What Happened to Criminal Case?
Today, I'll look back on of my favorite games growing up and what are my thoughts on the franchise now.
Disclaimer: This blog post will contain spoilers for various seasons of the Criminal Case games, within this post and links. Also given the nature of this game, any links featured here may contain graphic content. So please proceed with caution.
Introduction
While the date of this event is a blur, this particular memory has never left my mind.
It was around 2012, so I was about 11-12 years old at the time. My mom was on her laptop on Facebook, playing a game rather than scrolling through her timeline, looking through friends' photos.
Curious, my brother and I wanted to see what she was doing. Turns out she was playing a hidden object game called Criminal Case. I specifically remember helping our mom finding objects she had trouble locating.
Given the nature of the game, it's definitely not something someone at my age should venture further into. My mom hadn't played the game in a while, so I eventually forgot about it.
That was until, a YouTube channel called Pitchingace88, came into my feed around 2013. Thanks to Ace, as he referred to himself, I was able to gain more knowledge about the game and especially grow an attachment to many of the characters.
His last video was posted about 3 years ago, and while sad he won't come in my feed anymore, I genuinely do hope that Ace and his family are doing well.
I will admit that I'm not caught up with the more recent series, but I do still have a strong love for this game, especially thanks to the fandom and rewatching Ace's videos.
It's honestly amazing how active the fandom is, even when the finale released back on Jan 21, 2021. 3 years later and the fandom still discusses many of the past cases and its characters.
So, what's become of Criminal Case today? Will the game ever make it's return? Let's discuss it today.
Part 1: The Beginnings
Criminal Case was created by a French game development team called Pretty Simple. The game was originally released to Facebook Games on November 15th, 2012. 1 Eventually it got released in IOS and Android as well.
Note: In the case of the mobile release, each “season” got their own individual games.
Prior to the game's release, Pretty Simple had two other games published to Facebook, entitled Magical Ride and My Shops.
I've done some digging and I was unable to find any reason as to why these games were taken down.
I speculate that people weren’t interested in those games, so they decided to switch their interests.
Within six months since the launch of the game, they have amassed over 7 million players daily, with 60% of the adult players being female. 2
This honestly surprised me when I looked into it. I didn’t expect women to be into such gorey, dark themes. Perhaps it’s not just that however.
Maybe the large female fanbase is due to Criminal Case being a mystery game? Or the artstyle; the sprites have a semi-realistic style and the crime scenes featured in the hidden object portion are very detailed.
The success for the game only grew even more when it was crowned Facebook’s Game Of The Year in 2013. 3
It seemed like things were looking up for the game. Now, let’s dive in a little about the storyline.
Part 2
Part 2A: An overview of the gameplay
Note: I’m only going to cover the basics, so I won’t be mentioning any other features unless I’m making a reference in a different section.
The original release of Criminal Case takes place in the fictional city of Grimsborough, where the player is a police officer working in the G.P.D. (Grimsborough Police Department).
After completing the tutorial case, the player gets to create their own character, using either a male or female body. The skin color, hair, and clothing could all be changed to create either a self insert of the player or an entirely original character.
Note: The gender of the player character is never mentioned in the game, as other characters would use “they/them” pronouns. Perhaps to keep things gender-neutral.
The city has a total of 56 cases spread throughout the six districts of the city. The first district had 11 cases, the 5 afterwards had 9 cases while the final district called “The Airport” had only 4 cases.
Note: While the game was being updated at the time, a new case would launch every week. Although that would vary if there were any holidays during the week.
Each district featured a different storyline with each case having a connection to each other, such as a returning suspect or plot element.
Some storylines included a gang war in the first district or a serial killer on the loose in the “University” district.
Throughtout each case, the player has many tasks in order to find the killer. The hidden object portion allows the player to collect clues, including the body, murder weapon, and other items in relation to the murder. There’s also a visual novel style section where the player gets to interview suspects and talk to your teammates.
In order to do that, however you’d need to collect stars by repeatedly playing the crime scenes. Collecting stars allows the player to collect evidence-such as blood or fingerprints-talk to the suspects, and unlock the additional investigation section/the next case.
Repeatedly playing the crime scenes does cost enery points. In order to gain energy back, one can wait for it to restore or use in-game food. This is where the in-app purchases come in, as one can buy food through Facebook or the app. One can also use in-game currency or IRL money to speed up things in the lab, such as the autopsy or DNA testing.
Your energy also gets refilled as you Level Up throught continous play. Leveling up also gives you a rank up, promoting the player and awards them with a new title in-game, such as “Corporal” or “Senior Trooper”.
