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Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy Deluxe Edition Plus – Guide and Walkthrough

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Guide and Walkthrough (IOS) by krystallis

Version: 1.05 | Updated: 11/05/2017

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Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy Review (Nintendo Switch)

With the Nintendo DS’ advent in 2004, we assisted in the birth of many innovative IPs, one of them being Professor Layton . These Puzzle-Adventure games represent the conjunction between engaging stories and brain-teasing puzzles. Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Conspiracy is the latest as of writing and it changes its focus from the titular professor to his peppy daughter Katrielle.

Katrielle Layton has just opened her Detective Agency in London and her first case isn’t a simple one. A talking Basset Hound, whom she gave the unprompted name of Sherl O.C. Kholmes, asks for her help in order to retrieve his memory. From this point onward, Katrielle will have to solve a plethora of different cases. From trivial things like a missing pet to more important ones like the disappearance of one of Big Ben’s hands, she will use her guts and cunning instinct to solve them all.

Obviously, she isn’t alone in her investigations. Her self-proclaimed assistant Ernest and Sherl himself will always be at her side. Other than them, a colorful cast accompanies Kat’s investigations, from the dense Inspector Hastings to the profiler extraordinaire Emiliana Perfetti, the arch-rival of Katrielle in solving cases. To fans’ delight, some characters from previous Layton games make their return such as Granny Riddleton and Stachenscarfen.

The writing – and therefore the localization – quality is always pretty high. Each character has their own distinct attitude and way to speak that are maintained constant during the whole game. There are puns and gags in abundance. The player can’t but have a good chuckle every time they come across these crazy situations. Writing alone is what saves an otherwise unremarkable story. The game’s plot, especially when compared to previous episodes, is in fact rather simplistic. Cases are, for the most part, self-contained and their conclusions more often than not appear a bit far fetched or unrealistic.

The game follows the previous Professor Layton s’ formula. Point-and-click scenes and puzzles represent the core of gameplay.

INVESTIGATION

The point-and-click sequences follow standard adventure games’ tropes. Each case consists of static scenes and the player can move between them thanks to a simple map, immediately accessible by the press of a button. In each scene, the player will move a cursor, shaped like a magnifying lens. If an object or character can be interacted with, the lens will color orange. Sometimes the game will prompt the player to zoom on certain elements, but that seldom happens during the game.

Other than moving the analog stick, it’s possible to use the joy-con like a pointer when on TV mode or the touch screen when in portable mode. It’s a bit difficult to move the screen using the touch screen since often the little point of interest and the pointer itself will be hidden under our own finger or pen.

While investigating, the player can find Hint Coins, Fashion Farthings or Collectibles, random objects accompanied by a brief, funny description. Supporting characters will often comment on interactive items. While some of them aren’t necessary to the game’s progression, they provide flavorful descriptions or entertaining skits. In this way, the player won’t feel the need to simply rush through the game to advance the plot or unlock the next puzzle, but they will feel compelled to click and check everything.

Puzzles are the trademark of the Professor Layton series. In classic adventure games, developers always try to insert puzzles into the game world in the most seamless way possible. Activating levers, pushing buttons or using and combining specific items on specific points have to seem natural and not a gimmick out of place. The Layton series follows a totally opposite direction and presents riddles in the same way the player would find them in a puzzle magazine.

Some characters will challenge Katrielle and co. to solve them, other times, the player will find them hidden in unassuming objects. They range from logical puzzles to mathematic ones, word plays and other classic puzzles normally found in video games, like sliding boxes to make a path or connecting pipes.

Each puzzle has a Picarats prize to give to the players. It decreases every time they get the answer wrong so that they are incentivized to think thoroughly before answering and not to rely on trial-and-error too much. It’s to notice how pen and paper are necessary to solve the puzzles since the game doesn’t offer any notes or sketching functions. While this isn’t a great issue while on TV mode, it might be impractical for people who mostly rely on portable mode, especially if they wanted to play outside.

