Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The best thing Twisted: A Haunted Carol does is give its hidden-object format a clean reason to exist. You begin with Marley returning to the office he shares with Scrooge, only for the lights to go out at the top of the stairs. From there, the question is direct and inviting: Marley has been murdered, and as his spirit, you need to work out why. Searching locations and following clues feels less arbitrary when every stop feeds that investigation.

The game mixes classic hidden-object scenes with adventure-style progress and mini-games. That blend should suit you if you like alternating between careful item hunts, smaller puzzle breaks, and the gradual opening of a mystery. It also keeps the pace from becoming nothing but lists of objects, though the core rhythm remains rooted in hidden-object play rather than deep detective simulation.

Its main limitation is also its clearest recommendation. You are not here to unravel an especially demanding case through freeform reasoning; you are here to move through a guided paranormal mystery, solve its obstacle-course of searches and puzzles, and see how the Dickens material has been rearranged. Fans of the genre will likely settle into that loop quickly. Anyone who finds hidden-object scenes repetitive may feel the formula before the story’s twist has fully paid off.

Graphics

The game takes you through Victorian London and familiar locations from A Christmas Carol, framed around a dark winter-night opening in Scrooge and Marley’s office. The haunted premise and period setting are a natural fit for a clue-driven mystery, giving the journey a suitably ghostly Christmas-story backdrop.

Story

Making Jacob Marley the playable spirit is a smart hook. Instead of watching Scrooge receive a lesson, you revisit this world from the perspective of the dead business partner, now forced to investigate the circumstances of his own murder. It is an accessible way to make a very familiar tale feel different without abandoning its recognizable cast.

The game keeps the elements of Dickens’s original story but sends them down a deliberately altered path. That means the pleasure comes partly from recognition: Scrooge, Marley, Victorian London, and the old haunts are all part of the trip, but they are placed in service of a murder mystery rather than a straight adaptation.

Familiar characters assist Marley along the way, which gives the story a broad, seasonal adventure-game feel. The mystery is the stronger draw than any promise of a definitive new reading of Dickens. If you enjoy alternate takes on established fiction, that is enough to make the premise more than a decorative coat of paint.

Overall Experience

Twisted: A Haunted Carol knows exactly what kind of comfort game it is. You get a Victorian ghost story, a famous literary setting, item searches, adventure-game progression, and mini-games gathered around an uncomplicated murder investigation. The first hour’s hook—Marley investigating Marley—is strong enough to pull you through the familiar format.

It is most rewarding when you let it be a festive mystery rather than demand a rigorous detective game. The game’s use of Dickens gives the searches and puzzles a more distinctive frame than a generic haunted-house case, while the altered plot offers a reason to keep following the trail even if you already know the source material well.

Give it a chance if a cozy, supernatural hidden-object adventure sounds good for an evening or two, especially if you have a soft spot for A Christmas Carol. Skip it if you need complex investigative freedom or want the puzzles to carry the whole experience. For its intended audience, the murder-mystery twist is a worthwhile and charming excuse to revisit Scrooge’s London.

Retro Replay Score

7.2/10