“The Curse” is the first chapter in Rise of the Golden Idol, and the case summary story puzzles will ask you to bring the events of the entire chapter together. You’ll be able to complete it once you finish the “Newsflash” case.
‘Chapter 1: The Curse’ case summary walkthrough, hints, and solution in Rise of the Golden Idol
As with all of our Rise of the Golden Idol case guides, our goal here is to provide a hint-based experience that will lead you to the solution without automatically showing you how to solve it. We’ll start out with small hints for the puzzle, escalate to bigger ones, and eventually just spell out the answer if it’s still not clicking for you. We’ve separated our tiered hints and answers with in-game art, but be wary of scrolling farther than you intend.
Once you’ve finished all three cases in Chapter 1, you’ll need to solve Story 1 and Story 2 to complete “Chapter 1: The Curse,” which asks you to compile information from all three cases together. See our guides for the other Chapter 1 cases — “Academic Impact,” “Under Construction,” and “Newsflash” — if you need a refresher.
In this Rise of the Golden Idol guide, we’ll walk you through “Chapter 1: The Curse” case summary, including hints and the full solution for Story 1 and Story 2.
Chapter 1: The Curse Story 1
The first Chapter 1 story block has 31 queries to solve.
- The main subject of this chapter is the Red Curse, and this summary discusses how each victim connects to it.
- Think how the supplemental evidence unlocked after each case impacts the knowledge the cases give you.
- Think how some of that supplemental evidence challenges ideas presented as fact by the other characters.
- The first paragraph has to do with the homeless victim in “Under Construction.”
- The second paragraph has to do with the first case, “Academic Impact.”
- The third paragraph has to do with the paper airplane on the table.
- The fourth paragraph has to do with the poster on the wall.
- The fifth paragraph has to do with “Newsflash.”
- The final paragraph has to do with the science flask.
Here’s the complete description for Story 1:
During a construction yard accident, the body of Luke Brown was found in a sewage pipe, afflicted by a strange condition that police named the Red Curse.
A few months later, the famous scientist Isaac Nowak was discovered dead by the Bagman couple.
After being contacted by someone, Elizabeth Nowak worried that everyone would think Isaac Nowak had been a drug user.
A few days later, Elizabeth Nowak offered to fund Brandon Bagman’s tuition, in exchange for confidentiality about the fact that Isaac Nowak had been affected by the Red Curse.
Hours before the conference, Sebastian Walsh was offered a similar deal and took it.
However, the laboratory investigation found zero evidence that either Red Curse victim had been a drug user.
Chapter 1: The Curse Story 2
The second Chapter 1 story summary is far shorter than the first, having only 10 entries to solve.
- Track what Isaac Nowak was doing and planning before he died.
- Pay attention to what the police are saying in “Newsflash.”
- In the note Isaac uses to summon a taxi, compare the address to the Cougar 9 notes in the supplemental evidence trench coat.
- Follow the bribes on the chief of police’s desk in “Newsflash” to solve the second half.
Here is the complete description for Story 2:
Shortly before his death, Isaac Nowak went to meet someone at the Steelside warehouse.
A few days later, someone connected to the Steelside warehouse provoked Elizabeth Nowak into bribing Sebastian Walsh, who stopped the investigation into Isaac Nowak’s death.
Stay tuned for our guides to the Chapter 2 cases in Rise of the Golden Idol!
