Pixmain, the video game publishing arm of ByteDance, themselves the developers of the popular TikTok app, has announced the upcoming mobile release of Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective. This will be the fourth game developed by Darjeeling Productions, who normally stick to documentary making, so they have a lot of storytelling pedigree.

Labyrinth City is an adaptation of the children's book Pierre the Maze Detective: The Search for the Stolen Maze Stone, written by Hiro Kamigaki, and published by Laurence King Publishing. The story is set in Opera City where the mysterious and villainous Mr X, the maze stone thief, has surprisingly stolen the city's maze stone. This has caused the city to transform into a giant maze, and so Pierre sets out to chase Mr X down and restore the city, encountering a myriad of puzzles and characters on the way.

The levels are faithfully recreated from the pages of the book, turning them into engaging animated stories. These illustrations have been paired with a light-hearted soundtrack to relax players and bring fans of the books back to a carefree childhood.

Opera City has become a huge sprawling world, spread across 10 separate maps, comprising over 100 collectibles and 500 interactive points for players to discover. On top of these, there are a plethora of hidden pop culture references to look for. Ranging from anime icons such as No-Face from Spirited Away and Dragon Ball Z, to the sci-fi masterpiece Star Wars, there will be something to marvel at for everyone.

Having already racked up an impressive collection of award nominations from its PC release, such as Best Quality of Art 2020 from Game Connection Asia, and the July Prize & Excellence in art 2021, Labyrinth City is a tantalizing prospect for any puzzle enthusiast.

Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective will release exclusively on the App Store on the 3rd March for $3.99. Pre-registrations are open now for any aspiring sleuths.