Telling Lies

Telling Lies is an investigative thriller video game with non-linear storytelling that is built on a cache of video conversations which were secretly recorded. You have the option to download Telling Lies for Windows, macOS and iOS devices.

Graphics 5/5

The graphics of Telling Lies are quite unusual for the majority of video games. The interface of the game looks like a laptop loaded with a stolen NSA database full of footage. You can watch videos recorded by characters and make some conclusions about the story. The fact that players interact with the footage of people not computer graphics makes the game feel very realistic.

Gameplay 5/5

Telling Lies is a desktop thriller, where players can watch stored video clips and other data and become involved in a thrilling drama. The game looks like a virtual desktop computer with its own operating system. All the footage presented in the game covers a two-year period. Players have the ability to search hundreds of videos by keywords in order to assemble together timelines, events, and interactions. You have to figure out why these particular people have been recorded and what are their roles in these events. The interesting thing is that all the clips provide video and audio only from one side of the talk, therefore you need to find out which files may match the other participants or potential interactions with about thirty other people. 

The time to examine the material from the hard-drive during a single playthrough is limited. It means that if you don’t make it in time, you’ll have to start from scratch. The gameplay of Telling Lies is fairly interesting.

Controls 4/5

As it was mentioned before in this review, Telling Lies offers its players the ability to search video fragments by keywords. They can scroll forwards and backwards within these videos, highlight particular words in the video subtitles and then make some notes in an in-game memo pad. The reflection of the player-character can be seen in a virtual reflection of the in-game computer. However, when searching for the keywords, it gets you to the moment the word was said, not to the beginning of the video.

Replay Value 4/5

Telling Lies offers three possible endings, but in reality, they don’t change anything much. Because of that Telling Likes does look a bit liner, unlike other full-motion video games. So, despite the game saying "you decide the truth" you really don't. If you uncover most of the video footage, you’ll easily figure out the other endings and it kind of kills the replay value to some extent.

The Bottom Line

Telling Lies can be recommended to anyone who likes a good detective game or storytelling. It is a fun game with good acting and casting. The plot is unexpected and interesting.

• Graphics 5
• Gameplay 5
• Controls 4
• Replay Value 4

Pros

Interesting gameplay and interface;
Thrilling investigative story;
Feels very realistic.

Cons

Time limitations;
Occasional minor bugs.