallway

If this seems like your sorta jam, it’s not far off.Murder by Numbersis releasing on Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam) on March 5 and March 6, respectively, for $14.99.I admire its whole vibe.

Picking up the smiley face post-it off the broken mirror

John and Molly sitting on the park bench

Close up shot of Marissa Marcel starring in Ambrosio

Kukrushka sitting in a meadow

Lightkeeper pointing his firearm overlapped against the lighthouse background

Overseer looking over the balcony in opening cutscene of Funeralopolis

Edited image of Super Imposter looking through window in No I’m not a Human demo cutscene with thin man and FEMA inside the house

Looking at the ghost of Jackie inside the lighthouse