Note: Ranking up has no effect in-game.
After collecting 5 pieces of evidence, such as eye color or a hobby in relation, you get to arrest the killer. Again, you’ll need a star to do so. Arresting the wrong killer doesn’t effect the story, however it is a waste of a star. So pay attention and make sure that the killer’s profile matches whatever the suspect has.
The additional investigation takes place after arresting the killer. During it, the player talks to the suspects that were found innocent. Some of them had ties to the different plotline in each district while others needed help finding a missing item.
It’s not all doom-and-gloom in Criminal Case, however. By playing the crime scenes and correctly identifying the killer, you earn coins. Coins allow the player to buy additional items for the avatar or even a pet, which gives the player a bonus after playing the crime scenes.
I do find the constant grinding for stars and the long wait times for lab results the more frustrating part of the game.
Part 2B: My thoughts on the 1st season
While I’ll admit that the 1st season wasn’t perfect in terms of the writing/development of the characters, the game is just so nostalgic to me that I can’t hate it.
I’ve grown quite attached to the Grimsborough Police Department members, and to this day, they have a special place in my heart. Part of me wishes they had more depth, as most of them fell quite flat.
This season did make me cry as well, especially during one of the more shocking cases in the penultimate district. I won’t go into too much detail as I want you to experience it yourself. But, iykyk. (Content Warning for a depiction of suicide in that case, btw. Just figured I’d put that in there.)
I do also think that this season has a lot of filler cases, meaning that they serve no purpose to the plot in each district. I’d say the “Historical Center” district didn’t offer anything all that interesting as each case all had their own individual storyline.
Some of the cases in the “Financial Center” also suffered from this. While cases such as “In the Dead of Night” and “A Deadly Game” are very memorable to the fandom, others like “Fashion Victim” served no purpose to that districts’ overall storyline.
I mean, the killer of the aforementioned case only committed murder just for attention…😒
I’d also want to say that I found that some motives of the many killers were often weak or done for selfish reasons. Mental illnesses were also handled quite poorly for some of the cases in regard to some of the killers. But, that’s just my opinion and maybe someone with more understanding can explore this topic more.
Part 3: A brief lookback into the other seasons
Note: I don’t have much knowledge on many of the later seasons as I haven’t played them nor have I watched any gameplay.
After the final case in the original Criminal Case season, the player is then promoted to the city of Pacific Bay, the location of the second season.
Pacific Bay has a very different vibe to Grimsborough. It is a fan favorite to many, as the characters in this season feel more fleshed out and have a brighter personality. I enjoyed it myself, however looking back, I feel like this season had…too much going on.
I was looking through my Tumblr posts and I recalled one where I went on a bit of a tangent in regards to this season. So, I’ll just copy & paste what I said because I still stand with it:
Pacific Bay was so unhinged from what I remember from Ace’s gameplays
Like at least Grimsborough (the 1st season) felt more realistic (Again from what I remember…)
Pacific Bay was full of so much mess; I mean they had aliens, mind control, nanobots, toxic wastelands…
But I’ll give Pretty Simple credit; the main team from this season felt more fleshed out than the Grimsborough team. Don’t get me wrong, the first season will have a special place in my heart. But, the PBPD team stands out so much more.
It just sucks that no one really talks about them all that much…besides Frank from what I’ve seen. (Correct me if I’m wrong)
Not that I dislike Frank; he’s a pretty complex character. But, I felt as if he got too much focus in the game. Not to mention, what he did to Danny gets brushed under the rug towards the end of the game. And he made the ultimate choice to involve himself in the heist.
Andrea carried btw. (Like, she’s my auntie, leave me alone! /lh) And Amy to some extent, she just needed the growth.
Yann, Hannah, and Roxie feel so underrated to me which is a shame because I like them… 🥺
Ngl, Russell is kinda forgettable…
Regardless, Pacific Bay is a good season to play if you’re a newbie. The characters have amazing designs and the districts are unique as they’re based off IRL locations, such as Las Vegas and New Orleans. Also Chief Marquez is the best…
Season 3 called World Edition/Save The World! is another fan favorite. The player is recruited by an agency called The Bureau, the top police force in the world. What makes this season stand out is that rather than focusing on one whole city, the team gets to travel to various countries around the world.
As the team journeys to the different continents, each place focuses on taking down dangerous organizations all the while solving the various murder cases. I’d say this season feels more structured in Season 2.
