If you're going to license a series of mystery novels for the specific purpose of turning them into graphical adventure games for the PC, you might as well license from the best. That's the attitude the Adventure Company is taking with its upcoming series of games based on the novels of Agatha Christie, the best-selling mystery novelist of all time. The first such game will be Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None. Based on the premise of the original book, And Then There Were None tells the story of a group of 10 complete strangers who are invited to an estate on a mysterious island. The host of this get-together never actually shows himself but instead leaves a recording, telling his guests that each have committed murder and that justice will be served. One by one, the guests' numbers are reduced by the unseen killer, as they are cut off from civilization, with no hope of rescue.

　　The game version of And Then There Were None introduces a new character into the fold--namely, you. You play as the boatman who has brought these inevitably doomed guests to the island, and now you're trapped there right alongside them. Your goal as the player is to unravel the motives of this crazed killer by uncovering the secrets each guest is hiding. The Adventure Company promises 20-plus hours of gameplay, with plenty of plot twists--liberties were taken with the original book to provide a unique and unpredictable experience--and high-quality, third-person graphics.

　　Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None will hit stores this fall. We'll bring you more on the game in the near future.