Clue Hunter is the latest title coming out of Lion Studio – a mobile game publisher located in San Francisco, California. The developer is a pretty well-known player in the casual mobile gaming niche thanks to its slew of popular titles including Slap Kings and Ink Inc to name a few.
As the name suggests, the company’s latest mobile title called Clue Hunter is a multiple choice puzzle game that has players step into the shoes of a detective who is tasked with finding clues in order to solve multiple cases that range from the mundane to the outright bizarre (hey there, SAW fans we’re looking at you!).
The main character is cartoonish version of Sherlock Holmes and as the game begins we see him donning a full detective outfit complete with the iconic long trench coat. However, as you begin solving case after case, your character will start having access to a wide range of wardrobe changes that are sure to spice up the overall gameplay.
For those who are familiar with the Match 3 hit Gardenscapes, Clue Hunter is quite reminiscent of the mini puzzle challenges sprinkled throughout the main Match 3 game – graphics-wise but also mechanics-wise. In Lion Studio’s newest game, players will take up different cases that are spread across several levels.
For example, a woman will hire your detective services as she suspects her partner is cheating on her. It will be up to you to help your client figure out whether their significant other is having an affair and then chase them down and catch them in the act.
Each level consists of three different challenges during which you need to choose correctly between two courses of action so that you can advance in the game and eventually solve the case. Clue Hunter is a simple casual game that basically anyone can just pick up and play. Players don’t really need to stress much about coming up with the right solution for each puzzle as they only get two choices to pick from.
In the event that you select the wrong option, the game won’t return you to straight to the beginning forcing you to replay cases which you already figured out. Instead, it will take you back with one step, so you can easily make the right choice the second time around.
With its simple controls and mechanics, anyone taking up Clue Hunter for the first time will be able to find their way around within seconds. All it takes is a tap on the screen to start your first case, and everything flows smoothly from there. Where players might need a bit of help is figuring out what the right choice is when confronted with a puzzle.
This is why we’ve come up with a detailed Clue Hunter guide that contains a list of tips and tricks designed to help you tackle any challenge that might arise along the way. So without further ado, let’s dive into this Clue Hunter guide and see how you can become the best detective in town.
1. Sometimes The Least Intuitive Choice Is The Answer
While going through the cases that need solving in Clue Hunter we noticed something that might make playing this game a bit more straightforward. When confronted with the two choices, a very good strategy every so often is to select the option that makes the least sense. Let us give you a few examples that will hopefully drive the point home better.
During level 8 when you’re trying to figure out who murdered the rich owner of a mansion, you’ll stumble upon the victim’s dog in the garden. He’s blocking your path and since he’s quite a big and scary you’ll need to find a way to make him go away. You’re given two choice (a) a Frisbee and (b) a Victorian-style dress.
Now, the obvious choice would be to throw the Frisbee and let the dog chase it until he disappears from the scene (if you disagree on that, do let us known in the comment section below). Well, as it turns out the correct choice, in this case, is the dress. Once you select this option, your detective will put the dress on and thus make the pup fall in love with his new blushing lady persona. This in turn has the effect of making the dog clear the path.
Another example comes later in the game, once you’ve passed the 50th level threshold. The detective finds himself in a secret lab escorting a lady doctor in search of something valuable. This proves to be a diamond that is positioned on a platform of some kind. Here the player is faced with two options (a) simply take the diamond using their hand or b) use a bag.
Surely, the straightforward action here would be to simply attempt to take the diamond, but players should stop and ask themselves – are things really that simple? Of course they aren’t, because the right solution is to bag the diamond quickly and then leave the scene as soon as possible.
In conclusion, before making your choice in this game, pause to consider what the intuitive option is. Then choose the exact opposite. But remember, this strategy might not always work, and perhaps that’s the beauty of the game. Indeed, sometimes choosing the simplest answer proves to be the correct course of action.
The game poses a tricky dilemma – should you stick to the simplest scenario or opt to swim against the current? Well, sometimes there’s a way to tell which of the two strategies you should follow. Continue reading below.
2. The Obvious Choice Can Be The Right Choice In Some Cases
After playing Clue Hunter for a while, we noticed another pattern. As we noted above each level is divided into three puzzles that you need to figure out correctly. Well, based on our experience it looks like you can solve two of these puzzles by selecting the non-intuitive option (which can be any of the three), while the third one has an obvious solution.
This small detail can be useful in certain scenarios. For example, you’ve guessed correctly that the first two puzzles in the triad can be solved by selecting the non-intuitive option. So the third one will most likely be unlocked by the obvious choice.
The trouble is, sometimes you might have a hard time discerning what the obvious choice is – as both options will seem equally mind-boggling. We believe it all depends on the human playing the game and how their mind are wired to work.
In truth, most often than not you will have to trust your gut when making choices in this game. Despite the apparent pattern we outlined above, the first choice you make during a level will have to be guided by sheer luck. Fortunately, Clue Hunter is not the type of game where you lose everything if you make a bad choice. Instead, the game lets you rebound quite fast, although it won’t be for free (more on that later).
Bottom line is this – it’s still important to be aware of the 2x non-intuitive choices + 1x intuitive choice pattern while you are playing the game, as it might help you progress faster and without having to waste additional time or shed resources.
3. Pay Attention To The Story Line To Pick Up Contextual Clues
In Clue Hunter one should make a point of paying attention to the story. Sometimes it’s all too easy to let your mind wander off and allow your interest for the story line slip away. Especially since the game bombards with you with ads from all sides, which makes it harder to stay engaged all the time. But more on in section 7.
