The Tragedy At Deer Creek is a mysterious point-and-click game set in a lonely Alaskan settlement. It feels like a classic PC adventure, for better or worse.
How long does it take for a mystery to be solved? The first 48 hours of an investigation are the most important. Relevant authorities need to act on any possible leads as soon as possible. If a missing person is not found within this timeframe, two things happen: by a miracle, they are found by people who confess, or, more gruesomely, they are never found. On the other side of this equation exist those mysteries that are never solved and keep us wondering to this day. The Tragedy At Deer Creek is one such case.
Putting on the well-worn shoes of an amateur investigator, The Tragedy At Deer Creek starts humble. Charlotte Gray is packing her things from home and is on her way to investigate a cold case (no pun intended). While the frame shows a flight ticket dated 1996 from Toronto to Fairbanks, Alaska, she calmly speaks with her husband about the logistics of the trip. Thus, a man named Henry will pick her up and take her to Deer Creek to see what it is all about. Once the classic PC-style cutscene is over, the old-school callbacks do not end there.
Something Doesn’t Add Up At Deer Creek
This point-and-click adventure obeys the rules of the genre faithfully. At times, I even thought I was playing a recently unearthed retro game. The Tragedy At Deer Creek is brand new, but everything else feels like those golden age PC adventures. Taking things slow, our protagonist arrives at her cabin with a simple goal: light up the heater at her cabin and pick up her tools from the table. Much like the games that came before it, you can combine some of them to create new items. Using a set of pliers to shape a hairpin is also possible.
Once Charlotte has picked up her Polaroid, the goal is straightforward. Take pictures of every cabin as she explores the abandoned camp of Deer Creek. There is an eerie atmosphere permeating the experience throughout. While not outright horror, it does capture that solitary feeling in a remote Alaskan settlement. Looking at the hastily vacated premises, a picture begins to emerge. These people straight up disappeared. Meanwhile, just as Henry warns her through the radio to be careful, the signal conveniently cuts off. She is in danger.
The puzzle aspects are decidedly not for a modern audience. The Tragedy At Deer Creek is for seasoned puzzle fans who know how to use video game logic to their advantage. Finding a series of tools like a cloth, coal, and an empty furnace sounds easy to combine, but the game then throws a wrench at the player. Thinking creatively is necessary to progress. Because there are no clues of any sort, being patient and observant are required traits to see the mystery through to the end.
Conclusion
The Tragedy At Deer Creek is a classic point-and-click adventure, for better or worse. Some players will find the journey frustrating and obtuse. Others, a worthwhile journey worth discovering. As a fan of TV shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, I deeply enjoyed unraveling the secrets behind Deer Creek. Its oppressive environment as the pieces fall into place makes for a haunting tale that speaks just as much about the paranormal as about our shortcomings.
The Tragedy At Deer Creek is out June 10th on Steam.
