Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins Review

A Mysterious Phone

You find a phone which begins to self-destruct. Luckily, the process is halted by Petronella Osgood—a name fans of Doctor Who may recognize. Osgood informs you that the phone you found belongs to Lawrence Nightingale, who is currently missing. It’s up to you and Petronella Osgood to find him in Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is a found-phone game by Maze Theory. It’s an interactive narrative in which players search Lawrence’s messages, emails, photos, and browsing history as they work to uncover what happened to him. It’s a thoroughly engaging investigative puzzle game.

The mystery becomes more complex as you search through Lawrence’s phone. You’ll piece together information needed to access Lawrence’s past searches, posts, and orders by scouring his texts and emails. The game does a great job of simulating a smartphone and even features a conspiracy theory website on the browser that is full of interesting articles and humorous comments from users. You can also browse through the phone’s photo gallery to get a sense of Lawrence’s life. You’ll feel like a real detective as you piece together what happened to Lawrence.

To solve the mystery, you’ll need to find clues. Early on, Osgood installs a scanning program on Lawrence’s phone. When you come across a clue the lower-left corner of your screen turns yellow. Tap the clue and hold until the bar at the top of the screen fills. Upload any clues you find to Petronella via text message to progress in your investigation. It does not take the two of you long to realize you’re dealing with Weeping Angels.

The Lonely Assassins

For those not familiar with Doctor Who, the Doctor is a time-traveling alien who regenerates when near death. Fans of the show will remember the character Lawrence Nightingale from the season three episode “Blink” in which the Doctor recruits him and his pal Sally Sparrow to thwart a group of Weeping Angels. Now you may be thinking “Weeping Angels? That doesn’t sound too dangerous.” However, Weeping Angels are one of the most terrifying alien species in Doctor Who. When a Weeping Angel is observed, it turns to stone. But the moment you turn away or blink it will strike. These creatures send their victims through time and feed off the energy of the potential life they would have had in the present. Yeah, you really do not want to come across these things.

Text Me

You’ll spend a lot of time texting with Osgood. When responding to her you’ll be given three options of what to text back, letting players add a bit of personality into the mix. You’ll also receive mysterious phone calls from unknown sources and a threat or two from the Weeping Angels themselves. The game itself offers an intriguing horror atmosphere and the tension continues to mount throughout. It’s absolutely horrifying when a Weeping Angel pops up on your screen.

My only complaint about Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is that it’s rather short. It only takes about two hours. However, it’s certainly an engaging title, especially for fans of the television series. While the story is linear, it is possible to fail objectives which lends the title some replayability.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins is an incredibly fun little mystery game that will keep players on the edge of their seats. This title offers a compelling plot featuring one of the most terrifying creatures in the Doctor Who universe. Fans of Doctor Who and newcomers alike will find Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins an engaging experience. So, what are you waiting for? Pick up that phone and start unraveling the mystery.