Like detective stories? Like serial killers? Like peace of mind whil playing? Like cookies?

Then this is the game for you! (only buy cookies before you start playing...)

A very nice point-and-click game. I can't remember one tedious moment. Progression in game was OK, not hard not easy. A well made game.

From the AoM series I think this is actually my least favorite one. But it is only because of the story. The others have better stories. It doesn't mean you shouldn't get this one for a nice weekend instead of having a life.

I consider myself an experienced adventure game play but I had my difficulties with this game. I couldn't colmplete without a walkthrough and it takes time before I cheat myself this way. Some puzzles are insane difficult or just monotone. Another point is that the dialogs are most of the time so terrible and illogic. But maybe that is due to the German translation. My main issue is that it completely lacks an intuitive gameplay you won't get in a flow of the storyline.

I can't recommend the game but if you can get it for less than 3 € I'd say make your own experience.

Unnecessarily long dialogues, clunky game play (combine object a with b: wrong. combine object b with a: correct - why? sometimes you need to go into detail view first, sometimes it'll open it for you if required, etc. You spend more time wondering if how you did something is correct instead of what), unsatisfying end. I lost track of the story pretty quickly.
All in all the game felt like a chore.

I really wanted to like this game (I really did) and genuinely gave it a try... but sadly at no point during my 6+ hour attempt did I do so (literally not a minute).

The game is insanely tedious, anything that can be dragged out seems to be so.
For example, scanning a document. Simple, right? Use it with the scanner. Boom, job done.
Not in this game, first you need permission to use the scanner.
Then you need to open it, then you need to place the paper inside, then you need close it, then you need to press a button to scan it, then you need to open it again, then you need to reverse the paper, then you need to close it, then you need to press a button, then you need to open it again, take out the paper and finally close it... this is just to "Scan a document"... just give that a moment sink in... This is just the process to scan the evidence, not even the tedious work of getting the item and putting it back afterwards...


Calling all the characters unlikable idiots is an understatement.
The main character is just horrible at her job. Actually, so are all the agents, but she really stands out for her complete incompetence.
None of them felt like real people and the plot was way too drawn out to be enjoyable at any level.

Bad story, bad mechanics, awful dialogues, annoying puzzles. Decent visuals aren't enough to enjoy this. Worst Art of Murder game.

pros

+ improved graphic engine, resolution and inventory system. you can look at items 3D and rotate them in inventory.
+ great looking and detailed pre rendered graphics
+ well made 3D character models and animations
+ when you click to question mark, hotspots is highlighted. No need to hunt for pixels.
+ well made cinematic cut scenes
+ game does a pretty decent job creating tense atmosphere.
+ there are still plenty of different places including an abandoned carnival, a snowy farm, and the Louisiana Bayou.
+ intriguing and exciting serial killer/detective story
+ background musics are good
+ some puzzles are enjoyable. there are also inventory puzzles you can combine some items and a timed puzzle in which a bomb is neutralized.
+ game is long

cons

- badly designed confusing and trial / error type puzzles. puzzles solutions also mostly obscure and complicating. i hate especially key arranging puzzle.
- sometimes you don't know what to do next.
- voice acting hit and miss
- poorly translated english dialogs
- there are no Steam achievements
- game doesn't drop cards
- game doesn't support 1920*1080p widescreen resolution

despite some frustrating puzzles which affects game's pace this is an decent point and click adventure game but if you want to get full enjoyment from this game, you're need to keep a walkthrough one side. otherwise you're gonna be mad.

I have played many other point and click games, and I really enjoy the genre. But this game is very dry. I can't understand what to do next. So I had to look up a walkthrough, and basically get an item then go back to the walkthrough. Making the game awful to play. The hint button doesn't help what so ever. It only tells you what you can interact with. Which isn't helpful when you don't know what area or item you need to get.

Help, nothing makes more sense than starting a series on its third installment, right?
Well, as it turns out, it wasn't that much of a problem. The good folk at CI did dump this one into a bundle by itself, so they would know it works fairly well on its own.
And true, there ain't nothing like major spoilers or continuity aspects that would have left you confused and looking for answers.
Other than repercussions that some characters you know close to nothing about, have suffered from past adventures. It doesn't go beyond that, simply sets you up with another partner.
Connections between the main character and side characters are clearly expressed.

In short
To keep it simple, the overall quality of the product varies. Even with aspects the game did well at earlier moments.
Some highlights are still memorable, with great atmosphere, varied and fitting soundtrack.
occasionally diving into bad writing, a product that sometimes derives from poor translation, but having seen it to its conclusion, just seems like there wouldnt be enough excuses to forgive some of the events.
Not just that, you will find some really bad puzzle solving and adventure type elements that rival the logic on some HOG games you find on steam.
And of course an ending so baffling, it exposes the biggest fault in Cards of Destiny, we have a terrible villain, that fails to hit the mark on few key moments it had.

