The Case of the Golden Idol offers intuitive murder mystery intrigue as it makes its return to mobile

• The Case of the Golden Idol is back on mobile after being removed from Netflix
• Try-before-you-buy and experience two of the core cases entirely free
• Discover a murder mystery spanning 50 years, set in the 18th century

Unfortunately, one of the key drawbacks of any subscription gaming service is that inevitably, you'll see some fantastic stuff leaving the catalogue. Netflix Games has definitely been guilty of that, removing a mix of indie darlings and games based on their own IP. But today, one particularly interesting point-and-click adventure is making a return with The Case of the Golden Idol.

Despite its caricaturish visuals, The Case of the Golden Idol is anything but goofy. You'll be tracking a murder mystery spanning half-a-century during the 18th century, which is all somehow connected to the mysterious, titular idol that seems to drive ordinary people to covetous madness.

The deduction gameplay in particular has often been singled out for its intuitive nature. You're presented with scenes frozen in time and asked to make logical deductions, piecing together from a selection of words what exactly happened. It may be a one-to-one recreation of the forensic process, but most importantly, it makes you feel as if you really are a genius detective.

All that glitters is not gold

Even better, The Case of the Golden Idol is free! Well, sort of. This is a try-before-you-buy case after all, but you'll have two of the core cases to solve for free, which offer plenty of meat in and of themselves. And a one-time purchase nets you a whopping 12 scenarios and six bonus cases, as well as the rest of the experience.

The Case of the Golden Idol inspired its own spinoff sequel called The Rise of the Golden Idol, and rightly so. Because this point-and-click detective sim has garnered quite a large amount of praise for both its gameplay and captivating narrative. So, it's probably worth giving a shot if you're a fan of the genre. And if you are, check out our list of the best point-and-click adventure games currently available for Android.