Puzzles are diversified enough to entertain and interest the player without dragging on or feeling trite. The main issue puzzles seem to have is related to how they are often explained in a tricky and unclear way. Sometimes the real challenge is getting to know what the game wants you to find other than actually solving them.

CLOSING A CASE

After talking to certain characters or interacting with certain elements, Katrielle will find a Clue to make her case move forward. Each clue has a peculiar shape and when they are put together they will form a specific image, related to the case’s central theme. Each case has six clues to find. When the player collects every one of them, Katrielle can close the case.

As said, cases are pretty formulaic in their structure. Like in any full-fledged mystery novel, Katrielle will gather all the involved characters and explain the mystery’s solution, other than exposing the eventual culprit. A brief animated clip will play to represent this climactic moment and the game will also show a few CGs that represent some post-Case events.

Despite this repetitive structure, the player will always be eager to reach the case ending, thanks to the videos’ high production values and the funny following scenes.

PERSONALIZATION

If there’s something that any player will surely enjoy in their games, that is cosmetic personalization. And Layton’s Mystery Journey has plenty of it. It’s possible to change Katrielle’s and Sherl’s appearances with a myriad of different outfits, with some of them nodding to previous Layton games. The player can buy a new outfit with Fashion Farthings. For people who do not want to search for them or are stuck on a particular puzzle and cannot proceed, a small amount of them is donated daily to the player. Except for a limited number of outfits that will be available with game progression, any other one can be bought from the start.

But customization doesn’t end here. For all interior design enthusiasts, there’s also the possibility to alter the Layton Investigating Agency’s appearance. Each piece of furniture can be bought with a Decor Docket. This time, personalization is related to the game progression, since the player will receive a Decor Docket every time they solve five puzzles.

During the course of the game, the player will unlock three different minigames.

• Ideal Meal consists in preparing a 4 course meal to one of the characters met in game. The player will do this according to that character’s preferences, which can be learned either from them or by asking people close to them. It represents a way to know the people met during our adventure more, while maintaining the game’s riddling nature.
• Passers Buy is a jewelry store management game. The player has to arrange jewels in a manner that encourages customers to buy the maximum number of items while following the shortest way out of the shop.
•   Hound in the Pound stars Sherl trying to reach a certain position on a checked board in a limited number of moves, all while avoiding various hazards.

Minigames represent a nice diversion to the game’s overall progression. They aren’t particularly complex, except for Ideal Meal that rely too much on trial and error. They are not available from the start but will be unlocked progressively by completing certain puzzles. A player who particularly enjoys them might want more and see this as a shortcoming, but in this way, it’s impossible to feel overwhelmed by this optional content.

The game tries hard enough to remove any feeling of frustration from the player. While exploring, an exclamation mark on the map always points out where to go. The game even suggests what the player has to do while they examine a scene. While the handholding might feel a bit much for adventure enthusiasts, it isn’t extremely intrusive and it’s easy to ignore it.

Stuck on a puzzle? No problem, since Hint Coins come once again to our rescue. Each puzzle has four unlockable hints. Every tip costs only one coin and the last one a whopping… two coins. There is an overabundance of coins, so the player won’t feel pressed to search for them that often. While the first hint gives a simple suggestion about the puzzle to put the player on the right track, the other hints are usually a straight-up guide to solving the riddle, especially the last one that basically gives the solution. While to some this might feel like cheating, it’s a good help to the players that might be stuck on a puzzle for a long time and doesn’t force them to consult external resources.

The art style is consistent with the previous episodes. Characters have unique and stylized designs, with either rotund or extremely sharp lines. Every point-and-click scene is rich in detail and consistent in style. While backgrounds are 2D, characters are rendered in simple, but pleasant to the eyes, 3D models.

Animated cutscenes are impressive too and finally don’t appear excessively compressed.

The soundtrack accompanies well the game’s tones and isn’t intrusive at all. While it isn’t remarkable on its own, it gets the job done. The title also sports a competent English dub, even though only a few lines of dialogues, other than the animated scenes, are voiced.

