Turlock Holmes builds its mysteries around lateral-thinking puzzles: each begins with an unlikely scenario, while the player works backward from its surprising outcome. One setup strands a girl in an underground mall beside a body and turtle soup; another asks what happened to a boy found dead with an umbrella. These odd details are clues to interpret, not a conventional sequence of obstacles to overcome.
Designed for solo play, the game uses an AI quizmaster to help guide players through 48 puzzles created by 15 authors, ranging from easy to hard. Players enter keywords, with synonyms accepted, and can ask the AI whether a proposed word is relevant. If reasoning stalls, coins can be spent to reveal correct keywords. As keywords and hints accumulate, the story becomes clearer visually, linking deduction with a gradual reveal rather than simply presenting the solution at once.
The collection mixes suspenseful, darker stories with humorous ones, and players may skip a puzzle they do not enjoy. Completing a story earns a collectible that can be worn by the player’s little Turtle. Its activity reflects people engaging with individual mysteries and their clue-and-hint process.
