Sherlock Phones – Tiny Crocodile Studios UG

Play online for free (german language): https://www.schau-hin.info/sherlock-phones

Sherlock Phones is an entertaining web game for parents and their children. Their goal is to beat the virus „Cypher“ by playing three diverse mini games (and a secret extra puzzle!). The friendly anti virus program „Nova“ helps them and offers hints and tips. Varying topics provide parents with the opportunity to talk media literacy with their kids.

We developed the game with and for the initiative „SCHAU HIN! Was Dein Kind mit Medien macht.“.

A screenshot of the settings menu. The player can choose between easy and hard game, music on and off, sound on and off, voice on and off, screenshake on and off, vibration on and off. — The player can adjust several accessibility features in the main menu.

A call screen. Cypher is calling with an unknown number. The player has the option to pick up or recline the call. Cypher is an evil computer virus. He has a green head, sharp teeth, a red helmet and a pair of huge dark sunglasses that hide his eyes. The overall look is that of a comic villain. — An unknown number calls. Will you pick up?

The main screen of a phone is completely occupied by Cypher's giant app symbol which broke through the glass. There are 4 other apps, 3 of which are captured by Cypher's cypherlings. Cypherlings look like red ticks with propellers and claws in which they hold the app symbol. The fourth app is showing "Nova". They are pushed to the edge of the screen and have a distressed expression. Nova is an antivirus software, visualized by a small, square robot. Their facial expression are pixels on a screen. Fold-out propellers at their side give an impression of dog ears, so that Nova kinda looks like a helpful and cute little dog robot. — Oh no, Cypher and his Cypherlings took over your phone!

A screenshot of a maze. The player controls Nova with a virtual joystick. A Cypherling is blocking their way. On the edges of the screen are markers that show in which direction the player can find the hidden inventions (in this case, a smartphone). — Cypher hid all major media devices of the past in a maze. Can you find them all?

A screenshot from one of the mini games, representing a social media post. It shows a very sad boy hunched over a bad school grade. The text on the post says in german: "Sad? The Fun-O-Mat has the solution. Click here or here (with fake links)." There is a big stamp on the post that says "Advertisement" in german, showing how it looks when an ad is correctly identified. — Can you distinguish ads from user posts?

A screenshot of a data card. It gives the impression of a collectible card. It says in german: "Photos: send photos of your self only to people you know well. Also: Only take photos of others if they have agreed to it. Risk-Level: 2 Cypherheads" — Cypher stole your data. Reclaim what is yours in a wild chase!