Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 review -" A thrilling mystery wrapped up in a puzzle game"

• Discover why some many people are going missing in Aurora Hills
• A robust hint system
• The game is fairly short

Puzzle fans who love a good spooky mystery are bound to be intrigued by Aurora Hills: Chapter 1’s juicy plot. It's 1981, and Aurora Hill residents have been going missing for several years at an alarming rate. With no clues as to what happened to these missing individuals, many residents have chosen to abandon the small Appalachian Mountain town. Not you, though.

Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 - What happened to the missing residents

As one of the town’s last remaining park rangers, you are responsible for investigating these strange disappearances and discovering why they have increased over the past six months. With no traces of the missing left behind, your only option is to delve deep into the national forest to learn what’s been happening to the people of Aurora.

As park ranger Ethan Hill, you’ll investigate the many disappearances while trying to catch up with Jen, the other park ranger. The game starts off with Ethan waking up at home and realizing he's late to work. You'll need to gather a few things, including your park ranger uniform and your trusty car keys, before you can head into work and delve into the meat of the game.

Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 - Challenging Puzzles

Not only does Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 offer a compelling mystery to solve, but it also features some really tough puzzles. You’ll feel like a real sleuth when you solve some of the more formidable puzzles. Luckily, for those of us prone to frustration, the game includes an excellent hint system.

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Rather than simply giving you the answer or offering you a clue so vague it’s like getting no clue at all, the game offers progressively more detailed clues. For instance, the first clue you get for each puzzle will be fairly vague; however, if you keep hitting the hint button, you'll receive more detailed clues. This lets you take advantage of the hint system without letting the game solve its puzzles for you.

Snap a Photo

Additionally, you can take photos with your in-game camera that are then added to your journal. You can then reference the photos you’ve taken while solving puzzles. This is exceptionally helpful when solving detailed puzzles, as you don't have to keep returning to the clue's location to check that you are solving it correctly.

Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 also boasts haunting 3D graphics. You’ll find yourself enthralled by the game’s charming mountain town aesthetic. From the run-down park ranger’s office to the beauty and charm of the national park, each area evokes a sense of longing and lonesomeness that really plays into the narrative. You’ll encounter an abandoned gift shop, a park restroom that’s seen better days and more as you explore every corner of your environment.

Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 - Short and Sweet

My only complaint about this charming puzzle game is that it’s on the short side. You’ll only get to explore three different regions, your home, the office, and part of the park, before the words “to be continued” pop up on the screen. However, considering the game is free, I can’t complain too much.

Aurora Hills: Chapter 1 is an altogether enticing puzzle game with a compelling plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat as you wait for Chapter 2 to drop. With difficult puzzles to solve, a robust hint system and beautiful graphics, this mobile puzzle game is a must-play for mystery fans.