The Sexy Brutale

Developer: Cavalier Game Studios/Tequila Works
Publisher: Tequila Works
Release: 2017
Genre: Adventure/Puzzle
Art Style: 3D
Platforms: Steam/GOG, PS4, XOne, Nintendo Switch

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to relive a specific day, over and over again? Learning everything that will happen, trying different things just to see how they would change the future. And after all is said and done, start over.  Add to the mix a noir story of “find the murderer” and you have “The Sexy Brutale”.

This game was developed by the UK-based studio Cavalier Game Studios for around two years. After that, they enlisted Tequila Works to assist them on the game’s art and graphics.

You start the game waking up in a mansion, where you witness the horrific death of one of the guests by the staff. Time goes back to midday and you are encountered by a weird woman in red who tells you that you are one of the guests, but you have broken the cycle of time and you have to find a way to save the other guests.

This can be done by using the time available (from midday to midnight) to scout the rooms, discover where each character and/or staff member is and when they move between rooms or do specific actions. Then, after the reset of the day, you can use this information to adjust what you will do and when you will do it.

After saving the other guests, you can take their masks, which grant you extra powers, making it possible to solve more puzzles and reach parts of the mansion that you couldn’t previously. Also, you can find keys that unlock several clocks in different parts of the mansion that act as the starting point for each day and choose between them where you wish to start the next day.

The only downside to this is that most of the puzzles are really straightforward and do not need any experimentation. Same goes to the exploration of the mansion, which brings down the replay value of the game, especially since it takes around 10 hours to complete the game with all the achievements.

The story of the game is very well written and is complemented by awesome graphics as well as artwork. I will not spoil you anything but I have to say that, as an experience, I rank this game in the top of my list, along with “Life is Strange”. You have to experience it for yourself.

Have you played this game? Which guest was your favourite?