Left in the Dark: No One On Board (iOS) Review

On board a spooky, deserted ship, one detective must uncover the mysteries behind an ancient curse.

In Left in the Dark: No One On Board, you play as an old time detective who has been summoned to a seemingly cursed town. A long lost ship has returned with no one on board, and locals fear it is the product of the curse that has beset their poor town for years. You’re a little more pragmatic than that, favoring a slightly less spiritual cause for the missing sailors – and treasure. However, with a mysterious cloaked figure and the ghost of a young girl dogging your every move, it is hard to argue that there is nothing spiritual afoot. As you begin to unravel the town’s mysteries, from a murdered family to a tragic fire, perhaps you can both uncover the secrets and put a soul to rest all in one shot.

The gameplay in Left in the Dark: No One On Board is pretty standard hidden object adventure stuff. You’ll wander around a series of unique environments in search of items that can be used in your quest. Some of these are just laying around, with little to distinguish them from the many unusable items, and you’ll need thoroughness as well as attention to the story to figure out what can be used where. There are also a number of standard hidden object finds, where you are given a list of items that must be found within a jumble on a fixed screen. Completing these will give you an object that can then be used in the outer environments.

In addition to finding hidden objects, players will also work their way through a series of mini games. These mini games serve to advance you in the story – for instance, putting together a map to help you navigate, or assembling a power grid to get some much needed light. They also add a bit of variety to what is otherwise all hidden objects, all the time. If they aren’t your thing (or just have you stumped), all of these mini games can be skipped after a short time.

There are a number of assists in Left in the Dark: No One On Board, which make it more accessible to players of a variety of ages and skill levels. The hint feature can be used whenever you get stuck, whether it’s finding that last item in an object jumble, or simply figuring out where to go next. It requires a short period of time to recharge, so you can’t tap it in rapid succession, but it works well for those moments where you need a little push. Shortly into to the game, you’ll also acquire a map that it useful on two levels. First, as a hint feature, as it marks both where you are and where actions are available, giving you hints to where to go next. It also really cuts down on the wandering back and forth that often gets tedious in this type of game. Rather than crisscrossing the map over and over again manually, you can simply select where you’d like to go on the map and it will take you there instantly, which is a nice feature for those of us who get impatient.

Final Thoughts

Left in the Dark: No One On Board is a nice example of the hidden object adventure genre. A variety of hints and assists make it accessible for casual players and young gamers alike, while making them completely optional for those who like more of a challenge. A spooky story line is helped along with eerie environments and convincing voice acting. Overall, it’s an enjoyable game that makes for some great casual gaming.