REPLAY VALUE

With almost 200 puzzles for the main campaign, the game is packed with content. Around 15 hours will be necessary to beat the main game. There are no missables and the player can revisit previous cases whenever they want. They might even find new puzzles to solve. Therefore, exploring previous chapters again is incentivized and welcomed. The player might even want to solve as many puzzles as possible since with enough Picarats, it is possible to buy insightful content from the Bonus Menu.

Other than that, there are downloadable puzzles. The game will start with around twenty of them, but it’s possible to download a new one every day. These riddles reward players with Museum Points that are used to unlock previous games’ info and extras in the Layton Museum menu. Thanks to them, the player will feel compelled to open the game every now and then to see which new puzzles are available.

While the latest chapter in the Professor Layton’s series is a weak title compared to the previous entries, it’s a competent game on its own. It sports so much content that the player can get much entertainment from it. Its charm and cutesy often compensate for the simple and predictable plot. The customization options are also a welcome addition.

People who already played the game in one of its previous iterations might not find many incentives to play it again. On the other hand, newcomers can get this version to experience the definitive edition of this title, packed with more puzzles, better graphics and the possibility to play it on a big screen.

A good, but not great, game for Professor Layton and puzzles fans.

Final Rating: 7/10.

About Lea K.

When Lea isn't despairing over her engineering studies, she finds solace in gaming, driving, mountains and sketching. She thinks portable is the ultimate form of gaming.

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List of puzzles in Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy

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This is the Puzzle Index for Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy . It lists all puzzles that are in the game.

You can also browse the puzzles by category .

Other Puzzle lists:

• Professor Layton and the Curious Village
• Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
• Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
• Professor Layton and the Last Specter
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
• Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
• Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
• Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy

Story Puzzles [ ]

Special puzzles [ ].

These are Special puzzles that are bundled with extra outfits in Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy , many of which can be purchased separately with in-app purchases, or unlocked in-game with a special currency, the Fashion Farthings .

In the Deluxe Edition of the game, as all of the outfits are present from the start, without any need to additional external purchases, so are all of these puzzles, of which their unlock is now completely separate from the outfits, needing only to having a certain amount of Picarats and and having completed Case 12.

• S01- Starry Starry Night S1 - With the Dating dress outfit.
• S02- Magic Numbers S1 - With the Tomboy equestrian ensemble outfit.
• S03- Level Up S1 - With the Cardinal cape coat outfit.
• S04- Pop-Up Prairie Dogs S1 - With the Monotone minidress outfit.
• S05- A Knight's Quest S1 - With the Retro refit outfit.
• S06- Double Trouble S1 - With the Sky-blue statement outfit.
• S07- Box Drop S1 - With the Pleated pleaser outfit.
• S08- Box Drop S2 - With the Denim daily outfit.
• S09- Posing Poltergeists S1 - With the Imperial elegance outfit.
• S10- Posing Poltergeists S2 - With the Picnic blanket wrap outfit.
• S11- Starry Starry Night S2 - With the Daddy's girl outfit.
• S12- Magic Numbers S2 - With the Luke lookalike outfit.
• S13- Level Up S2 - With the Emmy impersonation outfit.
• S14- Double Trouble S2 - With the Anton-ish attire outfit.
• S15- Posing Poltergeists S3 - With the Aurora again outfit.

Daily Puzzles [ ]

• 1 Professor Layton and the Curious Village/List of puzzles
• 2 Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box/List of puzzles
• 3 Professor Layton and the Unwound Future/List of puzzles

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Review: Layton’s Mystery Journey – Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy (Apple iPad)

Review by Lindsay M.

I started dating someone back in early 2007. The relationship seemed doomed from the onset, as another man stole my heart that first year. The love, however, was unrequited, and so I stayed with my boyfriend regardless. In the decade that has followed, my faraway love reappeared from time to time. Each visit kept us locked in my room for days, under the covers with the lights off and mobile devices muted. But the time has come to move on. I must wipe away my tears of sorrow as a new dawn appears. My new love has a classic beauty. Her fashion sense is as sharp as her mind. I’m even willing to share her with a boy and a dog.

