Meet Nelson Tethers. He works in the FBI’s Department of Puzzle Research. Needless to say, he hasn’t had a true assignment in years! But when the eraser factory in Scoggins, Minnesota mysteriously shuts down, Puzzle Agent Tethers is assigned to investigate. It’s a national emergency since this particular eraser factory supplies the White House with all of its erasers! It’s up to you to help unravel the mystery and solve mind-bending puzzles in the secluded, snowy town of Scoggins.

In Puzzle Agent, guide Nelson around in point-and-click adventure fashion, similar to TellTale’s other titles. But that’s where the similarities end. In order to progress the storyline, you’ll need to talk with the locals and help them solve puzzles before they’ll aid your. These brain-teasers are like the ones you’d find in a puzzle magazine or math workbook, and will test your logic and perceptive abilities. Finish the problem correctly to move on. The game keeps track of how many puzzles you’ve solved and scores you (rather humorously) on how fast you were able to figure them out without using hints or failing.

Nelson is addicted to chewing gum. He loves the stuff and it helps him concentrate to solve puzzles. So, when you need a hint during a puzzle, you can give Nelson a piece of gum in your limited supply in exchange for a clue on how to solve the problem. Unfortunately, the snowbound town of Scoggins is out of gum, and they won’t get another shipment until spring. So, while walking about town, if you see a wad of ABC gum under a counter or on a wall, click on it and Nelson will add it to the gum hint inventory! Eeewwwww!

If Puzzle Agent is starting to sound a LOT like the Professor Layton series on the DS, that’s because it really is! But if you enjoyed the Prof. Layton titles, you’ll love Puzzle Agent, too. The characters and settings in Puzzle Agent were drawn by Graham Annable, creator of the popular online comic Grickle. I’ve never heard of either of those names, but if you enjoy that kind of stuff, you’ll also appreciate the visuals in Puzzle Agent.

Unfortunately, this game has a few stumbling blocks and doesn’t shine as well as TellTale’s other titles because of it. The balancing and pacing of the puzzles is way off. Some are easily solved just by looking at them, while others are downright maniacal! Plus, the hint system isn’t always helpful, and some of the clues are just plain vague. It may not be as good as what it’s trying to imitate, but fans of Prof. Layton should still check out this game. Puzzle Agent is part of TellTale’s “Pilot Program,” so they’ll only make more games in the series if this initial one sells well. So if you want to see it succeed, make sure to get it.

Kid Factor:

Puzzle Agent ESRB rating still says “Rating Pending” on the main Web site, but I would say it’s best for older kid gamers. Tethers does use a gun to try and shoot some gnomes, a guy gets kidnapped, and there’s some slightly off-color humor in the text. But really, the biggest reason why this game is best for older players is because the puzzles are downright difficult. The game could be considered educational, though, as the problems focus on logic and reasoning skills.

Tags: Game Reviews