So, if you’re into travel/learning about different cultures, this season is for you! ^^ Many fans have called this season the “peak” of the Criminal Case franchise.
Mysteries Of The Past is the 4th season and it’s the most unique of the bunch. This season takes the player back to the 19th century in the fictional city of Concordia. The player character in this season is believed to be the ancestor of the player character in present time.
Although, this later gets retconned in Season 8. 😕 More on that later…
Anyways, the team for this season is the Concordia Flying Squad, an independent unit from the city’s police department due to corrupt business going on. Yikes.
And, it’s called the “Flying Squad” because their headquarters is in a blimp. ^^
The Victorian/Steampunk aesthetic of the season is stunning and all of the character designs are so, so pleasing to look at!!! 😘
I really enjoyed the storyline for this season so I think this one is also a great one for any newcomers.
Season 5 is called The Conspiracy and surprisingly, rather than taking the player to a brand new city, we end up going back to Grimsborough from the original game. About 4 years have passed since we left and the city has gone through multiple changes. Now with 10 districts, Grimsborough is more technically advanced and livelier than ever.
This season focuses on the mysterious meteorite crash and a shady technology company.
When you start this season, expect to see so many familiar faces from the previous cases you’ve solved. It was quite exciting seeing them return after so long.
This season showcases that nobody is safe, as previous suspects and even some killers ended up becoming victims.
I’ll admit that I didn’t finish watching this season when Ace started playing it. Season 5 came out around Jan of 2018. Around that time, I was finishing highschool and would later start college in the fall.
I have checked out the spoilers and hopefully, I’ll get back into it when I have time later. Honestly, part of me feels like this season was… unnecessary(?). I have mentioned something in regards to this on my Tumblr:
I feel like what kind of rubs me off about Season 5 was the transition from Seasons ¾.
Season 3 didn’t really have a proper ending; we just jump right into Season 4. And while the concept is interesting, I can’t help but wonder if it was really a needed season…
And right after Season 4 ends, we’re back to where we left off from Season 3 and it’s just suddenly announced that we’re going back to Grimsborough.
I mean…a proper explanation would’ve sufficed. I’ll be honest, from working with the highest-level team in the world to suddenly returning to our roots sounds like a demotion tbh. XD
I stand by what I said. We went from traveling the world to later returning to the original city. I mean, it was nice seeing characters we’ve met in the past return, but what was the point? Nostalgia reasons?
I guess I was just hoping for something more…
Maybe my opinion will change once I watch more gameplay. Many people in the community seemed to like this season though; some have stated that it’s the best season.
I’ve also seen many express that the game should’ve ended after this season. I could honestly see that working to some extent. But, alas that wasn’t the case.
Now, the 3 remaining seasons are ones that I have very little knowledge of. I suppose I just lost interest afterward. So, what I’ll be saying is mostly verbatim from the fandom page and other sources.
After The Conspiracy concludes, we reunite with Jack Archer, one of the player’s partners from World Edition but much older. Taking place in the year 2029, we are assigned to a team of time travelers tasked with solving various murders throughout different time periods. This begins the sixth season, Travel In Time.
I honestly don’t have much to say about this season other than the fact that the concept is unique. Many former teammates also return, which is always fun to see. I’ve also read that the villain of the season is interesting and introduces many plot twists. Maybe I’ll give it a watch, and then I’ll have a stronger opinion on it.
What’s disappointing about this season is that it has 31 cases rather than the 50+ cases previous seasons had.
Season 7 is called Supernatural Investigations. As the name implies, the cases involve supernatural and fantastical elements such as vampires, demons, ghosts, etc. Much like the previous season, the number of cases is shortened to 30.
I enjoy fantasy/the supernatural and it fits well with the mystery aspect of Criminal Case. But, I don’t have an opinion on it as I also skipped this season. The comments I’ve seen on the fandom page in regards to the season are mixed. Some enjoyed it but said that the ending was rushed. Others stated that it was subpar and had wasted potential.
And finally, we have Season 8: City Of Romance. Aka the final season…😮💨
As the name implies, this season takes place in Paris, France. The city of love as many call it. This season has the least amount of cases; the total amount being only 17…
Some speculated that the season was cut short due to it being initially released around the time of the pandemic. That is unfortunate that it got cut short because the pandemic was a difficult time for many people.
I did spoil the final additional investigation where two of the player’s teammates are getting married. That’s a really sweet conclusion to the story although I wish the wedding was for two different characters. *COUGH*
Former teammates also return in the finale which was very sweet. But, let’s circle back to a comment I made earlier when I was discussing Season 4.
