Watson to solve own mystery in Elementary, My Dear Holmes!

Written by J Gray — August 22, 2013 at 11:42

For years, Doctor John Watson has lived firmly in the shadow of consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Indie developer Victory Square Games aims to change that, however, with the release of Elementary, My Dear Holmes! early next year if they're able to secure crowdfunding for their role-reversal adventure.

In Elementary, My Dear Holmes!, players will guide Watson through mystery and adventure in turn of the 20th century Europe, all while accompanied by his “pompous, deceiving” sidekick Sherlock Holmes. Along the way, Watson will deal with several familiar characters, including Inspector Lestrade, Irene Adler, and Professor Moriarty. 

The game will have options for both point-and-click and direct-control interfaces, either in first-person if the fundraising campaign only reaches its minimum goal, or third-person if it succeeds in reaching its stretch goals. The art at the minimum funding level will be 2D with hand-drawn elements and a simple, graphic user interface, though these may also change if the higher funding goals are met.

Elementary, My Dear Holmes! is currently seeking $50,000 by September 13 through Kickstarter as part of the OUYA Free the Games initiative, which will match all donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $250,000. A minimum pledge of $15 is needed to receive a copy of the game as a reward. If fully funded, Victory Square Games plans to release Elementary, My Dear Holmes! in March 2014 exclusively for the OUYA and September 2014 for Windows. Android, Linux, Mac, and iOS versions will also see releases if stretch goals are met.

To learn more about the game and contribute to its campaign, visit the Kickstarter page for complete details.