STORY
Nothing new here, Nicole is the one detective that gets the killers attention as she is led and manipulated while following the trail.
However unlike the typical Hollywood Romanticization of serial killers, the killer doesnt strike anyone as fascinating or charismatic, his reasons are not solid, his plans are a bit too unpractical. He is mostly out of the picture, aside from the formulaic cell call, sending evidence, leaving small clues, as if toying with the detectives.
The resemblance to perhaps other calm villains with eloquent speech and manipulative nature, quickly loses its power from his preposterous reasons and backstory alone.
The formula works fine for a while, independently. There was a nice pool of victims and people who aided or got involved with the killer´s endeavours to show how easily we could manipulate justice?
Quite a few, vastly different locations as well.
They definitely went a bit over the top with the "Art of murder" but, fun until we start getting close to finish line, at which point it fumbles and dives deep into absurdity.

So...about that ending, huh?
I'm speechless, i understand the gist of it, but the events did not occur as expected for any of this to make the least amount of sense.
As mentioned before, a lot of the plot revolves around Nicole looking over clues the Killer as been feeding the investigation with.
He is essentially, separating her from the rest of the team, calmly manipulating her, with the true intent of making her the Killer weapon.
All fine thus far, Nicole was there, in many of these locations by herself, the victims brought there to test her all died, as unpractical and unlikely it was, it had worked.
Even her partner died due to a mindnubing confrontation that resulted in a car chase.
Nicole is caught by the killer, trapped with another victim, possibly with the intent of ending both their lives. The case would come to an end with both Nicole and the killer being reported dead after a shoot out.
The events don't unfold that way however, Nicole manages to escape and trap the villain. In his speech, he refuses to understand that Nicole is in fact standing right in front of him, armed. Instead he acts like, Nicole would still be considered one of the murder victims. He simply believes he can casually walk away from the crime scene, which he did try, quite calmly i might add.
So what exactly was his goal in all of this? why didn't he kill nicole in the first place? Why was the other victim already dead? Wouldn't it make more sense if he had promised freedom if the victim shot Nicole.

Gameplay
Mostly good puzzles and adventure elements. There are a few areas that were certainly memorable.
However, at points it has no vision of what elements to bring into a fun puzzle, often relying exercices in patience, punishing the player with pure slog and boredom of having to wait for an animation to end to simply click on the next objective.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2278291692
this swamp puzzle is a test to my patience

Some items are easy to miss, you might loose time figuring out what to do, but nothing too overwhelming.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2278293154
there is an item there, Nicole is just in the way

The point n click aspect can also break the flow of things with unnecessary pauses. Example: having to wait on npc to finish their animation to finally be able to click somewhere else.
Similarly, the system nitpicky when it comes to item combination, requiring the player to observe the item first, even forcing a voice line describing the object before you can do anything.

Dialogue
At points in can sound awkward, not in a way that would sacrifice one's understanding of the plot. Though it does sound unnatural at times. Personally i don't like the dialogue box either, it might as well be automated, as it doesnt require me to make any decisions.
I've also noticed quite a few dialogue options are strangely put, its not exactly you would make a question or a statement, but referring to information you want out of that interaction.

Score: 4/10

While this is the most polished of all the traditional Art of Murder games, it still shows that the writers, voice actors, and puzzle designers are strictly mediocre talent. Backgrounds, music and pre-rendered cut-scenes are all well done.

Ridiculous amounts of backtracking (although less than previous titles) and stunningly sloppy dialogue mark this game as the usual Eurojank adventures of the early naughts. I would normally have recommended this to others who enjoy this type of game as I normally do, but...

The unwinnable time-bomb puzzle that crops up about 3/4 through the game will enrage all but the most ambitious gamers. Possibly because modern pcs run the game faster than intended, but more probably because faulty design forces you to wait while Nicole endlessly blathers on describing each inventory item you are holding.
This means that for a puzzle in which you have a scant minute or less to complete before a messy death/game over, your character is wasting several seconds and preventing you from doing anything beyond watching a spinning hourglass icon while you try to manipulate EACH of the FIVE different items needed for the solution. Unacceptable and borderline spiteful.

Long story short: I died about fifteen times in a row, despite resorting to a walkthrough and attempting to perform this series of tasks. I physically cannot move the mouse fast enough and gave up. Letting the world's most incompetent FBI agent die a fiery death was all I could hope for. Goodbye, Nicole. You will NOT be missed.

How does the story end? I don't give a flying fig at this point and totally regret this purchase. [For the record, I paid less than one dollar and STILL would not recommend this poorly realized game.]

Bizarre, convoluted, nonsense story with plot-holes galore. Intensely insane and dislikeable protagonist. The puzzles are okay, except occasionally one relies on objects hidden at the edges of screens. Voice acting isn't very good, and the translation is obviously ESL.

My favorite moment is when the lady FBI agent breaks into a guy's cabin with no warrant, beats him up, cuffs him to a support beam, and interrogates him. She makes fun of his career, then he mentions a "black guy" he bought the cabin from. She corrects him "UH I THINK YOU MEAN AFRICAN AMERICAN." She then ends up letting the guy get killed. That's just how she rolls. She's an impulsive, stupid, gullible, "boss ♥♥♥♥♥♥" gal who don't need no man (except she constantly causes disastrous situations which her partners and bosses have to clean up) and she's supposed to be the hero we like.

No, she's just awful, and the stories she's in are gibberish nonsense filled with dream-logic and rube goldberg puzzles that would make Sierra blush.