I had mentioned that the player character in Season 4 was an ancestor of the character you’re playing in current times. However, it turns out that is not the case.
A comment one of the characters makes suggests that the player character actually went to the past and met the characters in Season 4???
Soooo, was our player character a time traveler all along? Like, what’s the explanation? None is given and it just doesn’t make any sense… 😕
Overall, opinions for this season appear to be negative. Other than being rushed, many expressed disappointment over forced romances, many plot holes, and just being very confusing overall.
I don’t want to sound mean, but I feel as if Pretty Simple gave up which is disappointing…
Part 4: The Scrapped Season
Around 2023, I was watching gameplay for a different murder mystery game that featured the hidden object/visual novel mechanics similar to Criminal Case.
That’s when I came across this video by Roamer Tummy.
I’m really curious to know what the storyline for this season would’ve been. Who are the scrapped characters? A shame that we won’t know.
Part 5: So…what happened?
Note: For this section, I’ll be discussing my theories as to what factors lead to Criminal Case’s supposed downfall. Keep in mind that none of this is confirmed and these are just my predictions.
Too much repetition
To be fair, as much as I love the game, its gameplay gets repetitive after some time. Each new case follows this format: we go to the crime scene, discover the body, collect evidence, get an autopsy, interview some suspects, find more evidence, interview the suspects again, repeat, and then arrest the killer.
Then again, it was made for Facebook so the repetition makes sense.
The grinding/paywall
To progress in the story, many of the analyses require long wait periods, ranging from 3 hours to up to 15 hours.
Pretty ridiculous, right? So, you have to play every day to make some percentage of progress in the game.
However, to speed it up, you can choose to spend cash. That comes in the form of in-game cash that you can purchase on Facebook or actual money through in-app purchases if you’re playing the mobile/desktop version.
That can get pricey with every single case.
Hackers
The dates/outcomes of these events are blurry so please bear with me.
Around 2015-2016, a YouTube channel by the name of Kamol began sharing leaks for cases that weren’t released yet. Viewers that clicked on such videos got to see the victim, killer and suspects for unreleased cases.
Regardless about how you feel about spoilers, this was honestly unfair to the players that patiently wait every single week for the release of each new case.
The channel has been terminated4, however, those spoilers really ruined fans’ excitement.
Collection Mode
On April 13, 20165, Criminal Case introduced a new mode to the game called “Collection Mode”.
Collection Mode allows players to collect stickers in relation to the cases. There are stickers that feature the crime scenes, chapter artwork, victim, killer, and the suspects. Each sticker collected gets added to a special album with each season having its own variation.
Stickers that feature the killer were the rarer cards to collect.
In order to unlock Collection Mode, one must complete a case through “Elite Mode”. Elite Mode allows the player to replay a case that was previously completed. However, in this mode, stars are more difficult to earn.
After completing a case, you can also use your unused stars to buy stickers. They can also be purchased with money as well.
The introduction of the stickers was pointless and just another form of a cash grab. It was honestly giving gacha from the way I’ve seen it. Many fans were also not pleased with the option to use stars for stickers rather than using it for something for useful, such as energy or food.
Part 6: Fan’s reception
A while back, I posted a Google Docs form asking for some input from some other Criminal Case fans. So, I’ll just share some of what they’ve said that stood out to me.
When asked about their favorite season, Seasons 2 and 3 were the highest.
As for least favorite, to no one’s surprise, Season 8 received the most. When asked why Turtle, for example, said that it was too rushed and the storylines didn’t make any sense. Jane said that Season 8 had “waaay too many sex jokes”.
Not that there’s anything wrong with raunchy humor as Criminal Case is an adult game. But, there’s a time and place for that and it seems that Season 8 didn’t handle it very well.
When asked about dislikes, the majority of the fans said that they didn’t like the long wait for the analyses which I do agree with it. A stand out comment from Lera stood to me:
Many of the characters are poorly written or some are given TOO much attention (hi Jones). Let me clarify that this applies to the main characters, and not the suspects, because you’ll get tired of writing everyone down.
I also agree with this. I mean, I love Jones, he was the first partner introduced after all. But, he is indeed a very standout character. I enjoyed Season 1, but other than Jones and Chief King, the other Grimsborough team members had very little development and backstory.
Seasons 3-4 are greatly considered to be the “magnum opus” of the franchise whilst there’s a mixed bag when concluding when the series fell off.
When asked if Criminal Case will return one day, majority of the responses said yes. Glad to hear that some fans were trying to stay positive like I was.
