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Casual Friday - Vermillion Watch: Moorgate Accord

This HO scene shows a tabletop model of London found in the meeting room of a mysterious crime-fighting group called the Vermillion Watch. I think it’s one of the coolest hidden-object scenes ever, and I want it for my family room right now. Many of the individual landmarks are identifiable, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben. (Anybody besides me humming “England Swings”?)

Vermillion Watch: Moorgate Accord is the first in a recent (June 2016) series from Eipix that may intrigue those looking for something a little different in a casual game. In a gaslight London that includes fictional adventurers ranging from Phileas Fogg (friend) to Irene Adler (foe), you are the latest recruit to the Vermillion Watch as they fight the evil plans of the Red Queen.

After an opening chapter, you have clues to three locations, which you can take in any order, followed by a final chapter. The bonus chapter is not necessary to the storyline, but it provides extended game play that is on a par with the main game, and is the source of our AGSOTD. The rest of the game’s artwork is more like the hand-drawn colored etchings of the Victorian period, with the darkish palette you would expect, and various steampunk flourishes. 

Be warned, there are so many cutscenes and characters you may think you are watching a movie with puzzles in it. Certainly the storyline is as complex as the latest summer blockbuster, if you can imagine a blockbuster with both Dr. Jekyll and Alice’s Wonderland. (Who said League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?) Voiceovers and music are above average, and you still get plenty of gameplay between cinematics.

Now, about those puzzles… This game takes what I think is the best approach to difficulty, in that puzzles vary from easy to super-hard. That way every player gets at least some of what they like best. However, sometimes “super-hard” is not a matter of logic, it’s a matter of 200 tedious steps. There are a couple of those here, which I just skipped. But there are others that were the just-right level of challenge.

Reactions to Vermillion Watch: Moorgate Accord were mixed, from “loved it” to “meh” to “hated it”. It is definitely worth a demo for seasoned gamers, although beginners may feel overwhelmed. A sequel, Vermillion Watch: Fleshbound came out early in 2017, which extends the storyline with more 19th-century characters and plots.

Excellent job, Grasshopper!   

I remember that screenshot, Cluelass, and I remember enjoying the game but had forgotten the details.  I think I’ll replay it before I try Fleshbound.  Thanks for the excellent review.

Yes, Becky, Rufus struck me the same way (although I like his outfit). Whether he is trustworthy or not, I have the feeling that he is somehow confined to the one room. Perhaps he is a magical/supernatural being, or under a spell.