Wait, what? Maybe I should explain further:

Goodbye, Professor Layton. Hello, Lady Katrielle! It is time for Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy.

When Professor Layton and the Curious Village was released on the Nintendo DS a decade ago, I left my life behind as I fell in love with the mysterious world of Layton. The professor, it turned out, was quite the detective. By completing puzzle after puzzle, Professor Layton and his sidekick Luke compile clues to solve mysteries. The puzzles were quirky, the wit was dry, and the love was pure.

It is now time to pass on the Layton torch to Lady Katrielle, or Kat for short. Kat is the professor’s daughter. She is just starting up her very own detective agency with the help of a dog pal named Sherl (after Sherlock Holmes) and an assistant named Earnest.

Layton’s Mystery Journey is everything that enchanted me about the original title (as well as most of the subsequent ones in the series) – and also everything that made me want to throw my DS against a wall, which is a good thing for once. It means I’m enthralled and must continue, instead of not caring if I get stuck and give up. The obtuse puzzles become less infuriating as you remember that’s the trick with the Layton series: think outside of the box and you will find your way. For example, the first puzzle requires completing a letter “K” in a box… but the answer means creating the letter with negative space rather than positive. Simple mistakes can really trip you up.

Every puzzle in the game (well, in the main story mode) is numbered, making it easy to know if you missed something and need to return. Completed puzzles earn the in-game currency, Picarats. Wrong answers lower the value of puzzles, and a correct answer will earn you whatever remains. The higher the value, the harder the puzzle. If you’re stuck, use hint coins – found throughout the game – to get one or multiple hints.

Each chapter (or story) breaks down into six parts. At the end of each is the reveal of a clue that will lead to the final solution, represented by a literal piece of the puzzle. While Kat does take on her own cases, she often works with the Metropolitan Police when they are in a bind. Her first case – aside from agreeing to help Sherl learn who he is – is to figure out where one of the hands on Big Ben has gone. Yes, a giant metal clock hand has gone missing, and nobody can find it! The solution is even more outlandish than the problem yet somehow makes complete sense. It’s this odd balance that makes the Layton series a favourite of mine, and that allows for Layton’s Mystery Journey to follow in the footsteps left by Kat’s father.

Not all puzzles in the story mode are actually related to the story. Often, one will randomly pop up as you’re searching for hint coins (you need all that you can get, trust me). I far prefer it, however, when I’m talking to someone who has nothing to do with the case but they have a puzzle for me anyway. Some of these characters are recurring: Gudrun Weldon is a runner and is exploring the city on foot, and Douglas Dert is a reporter, for example.

Of course, there isn’t just a story mode. It seems that no game has just one mode anymore. At every turn, you can do something new in Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy. Take a break from puzzles or cases to decorate the detective agency, or look through random artefacts that have no meaning to the game or the series whatsoever. Or boot up on a daily basis to grab a new puzzle. These puzzles are stand-alone and operate outside of the story while remaining tied to a specific save account (three slots are available). Completing them will earn Museum Points, which unlock bits of information about each of the past Layton games ( minus the Phoenix Wright crossover ). DLC includes outfits and puzzles, either paired (outfit + puzzle) or bundled together (several pairs combined). And there’s more. So much more. But honestly, half the fun is randomly coming across new parts in the game, and I don’t want to take that away from anyone!

For the first time, Layton’s Mystery Journey brings the series to mobile devices in addition to Nintendo’s handhelds. In Japan the versions were released simultaneously, but the rest of the world will be waiting several weeks more to get their hands on the 3DS version. The game relies heavily on touch features, but those features still only take up real estate at the bottom half of my iPad’s screen. It’s the strangest thing though, I’ve actually gotten used to it. I was prepared to tear the developers a new one for their decisions when it comes to what it touchable, but in actuality only using the bottom portion with a touch interface makes for one-handed play – a big  bonus on mobile devices.

