Another Case Solved is free to play, and since it's a puzzle game the developers could have turned this game into a freemium mess. The good news is you can investigate a ton of cases without opening your wallet, and that's definitely a good thing.

With Another Case Solved, you're a novice private investigator, and the only way you can build up your clientele is to take a few easy jobs from the get-go. Before the mystery is actually afoot, you will customize your character and set up his offices in an all too spartan room. Since our hero is living in a city that currently prohibits sugar, there are a ton of people breaking the law just to satisfy their sweet tooth, and eventually his once empty docket will be filled with a ton of job requests. Your first couple of missions will be to literally find missing cats, but once your investigative skills and your social network improve, you'll be taking higher paying jobs with more powerful contacts.

Another Case Solved
Chillingo
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Solving more sophisticated cases takes on a layered approach. To pass the first level of your investigation, you must collect enough clues, whether it's through sliding your finger across your screen to connect footprints, magnifying glasses, maps or question marks. You will have a fixed number of turns to achieve your goal, so make sure you link as many objects together as soon as possible. If certain items on the board are not arranged to your liking, you can use a sponge from your tool kit to wipe everything away and summon up a new arrangement of objects.

Another Case Solved
Chillingo
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The next section of the case will depend on which type of investigation you're currently covering. Clues that you’ve collected will help you find a certain object or animal at a residence, narrow down a list of suspects or even find where something (or someone) is hidden within your city. Even though you are given each case in a linear fashion, the variety of missions keeps the gameplay at a high level.

My personal tastes lie in finding that proverbial needle in the haystack. During one of my later cases, I still had to find a cat, but it was a more nuanced journey. Each of my collected clues helped me open various rooms, and a magnifying glass is employed to point out if I was closer to my intended target. With just six clues left, I eventually found the missing feline, collected my cash and achievement stars, and was ready to move on to my next job.

Another Case Solved
Chillingo
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Another Case Solved also excels in the seemingly countless upgrades that are available for your private eye. Cash you've earned from your cases can be used to alter the investigator's overall look or spruce up his office, and collected stars are spent to buy skills that will aid in various missions. The actual tangible tools, such as a restraining order, fingerprint set, a pair of gloves or a telescope are my preferred items to purchase. Since they’re each priced at just $25, these items can be snapped up for a relative bargain. Gamers who would rather blow their in-game cash for bigger ticket upgrades will probably focus on buying office fixtures.

Another Case Solved
Chillingo
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Once you purchase an item, there's a good chance it will take a healthy amount of time to get to your doorstep. Candies are the premium purchase with Another Case Solved, and they are used to expedite the delivery of items. Candies can also be earned by watching advertisements, and I've checked out a few 30-second spots to collect my share of sweets. Thankfully, the freemium model doesn't interfere with the actual game play experience, and you can carry on with your investigations sans any hitch.

Another Case Solved
Chillingo
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Another Case Solved is an engaging puzzler that also doesn't go for the money grab within the first 20 minutes of action. You'll have enough cases to solve before the temptation to buy a few Candies set in, but since you can earn these sweets from watching ads or even "liking" the app on Facebook, there are ways of enjoying this title without having to shell out any cash. Even if I pay a couple of bucks down the road if a job gets too difficult to solve all by my lonesome, the free ride was definitely worth it.

This review was completed using a publisher provided code for Another Case Solved for iOS.

App Store Link: Another Case Solved for iPhone & iPad | By Chillingo Ltd | Price: Free | Version: 1.0 | 41.7 MB | Rating 4+

8.0 out of 10 arcade sushi rating

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