Next Blue Toad episode will be free

By Robert Purchese Published 27 January, 2010

"Are we going bonkers?" asks Relentless.

Relentless has revealed to Eurogamer that the next episode in the Blue Toad Murder Files series for PlayStation Network will be free.

Episode 3 will be released on 25th February and cost nothing to download until 25th March. You'll need Episode 1 installed in order to play, and that can be bought with Episode 2 in a double-pack for £9.99.

Relentless also announced that the final three episodes, instalments four to six, will be released on 8th April. That triple-pack costs £9.99.

"So, the big news of the day is we've decided to give away Episode 3 for free! Are we going bonkers? Probably," Jade Tidy, Blue Toad Murder Files producer, told Eurogamer this morning.

"We've had great reviews and feedback for the content and quality of Blue Toad, but we would be arrogant to overlook peoples' concerns about the cost and replayability of an episode. As the publisher of Blue Toad we had the opportunity to tackle one of those issues immediately and I'm thrilled that we decided to take this brave step to address it."

"We've made something we're all very proud of, and knowing people have enjoyed our game enough to ask us when the next episode comes out makes us very happy," added Tidy, tidily.

Episode 3 picks up where the previous episode left off: two people have been murdered, the burglar of the Manor is refusing to talk and a fire breaks out in the town hall. The mystery of Little Riddle deepens. Sounds like someone needs to get a bit Russell Crowe out there.

There's also a new addition to the Blue Toad Murder Files team - Jason Donovan! No it isn't. Head over to our Blue Toad Murder Files: Episode 3 gallery to find out who it really is.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (29) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • OnlyMe #1 2 years ago

    So, er, not really free then.

  • Phattso #2 2 years ago

    Sounds like they've realised that the short run time, limited replay value, and projected cost of the whole series was what turned a good number of people off the game in the first place. It's certainly the reason I didn't take the plunge.

    Got to applaud their reaction to that, but I suspect it's a barn door/horse bolted scenario as there's too much good new stuff coming out now to be overly bothered by this. Pity, but there you go.

  • JonFE #3 2 years ago

    It would make sense if this was stand-alone (not having the paid-for episode 1 installed). That way it could work as a demo for sitting-on-the-fence potential customers (like me).

    As it stands, I'm not sure what's the point. Maybe to convince those who purchased the first episodes but didn't not fully enjoy them to give it another chance...

  • thebaron #4 2 years ago

    meh - first one was rubbish - they should stick with Buzz

  • Santino #5 2 years ago

    blue toad episodes should be the name of dlc for new super mario bros, was the first thing that popped into my head reading the title of the article

  • chrisno21 #6 2 years ago

    Thats good, more bang for my buck. Haven't started ep2 yet but enjoyed the first one enough.

  • woodnotes #7 2 years ago

    I was really excited about this, seemed like the perfect game to play with the gf. But unfortunately it's just a below-average version of Professor Layton. Really disappointed. Still, will definitely pick up this free third episode.

  • drxym #8 2 years ago

    My 4 year old helpfully ordered €30 of PSN games for me including Blue Toad 1 & 2. Since each episode is more or less hardcoded to play the same each time I'm holding off playing it until we have some people around to get the most from it. The game does look nice but it is short and being hardcoded to ask the same questions is a bit crap.

    I've also learned my lesson about PSN and set it to prompt for a password at checkout.

  • X201 #9 2 years ago

    Same as chrisno21 for me.

    Haven't had chance to start Ep2.
    Need to clear some time without interruption for it, because it deserves to be treated like a TV programme.

    Enjoyed the first one and looking forward to the others.

  • charliemouse #10 2 years ago

    Episode 1 was great fun. Episode 2 far less so, the puzzles felt old, it dragged on and the final answer insultingly easy. If 3 wasn't free I might not have carried on so this works for me hugely.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #11 2 years ago

    Brilliant news!

    Despite the limited scope of the games, I thought the production values were pretty top notch, especially the classic British horror/drama music!

    My nieces loved the first two episodes so will definitely be picking up this and the triple pack.

    Perhaps more variety in the puzzles (randomly generated?) would be better for a sequel series, Relentless.

  • betahoven #12 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:36:16 17-12-2011

  • andywilkie35 #13 2 years ago

    I've enjoyed them a lot, great to hear the next one is free

  • Grunk #14 2 years ago

    I'm still waiting for EG to notify me of my winning entry into the blue toad compo.

  • homerramone #15 2 years ago

    I fail to see how giving the 3rd part away makes the first part more replayable.

    Randomising the puzzles in the first place might have been a better idea !

  • Nodebug #16 2 years ago

    I think this is a great move, its rare enough a games company takes heed of criticisms, especially on cost. For criticisms related to gameplay, I think they would be too far into development to make such drastic changes to the style of the puzzles, but if they listen about the cost then maybe it will be something they take note of in the sequel if they get to make one.

