Criminal Case Reviews

by Abb1e

What once was a great game to play now isn’t. For the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to send or receive gifts from friends on my iPad without the game looping to Facebook only to ask “Open this is Criminal Case.” Duh, that’s why I have CriminalCase . Then it returns to CriminalCase and if I select ‘accept gifts’ it loops back to Facebook again..endlessly. This happens on all 3 of the Criminal Case games that I play. ..Hidden Objects, Mysteries and Save the World. I tried contacting customer support only to receive an auto response that told me to go read the FAQs (which I do before ever contacting support) or go to the community page which is another hot mess. Then proceeds to tell me that this will be the one and only response to my inquiry. Sounds like pretty poor customer service. So...in response, I will delete all three games and find others to play.. A little good customer service goes a long way. I recommend that you ditch the auto response and actually allow people to contact you.

by Beephenix

Ok, maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but srsly? I love this game, but there are many problems. #1 not enough energy. Whenever you want to go back to a crime scene, you need 20 energy. And when I do use the energy, I get like 1/3 of a star. That means I need to play 3 of them to get one star. When you do get a star you only have like 50 energy left, not enough to get two stars. If you do want energy, you have to pay real money. #2 the timer at the top of the screen. I’m not completely sure that it’s supposed to do, but it just makes he game way too stressful. To get a good score, you need to do it in like less than 30 seconds. >:0 like seriously? I can’t do that in 30 seconds!! Especially if it’s new. #3 how much play time you really get. You can only play the game for so long. Once all the energy is gone, you have to wait. Unlike my favorite game, you only can play for like five minutes until there’s no more energy.

Anyway that’s my complaints. Please fix the energy system, that bugs me the most. Thx for reading this. If anyone does...

by Joe Sewell

First off, this remains an interesting game, with decent stories. Some of the names of the objects lose something in what I assume is a translation, and the ever-popular "energy" system is always frustrating.

The most recent update of the base program (as it affects all of the Criminal Case games) has brought frustration and disappointment. The "daily reward" feature was frustrating when it would make you respond within a few hours of the last time you used it or it would reset. Now it's hardly even useful. I'm sorry, but burgers and meals are no replacement for guaranteed extra energy.

The more frustrating thing, though, is the timing of the ads. They will pop up at any moment, it seems, from the time you return to one of the main screens. Yes, I'm sure it's a timer, but it will interrupt an action without warning. Even worse, if the game or device is muted, the ads are not, which isn't pleasant when your spouse is sleeping. The ads tend to be for the same games (I'm looking at you, Toon Blast!), making me LESS likely to want to play those advertised games.

The most recent update made things worse, with ads that freeze the screen. As others have stated, the publisher doesn't really want you to contact them, as all you get in response is an email that makes you feel like an idiot because you didn't read what was on the support site, and that you wouldn't get any further reply. Well, maybe they shouldn't get any further support!

by Memekkk

I work in IT for Dev QA. Here are some diagnostic scenarios.
I have an IPad2, since you have placed the ads to pop up in the game it seems either your program is not written correct or you need more juice so to speak. I have other games that do the same thing that you just updated to and they never crash. I know you have way more graphics which could be the issue so either update your server to more flow or tell the ad people you will need to remove since we are are only seeing one of them anyway and you are just taking their money. And lately it is not even letting me sign back in. Please fix need my Criminal Case fix and my friends miss me

I hate to say goodbye but....love this game and have been addicted to it since my friend told me about it years ago. The last 2 - 3 weeks all it does is freeze up and then go blank. Have lost so much energy just trying to play. Your developers need to get their butts in gear. I guess you guys don't care about losing money or clients. You can't even answer your support emails tsk tsk. I will miss you and you will miss the money.

by 212551776

I enjoyed the cases once I got through the first several and figured the game out. The English has a bit to be desired and you need to be able to read between the lines. BUT, the ads pop up after every two times of playing a scene now and totally ruin your concentration, not to mention they are super annoying ads and you cannot shut them off. I didn’t mind watching the ads before to get a little extra energy, but I literally Hate them popping up during game play. It has ruined the game. I’d rather pay a little for the game than to be slapped in the face constantly with all the ads. I shut CriminalCase down as soon as they pop up now, so maybe they are getting credit for the ad because they pop up so quickly but they shouldn’t be because there is no way I am watching them. I also refuse to watch ads for energy now too since that’s all I see while I’m trying to play. Sometimes they pop up after you’ve paid to set a scene up and then you lose that “money” too. Soooooo Irritating!!!!

by RogueRedneck

I’ve played this game for a long time and gotten gold medals on every case. I started playing with the original Grimsborough storyline but I’m done.

