Alice Sanger is a private detective in a futuristic metropolis. She started out her career in the police force, but got fired after she tried to expose corruption within the bureau. As a result her marriage went downhill, her ex-colleague and soon to be ex-husband joined one of the more powerful commercial armies of the city.
After a couple of missions he went missing in action. Years later, weathered by bitterness, we meet Alice when she starts on another dodgy assignment from an anonymous client. She needs to get a briefcase. This journey takes her down a dangerous path. She must get her information by breaking in and question anyone who might know more. (Developer’s description)
As far as we know “Fate by Numbers” is the only freeware FMV adventure out there and it is quite impressive how far you can get with a small budget (all they had were 1500 Euros). Of course this is not the most challenging adventure of all time, of course it is short and of course you can see that there are no professional actors, but some of them acted quite good (especially Remco Corman) and so the game is entertaining the whole time. And the story and the film noir atmosphere are simply great.
Revival is currently looking for a publisher to develop a sequel to “Fate by Numbers”.
Another thing that really makes Fate by Numbers enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to Fate by Numbers. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
