Criminal Case casts players becoming a fresh member of the police force who’s given the job of solving many different brutal crimes. The initial case provides a tutorial, with the player being introduced to the various components of gameplay one by one, then subsequent cases become increasingly lengthy and complex as the player progresses.
The overall game is split up into several parts, because both versions advance the plot of each and every case. Hidden object scenes are handled fairly traditionally – players are offered a list of objects to find, most of which are key clues for that case, and must see them as soon as possible to score maximum points. Upon completing a scene, the last score (plus time bonus and extra bonuses for any “hints” remaining) contributes to a cumulative star rating for the stage.