12.02.2025

Phoenix Springs is a point-and-click detective game set in the charming world of noir. This gem among indie games with a harsh setting and an intriguing narrative takes us back to the golden age of adventure games, offering a modern take on an old formula.

You are reporter Iris Dormer, who suddenly finds herself in the bizarre but mysterious desert oasis of Phoenix Springs. You arrive there in search of your brother, with whom you have decided to finally reunite. However, in Phoenix Springs, the community is, to put it mildly, strange and mysterious. Guide Iris through the desert and the city and uncover the secrets of the location, as well as find out the truth about herself.

The way the game presents itself is vague, but at the same time very intriguing, because it creates the feeling that the action takes place simultaneously in the future and the past, and all this thanks to its amazing artistic style. The moment you think you’re on a train, you realize that you’re actually in a room, and the lime-green-yellow color palette gives it an almost fabulous look.

Contrasting colors highlight key figures, shrouding the rest of the world in a ghostly mystery. The city itself is full of intrigue and style, and the way the scenes are designed creates the feeling that you are flipping through the pages of a graphic novel.

The art in Phoenix Springs organically integrates into the gameplay, turning what could have been a standard “point and click” into something more elegant and exciting. The game lacks traditional elements such as menus and inventory, replacing them with an upgraded minimalistic interface.

The puzzles are very exciting and demonstrate the perfect balance of difficulty. Whether you’re looking for a missing item, interrogating characters in search of clues – it’s all like a detective solving mysteries. The design and visual presentation of these puzzles make them exciting, encouraging you to think critically and explore on your own.

Around the middle of the game, there is a dramatic transformation of the setting and the environment you are going through. The game takes on a more surreal and abstract character, which was very unexpected.

There are many attractive aspects to Phoenix Springs, but one that really stands out is the unique visual style. This minimalist aesthetic sets it apart from other games, offering extraordinary beauty despite the relatively sparse amount of detail in the world around it. The subtle animation further highlights this, greatly improving the overall gameplay.


Phoenix Springs is a game that combines nostalgia and novelty. It refers to classic adventure games and presents an innovative method of interacting with objects and characters. The environment she presents is as fascinating as it is unusual, although it can sometimes be difficult to find a way forward. The change of tone in the middle of the passage can be confusing, but this intriguing game is definitely worth investing your mental energy to unravel its mysteries to the end.
The game definitely deserves a high rating among games of this genre.