Part 7: What is Pretty Simple doing now?
It has been 4 years since Criminal Case concluded; the final case was released on January 21st.
As of today, Pretty Simple has focused more on its game, Sorcery School. This single-player solitaire game takes place at a magical school for wizards.
I have played the game for myself and it was pretty fun. I liked the colors, animation, and overall art style. The fantasy aspect made the game more unique and engaging.
Would it be something that I’d play every day? No.
I’ve never been a big fan of solitaire games, even when I was younger and played the version Microsoft had on their computers.
Part 8A: What I would like to see in a (hopeful) future release
Part of me still has hope that Criminal Case will one day come back. I mean, it was Pretty Simple’s most successful IP. What’ll happen if Sorcery School’s popularity suddenly tanks? Not saying I want that to happen, but just throwing that out there.
These are just my wishful thinking and I’m aware that most/all may not actually happen. Let me know what you think.
Voice Acting?
This one sounds like a bit of a stretch as Criminal Case has many characters. Not to mention, paying for voice actors can be expensive. But, I’d be interested to know what these characters sound like. Is that weird?
An OST?
Note: Criminal Case does have an official OST. But, it’s only 2 songs and it can honestly get quite boring listening to those songs over and over again.
The other “seasons” also have their own theme songs(?). But I don’t know if anyone on their music team composed them. I did happen to discover that the Pacific Bay theme song is just a royalty free piece.
I’d personally just like more original pieces as the soundtrack is such an integral part of any game.
Less grinding?
While I am aware that the grinding benefits the company, it is a frustrating experience as a player. Having to waiting real hours/spend irl money to progress in the game can get tedious/expensive.
I do hope that future games will reduce this so that each case can be progressed much faster.
Side stories?
Aside from the additional investigation, there are barely any moments where the player gets to interact with their teammates after completing each case.
I mean, I feel as if we should get to know something about who we’re working with.
There are just so many characters that I would like to learn more about, including the suspects. But, usually most of them either serve no relevance to the case or get killed in a later one.
It’d be intersting to play the game through the perspesctive of a different character.
Part 8B: My other ideas for fandom expansion
Let’s assume that Pretty Simple decides not to make another Criminal Case game. I’d be really sad, but then again, I can’t force them to. Neither can the hundreds of comments on their Instagram demanding a new game.
On a side note, I do wish that Pretty Simple were more active on social media. It’d be nice to know what the team is doing…
I’m just saying, there are other ways to expand the fandom and keep the fans engaged.
Such as books? I’d be interested in reading a novel about the characters and their backstories. Or maybe even adapt the games into a comic book?
The Criminal Case fandom on Tumblr is filled with talented artists. I know a chance at collaboration is unlikely, but I still think that would be pretty amazing.
Pretty Simple also missed the opportunity to create some merchandise from the game. I mean, I can’t be the only one who would like to get their hands on a Criminal Case T-shirt or hoodie. I also love collecting bag charms, so getting one for myself would be so fun!
Conclusion
This has been in the works for quite some time. I just wanted to take a moment to highlight and shoutout one of my favorite games.
I’m honestly really grateful to have found the active Criminal Case community on Tumblr. I wasn’t even certain that such a fandom existed even nowadays years after the game concluded.
I also want to thank Criminal Case for inspring me. While the writing isn’t perfect, I still admire the creativity and unique gameplay mechanics woven into each game.
I have grown up reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. Well, the kids’ versions at least.
I honestly would like to get back into those books. I’d also like to play the Nancy Drew games too.
Because of these works, I’d like to discover more in the mystery genre and even create my own mystery series. One day…
If Criminal Case does come back, then I just hope that the team makes their new game as a labor of love to the fans and themsleves. Not because of the demands online.
Thanks to these Tumblr uses for completing my questionnaire/providing feedback: Nomnomdiaryj, issy5316, Ierypagor, Vaudevillianic, and turtlethebean.
Criminal Case (video game) - Wikipedia
Criminal Case
Facebook crowns Criminal Case the top game of 2013 | Polygon
https://criminalcasegame.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Kevin-The-Skeleton/Kamol%27s_channel_has_been_terminated
https://criminalcasegame.fandom.com/wiki/Collection_Mode
Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed my works, then please subscribe to be kept up to date with any future posts I have.
Also, check out my carrd to find my other social platforms. It’ll mean the world to me.
Other places to support me:
https://ko-fi.com/enchantingmirage
https://buymeacoffee.com/ladymirage