They’ve changed several things (adding the cards, adding the daily spin wheel instead of just awarding an energy boost for daily checking, etc) but the deal breaker is all the ads you now have to sit through. I don’t play free to play games because I hate ads and micro transactions. When I started playing Criminal Case, there were no ads but you now have to sit through one with every other turn. I have the game muted so I don’t disturb anyone else while I’m playing but the ads burst through at full volume. Additionally, I’m sure they only get paid for the ad if we watch at least 5 seconds worth so that the minimum you watch before you can skip (if you can skip).

The game itself has been a good time killer but I just can’t stand the changes. Once I finish the current Conspiracy storyline next week, I’m deleting it.

by Purplezette

I have been playing these games for years, especially the first one created. I play it on my iPad mini. I have had so many issues with it crashing. I counted at least 25 videos that I watched to receive energy and I never received it. The screen would go black, gray or white and then crash. The same goes for watching videos for cash, but I only counted 12. There were 3 times that I spent $5000 on a round of investigation and it crashed while I was playing, so there went that money. I'm beyond frustrated. I have tried several times to follow the instructions given in the troubleshoot. It's horrible that they send you a message saying that this is going to be the only contact that you receive from us. What happened to talking to real people and getting help with a problem? I rarely play the games anymore. I've put so much time and effort into it that I'm torn. I really do not want to shut it down and lose all my progress. I definitely think this game and its makers/customer service has several issues to work on. Your players are committed to playing your game, please be committed to helping them when they have an outrageous number of errors.
I tried playing it on my iPhone but it takes me back to near the beginning of the game. I can't even sync my devices to be at the same place in the game. Would love some help!

by Jarodsgirl

When I got CriminalCase a few YEARS ago I paid for a NO-AD app. I have spent countless amount of real money on this game and was totally addicted to it... however, this new update is basically ‘blackmailing’ us to buy the pizza on a SUBSCRIPTION so you have to pay for it EVERY week whether you want it or not just to get rid of ads that shouldn’t be showing up in the first place. I’m at a point where I finish a level and then have to wait for 3 or 4 days before the next level is even available. So basically not playing for 3 days a week... why would I want to buy a pizza for $2.99 a week to only use it for 4 days!!!! I am very close to the point to just quitting this game!!!! I am no longer having fun playing this game and I refuse to give in to the extortion to spend $12 a month to play without ads. The ads are extremely annoying and a Total waste of time. The daily bonus is also not working. Time to move on to other games. None of which are from those annoying ads.

by Ted5ter 18

I love all versions of the Criminal Case series and have been playing them for years. They are my favorite games. However there are glitches that appeared a few days ago with daily bonuses, watching videos for 20xp and $2000, and trophies for pets growing up. None of them are working. You get the first daily bonus spin but the extra spins after watching videos don’t work, it stalls on the screen every time. I have had pets grow up in Criminal Case, Pacific Bay and Conspiracy and did not receive the trophies, ie 4 out of 7 and 7 out of 10 grew up, didn’t get the trophies. My cookies are cleared and I have a great WiFi connection. I have tried to contact support and only get the canned response to look at their suggestions to fix, ie get rid of cookies and check WiFi, already done, there’s no way to actually contact a person in tech support for issues not addressed in canned responses. I have no idea if they are aware of these new issues since their canned responses don’t work for these issues. If these issues were fixed I would definitely give a five star review.

by Boiiii11

I like this game a lot. Like a lot. And I would probably like t enough to spend real actual money on it if it weren’t for the crashes. I’m a decent human being. I understand if it happens once in a while. But every time I play? Um no it’s gonna be bye Felicia if y’all can’t get it together because believe it or not I do stuff irl like feed my 63 cats and make cookies for my great grandchildren thank you so if you’re gonna make me spend extra time loading the game well I’ve got news for you Stevie granny train be pulling out of this game soon. Also energy depletes quite hastily homies when I do actually have time to rest my bunions and play the game I can only play for 15 minutes. Robbery I tell you. I’m gonna be playing angry birds soon because I feel like they more relatable to me at this point

