Misericorde review: a gripping murder mystery in a medieval nunnery

Two hours of work is not enough. Misericorde: Volume 1, a murder mystery visual novel set in a convent in England in 1482, the nuns get into an argument about the process of slaughtering ducks for the evening’s supper.

It’s not exactly a logical argument — at least, not for Flora, who is absolutely just fucking with her fellow nun Eustace. After Eustace assures everyone that she doesn’t find it hard to kill ducks — “They’re not much of a match for me, if I’m being honest” — Flora counters by asking, “How many ducks would it take before you think you’d lose?” And although MisericordeIf the game relies solely on drawings in black and white, or no voice acting at all, then you’ll have to use your imagination. Hear the stubborn this-is-not-a-debate tone in Eustace’s response: “I could defeat every duck. It is simply not a problem for me.”

But it’s not a duck who’s been murdered. It’s the convent’s feistiest free thinker, Sister Catherine, who has just turned up dead. Catherine is no match for at least some of these characters. You can also find out more about the following:.

It is through the eyes (of the innocent, yet pious Hedwig) that this visually-driven novel, which can be both haunting and humorous at times, unfolds. Misericorde is the convent’s Anchoress. This means that, by her choice, she’s spent her formative years locked up in a cell, serving as a presumed “neutral” source of knowledge to any and all spiritual advice-seekers, as she’s devoted herself fully to reading only scripture and religious literature. She knows only the voices of those who’ve visited her — and though she counsels them at times of intense vulnerability, she knows almost nothing about them, or about people and society in general.

Image: Polygon via XEECEE

Image: Polygon via XEECEE

Image: Polygon via XEECEE

Unfortunately for Hedwig, her position at the convent means she’s the only person who definitely didn’t Murder Sister Catherine. That’s why Mother Superior drags her from the simple but serene familiarity of her cell, forcing Hedwig to then secretly evaluate the convent’s few members in an attempt to discover the identity of Catherine’s killer.

Misericorde is a visual novel in the strictest sense: There’s no player choice, no branching dialog; it’s a matter of just clicking through and reading the story as it unfolds. So far only the first part of the game is available on Steam, and the mystery remains unsolved. Yet it’s already skyrocketed to the top of my personal list of favorite games of the year due to the depth of its characters and the twisty, sometimes even supernatural, turns of its murder mystery.

Image: Polygon via XEECEE

It’s rare to see an ensemble cast this well developed and characterized, especially in a murder mystery, a genre that often relies on tropes and shorthand. At first, upon seeing the black-and-white art depicting all of the nuns dressed in (obviously) identical habits, I worried about how I’d manage to keep track of all the suspects. But I didn’t worry for long. Each nun has her own a distinct voice — and her own set of secrets, guarded closely from Mother Superior, Hedwig, and the rest.

Once I had played the unforgettable opening salvo Misericorde: Volume 1, I went straight to the solo developer’s Patreon and became a paying subscriber, because I knew I’d want to play Volume 2.As soon as the product becomes available. Misericorde It is also available through Steam and Itch.io.