The third week of July saw a flurry of new releases on Steam. While the action MMORPG 'Spiritvale' attracted a massive crowd, it ended up with a 'Mixed' rating, whereas the World Cup-inspired football game 'Strikers Club' managed to secure a 'Mostly Positive' reception. We also saw the rise of co-op titles like the natural disaster survival game 'Funnel Runners' and the digging simulator 'Ore Factory Squad'. However, among this sea of new releases, one title truly sparkled: 'The Mermaid Mask'.

Released on the 17th, The Mermaid Mask is a point-and-click mystery adventure and the latest entry in the 'Detective Grimoire' series. A bizarre submarine is discovered in a long-abandoned fishing village, with the vessel's captain, Mortuga, found murdered inside. It is up to you to guide Detective Grimoire and the assistant Sally to uncover the truth. The only minor hiccup? The crime scene is a perfectly locked room, leaving the investigation in a bit of a pickle.

The gameplay follows the classic point-and-click blueprint. Each area is split into distinct rooms; clicking on objects triggers relevant dialogue or puzzles. For instance, the game kicks off at the 'Stontop Inn'. It is 4 AM, and the assistant Sally is fast asleep. By clicking on the surroundings and perusing the case files, you get a sense of why the duo arrived there before the real mystery begins.

Following a strange green glow, the pair boards the submarine to reach the crime scene, a room aptly named the 'Phantasmagoria'. Inside, you will find a couple of posters, a stone cauldron covered in barnacles with a metal lid, and bloodstains. There is a tiny window to the outside and a small drainage gap on the floor.

The lid of the cauldron is currently open, though information suggests it had never been opened before. Moreover, the room features a heavy, thick door that only operates from the inside. In short, it is a textbook locked-room mystery. What exactly is the Phantasmagoria, and what was the purpose of that cauldron? Those are questions you must answer through your own deduction.

Documents, posters, and key clues you uncover are stored in your journal, which serves as the foundation for your deductions. The assistant Sally is particularly helpful, often prompting you to 'check the case records,' reminding you to consult your journal. Since this is a mystery game, merely revisiting your evidence in the journal is often enough to spark that necessary breakthrough.

As you scavenge for clues, you will encounter logic puzzles. You are presented with sentences that require you to connect the right object or clue to fill in the blanks. For example, after investigating the scene, you must deduce how Captain Mortuga was attacked. You are given a sentence like 'Opened...,' '...and was killed by the thing inside,' and you must drag and drop the items you found to identify who opened it and where the culprit might have hidden.

There are plenty of other puzzles, too. In the room belonging to the magician 'Symmetry Silkmoss', you will find a puzzle involving lenses and photos. You must position the convex lens just right to adjust the size of a doll, guiding the girl's expression and gaze. Solving these puzzles is essential for obtaining key items. Much like the rest of the game, these puzzles are tucked away in every corner of the room.

The real charm of The Mermaid Mask lies in its voice acting. Every character, including the protagonists Grimoire and Sally, as well as the suspects, is fully voiced. The assistant Sally's voice—at once languid and sharp—is a delight, and other characters like 'Cynthia', 'Zephyr', and 'Symmetry' possess distinct designs, personalities, and voices that make the cast feel incredibly vibrant.

As of the 20th, The Mermaid Mask holds an 'Overwhelmingly Positive (99% positive)' rating on Steam. Players have praised it, saying, 'An excellent mystery game with unique characters, great voice acting, and a Korean language patch,' 'Detective Grimoire and the assistant Sally are back with their witty banter,' 'It is an improvement over the previous title 'Tangle Tower', and I especially loved the ending,' and 'Highly recommended if you enjoyed 'The Case of the Golden Idol' or 'Tangle Tower'.'