~hope you kids fix this that’s why you went to college dearies

GrannymcGran still loves you

by Chinnychen

Started this game awhile ago, forgotten about it after I had open another chapter and begin being disinterested when my other games were more real time based. This game is great for a different change of pace and a quick go around for a few mins. However, when you get a clue and waiting for it to be analyze or waiting for energy recharge, I move on. The other difficult is if none of your Facebook friends play it’s even worse and there’s no option to open the request for help or invite through a local server connection for guest to assist you. The puzzles are great and super challenging as you increase in stars but the lack of an active community available and requirement to pay to further unlock chapters to push the story forward into new areas (had no currently active friends) it just became more tedious and waiting.

TL;DR - great side game but don’t invest heavily into it as you’ll probably hit the same wall of either needing enough active FB Friends or pay wall to get anywhere.

by RussianSnobb

Game is really fun what would make the game more enjoyable is if they took away the additional investigation part it takes almost all of your energy just to complete one star !!! And the Lab results take too long your waiting hours before you can move on in the game . You should be able to get a pet not complete every scene to buy a pet . You should be able to save your energy it’s not fair when you have a full bar of energy and you level up and you don’t get to use that extra energy and you should be able to carry over stars to the next investigation except you half to go back and use them for energy or coins . If they would fix that in the game I would give them five stars ⭐️ thought about quitting the game because of the additional investigation part & not being able to store energy that you don’t use when you level up !! Other than that this game is awesome !!!

by Katabug0303

Both me and my mom love to play this game. However I don’t play all the time so I haven’t been keeping up with all the episodes. My mom has and she has been able to play Pacific Bay, Worlds Edition, Mystery’s of the Past all from one app. I got done with Grimsborough and want to move on to Pacific Bay but when I do I have to download a separate app to do so. I wouldn’t mind this if all my progress like my level, my avatar, my pet, my money, and my rings came with me. They don’t and I have to start over from square 1 again. Can you pls fix this to were those of us who want start at Grimsborough can play through the story without having to start as a rookie again every time we move to a new episode! Or at least put a progress sync or something in the other apps that will let us sync our progress from the other games. If people want to start at Pacific Bay fine, but don’t punish those who want to start the story from the beginning! I have tried to email you about this problem twice already and got the same generic “Check the FAQ” response. I want to continue to play this game as I love it, but I don’t want to start over and get a tutorial when I know what to do. Pls listen to your fan base and do something about this!

by Bluefox 16

This is an edit from last month's post.
I have lost a lot of energy and coins because the latest update keeps crashing!!! I have been playing this game for a long time. I enjoy playing this. Please fix this !! I notice someone has written that they have lost energy and the game keeps crashing.
One aspect that I don't like is the way the energy fill works after you level up. I always have full energy when it is time to level up. Bottom line - I never gain the 100 energy points. I think the game should award the 100 energy points regardless if you are at full strength or not.
The second dislike , is what is up with the stickers?? Maybe this game is now geared for children?? Although some of the graphics maybe a little too much for some. The game use to award with orange juice, potato chips, and burgers. Now, you have to buy all of these to gain energy. Anyway, if it wasn't for these two factors, I would have rated this five stars.

by Stamps And Squaishey

As a fellow lover of this game, I just wanted to say that I can’t stop playing it. All the different levels are super interesting and keep me coming back for more. Although this is good, I still have one suggestion. Me being my impatient self, I feel like waiting 24 hours on an autopsy or just to play a new level is ridiculous. I know you have to make money off of something, but I’m only 13 and you can’t except me to pay for “Instant”. I know this sounds petty, but it’s just one way to make your game even more enjoyable for your players. Anyway... thank you for reading this review! Oh! If you’re new and looking for a fun (and intriguing) game to play, I would definitely try this. It’s overall a well thought out game. My heart goes out to the creators! Love you! ❤️😁

