Calling all armchair detectives, amateur sleuths and true crime obsessives. You can uncover an intriguing true crime from Melbourne’s history with two exciting augmented reality games that you can play on your mobile phone.
Misadventure In Little Lon allows you to explore the twisted series of events that led to Ernest Gunter's demise in Melbourne's notorious slum district in 1910 and uncover how his strong-willed sister, Maud, sought vengeance for his death. A stolen kiss, a hired hitman and the mob all play into the game’s complex characters and wild plot twists.
This historically accurate game is the debut from Aussie indie game developers True Crime Mysteries. When Melburnians are allowed to wander outside for non-essential reasons once again, you can explore the real heritage sites and hidden laneways featured in this riveting true tale to meet virtual witnesses. For now, you can get gaming from home, virtually stepping outside and stepping back in time.
“We are thrilled to bring this secret story from Melbourne's past into the light. Maud Gunter was a captivating woman who could do flying kicks, used a hatpin as a weapon and went on to become a wealthy and powerful figure in Little Lon. No mean feat for a woman in the early 1900s,” says True Crime Mysteries co-founder Emma Ramsay.
True Crime Mysteries' second game is called Eastern Market Murder, and players have to solve the murder of the husband of a fortune-teller in the Eastern Market. If they ask the right questions and do the job right, the motive behind the grisly murder will be uncovered and the murderer put behind bars. “This horrific crime caught the attention of the public in 1899, and after being buried for 120 years, we’re challenging players to put their detective skills to the test and ask the questions that have always surrounded the event," says Ramsay.
Misadventure In Little Lon and Eastern Market Murder are both available now on the App Store and Google Play for $4.99 each.