  • DavidA #17 2 years ago

    Thanks for the support guys. As Nodebug points out, we were too far into development of Season 1 to start retrofitting replayability into the puzzles. But it's forefront on our mind, as you might expect.

  • optimusprym8 #18 2 years ago

    I wish the new Monkey Island series had the same thing when 1st launched as then I wouldn't have wasted money on a pile of crap

  • captain_Carl #19 2 years ago

    Now i feel bad for not giving them my money! The first two were fantastic

  • LazyNinjaUk #20 2 years ago

    Nice :).

    Really enjoyed the first 2 so to hear Episode 3 is free is a great surprise, Relentless could have just ignored criticism and released at a price, but releasing it for free is a bold move. Considering it cost money to make and they won't make any profit from it.

    If you don't download a free game you are to be honest, a bit of a mug.

  • Darkjinxter #21 2 years ago

    D/L'd Eps 1+2 before Christmas. Me the wife and a couple of chums played through episode one. I was so embarrassed and ashamed to have put my friends through what amounted to a pretty awful 'family game'.
    Bereft of even simple animations, poor puzzles, annoying voiceover....I would go on....but the memory alone is freezing my brain.
    We have not even bothered playing episode 2, probably never will.
    @Woodnotes, no, no, no, no, no. Professor Layton's name should never be uttered in the same internet as Blue Toad Murder Files. It's like comparing Sherlock Holmes to Inch-High Private Eye.

  • Lee_Morris #22 2 years ago

    I enjoyed it and would have paid another 2 lots of £10 to support relentless but £10 doesn't really give a good cash to time value. £10 for episodes (which this effectively makes it) is alot fairer. Can't wait to play episode 3. It was nice to have a game me and my girlfriend could play together.

  • dfish #23 2 years ago

    I had concerns about the value compared to Professor Layton but this makes the series much better value. I was honestly thinking about whether the remaining episodes were worth it. Good move on relentless's part. Downloading ep3 is a certainty and £10 for 3 episodes is great value. I long for Professor Layton on home consoles however. Blue toad is still in its shadow:( but its a serviceable makeshift.

  • dfish #24 2 years ago

    @darkjinxter
    yes it was disappointingly like a cbeebies cg cartoon in aesthetic. I hated the look. I didn't mind the voices though. I appreciated the traditional english stereotypes they were mocking and the fawlty towers homage. it was intelligently written for the most part. the puzzles were good fun and that was the most important part for what is a puzzle game joined together with story and a scenario. A poor mans prof. Layton no doubt though.
    Edited by 1 at 27/01/10 @ 23:10

  • Slipstream #25 2 years ago

    "We've had great reviews and feedback for the content and quality of Blue Toad, but we would be arrogant to overlook peoples' concerns about the cost and replayability of an episode. As the publisher of Blue Toad we had the opportunity to tackle one of those issues immediately and I'm thrilled that we decided to take this brave step to address it."

    "We've made something we're all very proud of, and knowing people have enjoyed our game enough to ask us when the next episode comes out makes us very happy,"

    Good to know that logic still has a place in this world. Nice response, enough to even pique my interest in the game. It's authentic comments like this that turn my head.
    Never easy admitting to a weakness of your product, but any attempt to rectify has to be recognised so colour me interested.

  • LazyNinjaUk #26 2 years ago

    @ Darkjinxter - It's ok to admit the puzzles were too hard for you, no one is judging you on here.

  • Darkjinxter #27 2 years ago

    @Lazyninjauk. Yes, I found one of the puzzles too hard. But therein lay the one of the many weaknesses of this entire package. The player to your left could get a ridiculously 'Put missing in this' and zip though it in 5 seconds flat. Next up you get hit with a pharmacutical bill of 10 items all priced in Pounds, Shillings and Pence to add up. So you sit there like a lemon adding it all up. Get it right, sure, but are penalised for 'taking too long' compared to 'the word sentence'.
    Bad sport ol' man!

  • Darkjinxter #28 2 years ago

    @lazyninjauk
    Also...While we're here. I dunno if you lot did this, but I did....In the Fawlty Towers reception area you could see a board with room keys behind 'Basil'. I spent most of that section counting the keys, memorising the numbers of the missing room keys, the time on the clock, the colour of Basil's jacket and umpteen other visuals.
    There I was already to jump in answer the expected observation questions...But no, I had to spot the odd sail on a windmill or summat.
    Sheesh.

  • Oh-Bollox #29 2 years ago

    The time to get gold was a bit generous, I thought. I know you don't want to reduce it to the point where the only thing that matters is how fast you can use the controller, but some of the puzzles can be done in a quarter to a third of the time given for gold, on the first go.