Hercule Poirot became one of Agatha Christie's most famous literary characters across 33 novels and 55 years, and now he's introduced himself to the gaming world in Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases. This is an intriguing whodunit adventure with plenty of twists and turns, and a unique mechanic to help keep all of the facts on track. 

Agatha Christie - Hercule Poirot: The First Cases, as its name suggests, takes players back to the origins of Hercule Poirot. He's invited to a luxurious mansion by the affluent Van den Bosch family, but when a snowstorm traps all of the guest inside—and the predicament eventually leads to murder—Poirot must put his mind to the test and solve the case. Not only that, he must determine how it connects to a multitude of other mysteries which turn up throughout the course of the story. 

The First Cases follows an easy format: As Poirot, players will speak with the other inhabitants of the mansion, with each conversation filling in some of the many blanks the detective faces. Every room in the mansion can also be searched for clues, and all relevant testimony and environmental findings are stored in the game's most novel feature, the Mind Map. 

As Poirot gains new insights, the Mind Map menu fills with thoughts pertaining to the clues. From there, it's the player's job to place these thoughts in the proper location on the map, which eventually connects the dots and helps Poirot get his answers. Players will spend as much time in the Mind Map as they will in the mansion, as it requires looking at all of the information from multiple angles and toying with its ideas until the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit. 

It's an ingenious way to portray the mind of our famous detective as his "little gray cells" process what's in front of him. There are multiple "a ha!" moments where a piece finally fits within the Mind Map, and the jolt of excitement the player will feel after finding out is hard to replicate. Some of the solutions require out-of-the-box thinking as well, as things are not as they seem in the Van den Bosch mansion, and it's tremendous fun trying to work everything out. A few of the Mind Maps found in this game extend beyond the boundaries of the screen, which makes connecting all of the dots seem impossible. However, when you do finally solve the mystery, the victory is that much sweeter. 

It's a simple gameplay loop, sure, but that simplicity belies a truly devious mystery at the heart of the game. The First Cases stimulate the brain in fun and exciting ways, between heated conversations with upper-class elites and hunting for relevant items strewn about the house. The final confrontation is particularly harrowing, but there will be no spoilers here; this is one game that should be experienced without any hints going in.