Keeping up with how a case develops is quite important as it can stir you towards making a good choice when the time comes to select between the two options. For example, during level 31 you’re starting a new case in which you’re tagging after an evil doctor. When he senses you are following him, his bodyguards make it a point to check the surroundings.
Your choices in this case are a) newspaper b) anchor. Given the context of the story, using a newspaper to disguise yourself seems like a good choice. Basically you’ll be opting for the intuitive option, because the story line points in this direction.
While it’s true that sometimes going for the less intuitive alternative is the right way to move forward, sometimes it’s worth keeping things in perspective storyline-wise. As it turns out, the newspaper is the correct course of action in this particular scenario. Hence following the story can sometimes provide you with useful clues that might help you make the right decision down the line.
Other times, the story is a bit vague. Like for instance, during level 34 where you’re once again starting a new case. The detective is shown talking on the phone to someone and moments after he makes his entrance in a rural town where a cow/bull is blocking the road. The context here is pretty thin – what/who are you after and why have you landed in this place?
This is why players will need to go with your gut when asked to make their choice between a) a toreador cloth or b) bandages. As it turns out, the cow is in the middle of the road because it’s been hurt, so bandaging it will make it clear the way and go off into the pastures.
4. Upgrade And Furnish Your Base
Besides chasing monsters and rescuing damsels in distress, your detective has also set up a den for himself in the game. You can visit it from the main menu by tapping on the Base button on the left side of the display. Of course like any den, this one needs to be furnished with all kinds of stuff and you will be able to buy some of the objects in exchange for cash.
How do you earn cash in Clue Hunter? Well simply by playing the game and choosing the right solutions for the puzzles you are presented with. For every cleared stage you will receive 50 banknotes. If you can bear to watch an ad you can quadruple that amount, so for each completed level you will be able to cash in 200 banknotes instead of just 50.
You can then, use them to purchase stuff to furnish your detective’s den. The good news is that some of the stuff will be free to get, meaning you will need to watch an ad to get that piece of furniture or item into your room.
There are two different levels to furnish inside the base and once you’re done with them, you can forget about this part of the game. Hopefully, the developers will issue an update at some point and add additional levels, because upgrading the base is a fun activity that should get additional options.
5. Unlock All The Skins
While at the beginning of the game your detective is wearing a pretty classic investigator’s attire (think good old Sherlock Homes), his garb will start changing quickly as you progress in the game. Once you solve several puzzles in a row, the game will unlock new skins for you. You can check out all the available skins for your character from the main menu section by tapping on the Skins tab located in the left part of the display.
These skins or outfits won’t unlock any additional powers for your detective to take advantage of, as they are available solely for entertainment purposes. You can have your detective dressed as a samurai, sultan or cowboy, and these are only a few of the options available.
If players have some cash put aside, they can spend it in the Skins tab where they can pay in exchange for unlocking new Skins. If you don’t have enough money, don’t worry, you will still be able to use those outfits at a later time, when the game automatically unlocks them for you.
Towards the middle of the game, you will run out of skins to unlock, so players who are looking to spice things up in terms of fashion, can just head to the Skin tab and switch between available wardrobe choices for variety. Again, we hope the developer will issue an update at some point, in order to add more Skins to the game. Fingers crossed!
6. How To Minimize The Deluge Of Ads
Clue Hunter offers a series of engaging puzzles that you will surely have fun solving. Unfortunately, the game suffers from a big problem – it’s riddled with ads that they are literally everywhere and pop up every few seconds. Well in this section we’ll give you a few tips on how to minimize the amount of ads coming your way. Without these interruptions, you will hopefully be able to focus on the gameplay instead.
Once you complete a level (solve three puzzles without making a mistake), an ad will automatically pop up. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about that, as there is no way to stop it from doing its thing. What you can do is abstain from pressing on the x4 money button thus saving yourself from having to watch yet another ad immediately afterwards.
Yes, you can simply skip this option and instead just cash in the standard 50 banknotes reward. Don’t worry, you will still manage to amass enough cash throughout the game to spend on Skins and furniture for your den.
To be honest, the best use for cash in this game is to employ it when you’ve selected the wrong answer for a puzzle. This will save you from having to watch yet another ad so that you can return to the game. While the strategies we’ve outlined above will hopefully help you figure out how to solve some puzzles correctly, you’re still bound to get some of them wrong.
In the case you’ve made the wrong choice, you will be allowed to get back to the game by either watching an ad (free option) or by paying 200 banknotes. We suggest taking the paid option, so that you can skip the ad and continue playing the game.
In conclusion our recommendation is to save your cash as much as you can. Don’t go spending it on new skins because at some point the game will unlock them for you (once you’re reached a certain stage in the game). Conserve your finances so that you have enough cash to pay the 200 banknotes in case you make the wrong choice.
Other than that, you can also leave buying the furnishing of your base towards the end, once you’re sure you’ve accumulated enough resources. Upgrading your hero’s base will have no effect on how fast or accurate the detective solves quests, so there’s no need to rush spending cash in this direction.
This wraps up our compilations of tips, tricks and strategies for Clue Hunter. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the guide and that you’ll find some useful points you can apply to your own gameplay. If you happen to know additional tips or just wish to share your opinion or questions about the game, don’t hesitate to do so via the comment section below!
Noble king
Friday 2nd of September 2022
Does this game really pay ? Or is it just for fun