“Border Reivers” is a historical mystery game in which the protagonist has to solve a murder in 15th century Scotland.

Gameplay: After meeting with his father, the protagonist can question the suspects about their possible involvement in the murder. Although questions are conducted with ASK [character] ABOUT [topic], few of the answers are helpful in unraveling the mystery or even interesting thematically. There’s not much to do beyond finding the one piece of evidence when it appears, showing it to the different suspects, and noting their reactions. 4/10.

Mechanics: Although the conversation mechanic is implemented well, there’s not much to do with it. There isn’t much of a mystery here to solve. There’s no clever scheme to figure out or even evidence or testimony to investigate; finding the killer is just a matter of waiting until you’re handed an incriminating note and then showing it to the different suspects. 4/10.

Presentation: The setting is a creative and unusual one, and it certainly seems (although I know virtually nothing about the subject myself) that the author has done her homework in researching the historical setting. It’s a great setup and setting for a game, and I think it would have worked much better if it were a longer one with a more involved plot. 6/10.

You might be interested in this game if: You enjoyed “Ivanhoe” or “Rob Roy.”

Score: 4