Loco Motive (video game)

Loco Motive is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Robust Games and published by Chucklefish. The game was released for Nintendo Switch and Windows on November 21, 2024, with more platforms possible in the future.^[2]

Loco Motive
Developer(s)	Robust Games
Publisher(s)	Chucklefish
Designer(s)	Adam & Joseph Riches
Writer(s)	Adam & Joseph Riches, Elliot Herriman
Composer(s)	Paul Zimmermann
Engine	Unity[1]
Platform(s)	Windows Nintendo Switch
Release	November 21, 2024
Genre(s)	Point-and-click adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

Loco Motive is a 2D point-and-click adventure game. The objective is to move the story forward by solving puzzles. This can be done by exploring locations, talking to non-player characters to acquire information, collecting items and using them at the right time. The player takes on the roles of three different characters, each with their own perspective on the events.

Plot

Loco Motive takes place aboard the luxurious 1930s steam train, the Reuss Express. When wealthy heiress Lady Unterwald is killed, lawyer Arthur Ackerman, agent Diana Osterhagen, and novelist-turned-detective Herman Merman are drawn into the investigation. The trio must uncover hidden motives, solve puzzles, and navigate eccentric passengers to find the killer and clear their names.

Development

Loco Motive was developed by London-based^[3] studio Robust Games, a small independent studio founded by brothers Adam and Joseph Riches. The game initially started as a smaller project for a game jam in November 2020, but after receiving positive feedback, the team expanded it into a full release. The brothers handled both the development and the pixel art design, while the publisher Chucklefish signed Loco Motive in May 2021.^[4] The game was translated into German by Marcel Weyers.^[5]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	77/100[6]

Review scores

Publication	Score
Adventure Gamers	4.5/5[7]
Eurogamer	3/5[8]
The Games Machine (Italy)	7.5/10[9]

Loco Motive received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[6] The game won the "Adventure Game of the Year" award 2024 by Adventure Game Hotspot.^[10] Furthermore, it was nominated in six categories at the AGOTY Awards. It won in the categories "Best Adventure Game", "Best Adventure according to the International Jury", and "Best Puzzles".^[11]