Telling Lies review – endless possibilities in brilliant detective story

While untangling a web of lies players are tantalisingly close to the characters in this believable world created by Sam Barlow
PC; Mac; iOS

Suspense, plot and character have long been considered the foundations of a good thriller - but really, the sign of a mystery done well is a sound. It's the "hwwwwahhh!" of air whooshing past your lips and down into your lungs after a pivotal reveal. It's a noise certain to be heard during the hours spent untangling the secret at the heart of Telling Lies.

Sam Barlow's critically acclaimed Her Story (2015) introduced us to the concept of the interactive search engine thriller. In that game, you play an unnamed character who, for reasons unknown, is sitting at a computer trawling through hours of stolen police station video footage showing a suspect being interviewed. Your main investigation tool is a search bar where you type in keywords such as "love" to pull up tagged clips. One of those clips might include another clue, such as a name, which in turn can be searched to pull you further down the rabbit hole. By making notes and playing detective, it's your job to decide what the truth is.