Agatha Christie is one of the most acclaimed and best-selling authors of all time, and her mystery novel Death on the Nile is getting a video game adaptation which is set to release in 2025. The game will feature two protagonists, recurring Christie character Hercule Poirot, and Jane Royce. Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile is being developed by Microids, who also developed the hit game Murder on the Orient Express, which is based on another Agatha Christie novel. Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile was announced at The Game Awards, where a teaser trailer for the game was shown. Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile is set to launch on PS 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.
While the teaser didn’t show any gameplay, it did feature the titular Nile River, major landmarks in Egypt, including the pyramids, the boat Karnak, and the two player characters, Jane Royce and Poirot. The video game promises to extend the story beyond the book’s, giving more value to Agatha Christie fans who have read the novel, while weaving two different perspectives and plots together for an epic finale in typical Christie fashion.
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The Story Behind Death on the Nile
Death on the Nile was well-received when it was published in the 1930s, as it weaves a story featuring several plotlines, characters, and conspiracies. Agatha Christie had a talent for taking multiple stories and problems, and featuring a neatly-tied resolution in the end that few readers could predict. In Agatha Christie’s hands, Hercule Poirot became one of the most famous detectives in literature, appearing in 33 of her novels and outshining other examples such as Sherlock Holmes and C. Auguste Dupin. Jane Royce is a new character, and is a private detective from New York hunting down a murderer from a different case.
Poirot’s appearance in Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile is consistent with his appearance in the game Murder on the Orient Express, despite the two games being set in very different timelines, with Murder on the Orient Express being set in 2023 and Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile being set in the 1970s, rather than the novel’s original setting in the 1930s. The change in setting appears to be motivated by narrative reasons, with the developer citing the 1970s as an exciting time of change, color, and feminism.
Adapting Death on the Nile as a Video Game
Like the novel, Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile will primarily take place on the steamer Karnak and in locales in Egypt on the shores of the Nile River. The perspective of the game will alternate between the two protagonists, where the two plot lines will ultimately converge. The plot of the game will extend beyond the Agatha Christie novel, so even readers are in for some surprises as they play the game.
Aside from the locales along the Nile, Agatha Christie – Death on the Nile is set to also feature the cities of London, Majorca, and Cairo. There will be a mindmap featuring all gathered information and clues, allowing players to draw conclusions. Armed with information, players will be able to interrogate or confront suspects with evidence of their crimes with a new confrontation system. Observing characters will unlock information for character profiles, which compiles information for easy access.
