Shades of Death: Royal Blood

Shades of Death: Royal Blood is a single player, first person, mouse controlled puzzle adventure game with a mixture of puzzles, there are hidden object puzzles, inventive lock puzzles, sliding block puzzles, logic puzzles, and the player also has to use items from their inventory as they would in a point and click adventure.

The game starts with a cut scene showing the player at home reminiscing over old photographs and missing her family when the telephone rings, it's her sister with news that their father has died. The scene ends with the player in front of the family castle, the gates are closed and the lock is broken - cue the first set of puzzles. Before the story progresses very far it's clear that the shades referred to in the title 'Shades of Death' are in fact ghosts and they are looking for a family heirloom, an amulet that has the power to destroy evil. The amulet destroyed a monster over two hundred years ago and now it's missing.

• In the first chapter, Morton Castle, the player the player explores the castle and visits the netherworld. Along the want they meet the ghosts of her father, her ancestor and her dead sister Violet - yup we got there too late.
• The second chapter is set in the nearby town of Blackburn - now abandoned because of the recent outbreak of unsolvable murders. Here we encounter yet more dead bodies and visit the netherworld where we talk to the ghost of a vampire hunter who tells us where the next murder will take place. Along the way we collect and use many things among which are the pieces of the missing amulet.
• Cursed Island. the third and final chapter sees the player entering the hidden cave where we must stop the ghosts who are are trying to resurrect their vampire king

The game has two modes of play, Casual - where the Skip & Hint functions recharge faster, and Advanced - where functions recharge slower and active zones are not highlighted.