I’ve never been the biggest fan of April Fools’ Day, especially when it comes to video game announcements.

Video game April Fools’ jokes run the risk of being something fans actually want, which makes it hurt all the more when it’s just a joke.

Often companies also fall back on announcing a visual novel as an April Fools’ joke, implying the idea of making a visual novel is inherently funny compared to making a “real” game.

But this year, Sega released The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a free game that escapes these pitfalls by being both an actual playable game and one that clearly had effort put into it.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a visual novel with point & click adventure elements, as well as some platforming. You play a new employee on the Mirage Express, a luxury train hosting a birthday party for Amy Rose. The theme of the party is a murder mystery game, and after an unexpected incident on the train, you discover Sonic as the victim, though it hints at the idea that maybe this isn’t just part of the game…

And so, with Tails by your side playing the role of detective, you set out to question suspects and learn the truth.

Gameplay is fairly basic. You visit each location on the train, inspect the area to collect clues, and then confront the other characters with evidence to either support your argument or contradict their claims. It’s fairly simple, with only a small amount of evidence in each area and no penalties for incorrect answers.

One additional gameplay element comes in the form of short platforming sequences where you automatically run along a track and must collect rings while avoiding obstacles. This is justified as you getting your thoughts in order by trying to think like Sonic, so these stages often occur after you’ve presented evidence but before you explain what it proves. The reasoning is silly, but it helps tie it in to the main series. If you’re bad at these sections and would prefer to focus on the other aspects, there are difficulty settings that let you change the speed or the number of rings you need to collect.

They clearly put a lot of work into the game’s presentation, with great character sprites and music, and I was especially happy with the writing. Unlike a lot of joke visual novels, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is genuinely funny, with humorous dialogue as well as some running gags during investigations. As someone who has never gotten into the Sonic series, I feel like fans will probably appreciate the character interactions even more.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog takes about 2-3 hours to beat. It’s a fun little mystery game that was an entertaining April Fools’ Day surprise.