by Tamster D. Lange

This game is super! 😬👍🏼The game in its entirety is fabulous, fun & pure entertainment!!👏🏼👏🏼
I do think Criminal Case, should be up rated to 16 & up!! 💯
CC, does, indeed, ‼️have everything we all desire in a professional (Police & Adult in general) manor and its amazing how well, it greatly has you submerged in pure awesome; suspense!! 🤓 The only issue I’ve had is the energy bar/level, never ever enough energy to finish or complete the specific task at hand. 😁Waiting for ????, kinda makes me feel like, “aww, nuts, gotta wait yet again”
It is for sure one of the greatest joys on the daily for me and approx 44 of my family and friends !!!!😀 I have over 75 people to play with & love, LOVE THIS GAME! ❤️Thank you for allowing this game to be FREE, on or off line! Very much so, love that option !! 💯🏆
God bless & let’s....😉keep cracking these cases!!!! 👍🏼 Catching those killers for our nice city is the key to a wonderful adventure everyday!! ❤️

by AlsoAlpha

Now I am only on level four so what I’m saying may be implemented already but there are some things that I would like to see in this game. The main thing is the evidence that points to the suspects. I feel as if sometimes there should be evidence that is wrong which helps you divert expectations, or with the left/right handed evidence, make the killer a Ambidextrous person so that can easily confuse. Also I have a slight problem with how a piece of evidence is that this one person is wearing a Jersey when that same evidence is the exact jersey but ripped up, so I feel as if the chances of the person wearing the exact shirt that was torn up is a little unrealistic. But besides that this game is fun, I enjoy playing it on my free time, and the ads don’t bother me too much. The long waits for the items to be researched feels realistic, and I think that’s one of the few things that make this game good.

by DoctorFizz0505

I have always been a massive fan of murder mysteries, so I was certainly interested the first time I saw an advertisement for this game. I must say, I have been more than impressed. The storyline evolves as you progress through the game, with many shocking twists near the end, and the characters are fun and endearing. Do note that this game requires a great deal of time to complete fully (a single case may take you anywhere from 4-7 days to complete). If you enjoy hidden object games and mysteries and don’t mind the occasional ad or wait, then you will like this game just fine. I have fully completed every case using no in-app purchases, so I can confirm that this is certainly not a pay-to-play game. However, the customer service for this game is pitiful, do not expect a response if you send an email to the developers about a problem. Overall, are very fun, albeit time-consuming game, which more patient players will certainly enjoy.

by Don't Play Fluff Friends

Criminal case is so fun, even though the prices to buy energy and all that is expensive, you don't really need it. Just play until you run out of energy and then go do something else. That aside, I love this game! It's challenging and fun. Each case is unique and it's fairly realistic as to what really happens as far as motives and how everything plays out. If your looking to be a detective and love puzzles then this is for you! You can solve puzzles in your forsenic kit, find items at the crime scenes, switch around the scenes like a puzzle, and upgrade your character, dogs, and earn more energy. I don't really have much else to say except try it. Now, I know a lot of these reviews are written my middle aged women, but I'm 13 and many of my friends love this game as much as I do! The feeling you get when you solve a case is so special and fun and it makes me want to do more, just be patient and wait for your energy to refill! Download and try it for yourself!!!

by DebbieH53

I have been playing this game for several years and over the course of those years it has changed dramatically. Although I was not on board with all of the changes, I do find that this is the game that I turn to first thing in the morning. As a long time player, I am able to navigate between the different locations without losing my rank, money, or collections of clothes and such. I think the game took a turn for the downside when they initiated changes that prevented most players from being able to play that way a few years ago. That being said, it is still my favorite game. I have heard that there will be no newly created games in the near future and that makes me really sad. I know I can continue to replay old cases, but it just won’t be the same knowing there will be no new challenges forthcoming. I hope that this is not written in stone and that the developers will reconsider. It is really a great game.

by Darcie Genito

**Edit** - So I’ve discovered that I can close the add by clicking the buttons to install the game, and then can cancel by immediately going back to Criminal Case. Not entirely their fault, but still inconvenient. I still love and play this game and don’t plan on stopping!

A slots casino ad keeps popping up every time I do one of the puzzles. I understand the need for them and don’t mind them, but there is no option to close it at all on my iPad Air. No x button. Clicking “Get this game”doesn’t even work. The only thing I can do is close app and restart it. I’ve gotten the same ad three times now. VERY annoying. If you had an option to remove ads for a very one time small price, I might consider it. Just a suggestion to maybe add in the future!