I can go on infinitely about how much I am enjoying Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy. The game present little truly new to the series’ gameplay, but since it already shone in past titles that’s a great thing. The characters are lovable, often with dry wit and secret pasts (or presents). Whimsy combines with reality, creating a fantastic believable world. The game promises at least dozens of hours of gameplay with limitless expansion potential, and I’m excited to see where it goes.

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Layton's Mystery Journey (Switch) Review

by Joe DeVader - November 7, 2019, 7:57 am EST Total comments: 6

Any mystery or any puzzle solved! That’s our motto!

One of my favorite tropes in any type of media is the idea of passing on the torch to the next generation. With that in mind, it’s only natural that I was excited upon learning that we’d see this happen with one of gaming’s most interesting protagonists, Professor Hershel Layton. A spinoff of Level-5’s fantastic DS and 3DS point-and-click puzzle series, Layton’s Mystery Journey puts players in control of Katrielle Layton, the famous professor’s daughter, who has opened a new detective agency on the streets of London. Can Kat live up to her father’s legacy both in universe and out? Well, the short answer is no, but she does still manage to have her own unique charm regardless.

Layton’s Mystery Journey begins with Katrielle’s first day as a private detective, opening the Layton Detective Agency for the first time. While hanging her new agency’s sign, she is approached by a mysterious talking dog who doesn’t remember who he is or where he came from. The dog, named Sherl after Sherlock Holmes, asks Kat and her personal assistant Ernest to take on his case, but this immediately falls on the backburner as they are called on to solve a high profile burglary at Big Ben. The newly-formed team of three then move out to solve the various crimes around London. Unlike past games in the series, Mystery Journey does not have an overarching plot or mystery building up to an epic conclusion, but instead is made up of several smaller cases each with their own defined beginning and ending. This makes the game much easier to pick up and play in short bursts, but fans of past entries may find it slightly underwhelming when compared to titles like Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.

Gameplay in Mystery Journey has remained relatively unchanged from past 3DS titles like Miracle Mask or Azran Legacy. Each screen allows you to poke around using a magnifying glass, talk to various NPCs, or observe your surroundings for clues. The player may also stumble across hint coins, collectibles, or, in typical Layton fashion, a puzzle. Once a player has encountered a puzzle they will be sent to a new screen where they will be presented with a lateral-thinking puzzle for them to solve. Each puzzle is assigned a number of picarats it is worth, which function as the player’s score throughout the game, the harder the puzzle the more picarats it is generally worth. If a player gets the puzzle right on their first try they are awarded the full amount of picarats available, but if they get it wrong the amount the puzzle is worth is reduced and they are given the option to try again. Hint coins can be used to purchase hints if you find yourself stumped, but overall the puzzles just didn’t seem quite as challenging as they had been in the past.

This difficulty issue ties into the fact that in general the game struggles to truly live up to the series’ legacy. Kat is a charming protagonist and honestly cute as a button, but Hershel Layton leaves a very large hat for her to fill and she just doesn’t seem quite up to the task. Even the mysteries Kat is given to solve seem to be of a far smaller scale than even the earliest games in the series, meaning that the player will likely have figured out the solution before even she’s done so. During investigation Kat will stumble upon a piece of information she can use to figure out exactly what’s going on, represented in game by a small puzzle where each clue is one piece, but it’s very unlikely the player will ever miss a single one of these as you are usually required to get them before you can even move on to the next area. Another issue is that her supporting cast unfortunately does not share her charm, with Ernest only sticking around because of a one-sided crush on Kat and Sherl seeming to exist only as a dog pun delivery vessel.

Overall, while her debut adventure is not nearly as grand as anything her father did, Katrielle’s story is still full of the same wit and charm one can expect from a game in the Professor Layton series. If you like past games in the series, you will probably still enjoy this more laid back entry, but first timers would be better off starting from the beginning. Various side features like dressing Kat in different outfits or decorating the agency’s office give the player ample opportunity to sit back and take a break from all the puzzles, and London’s streets are still fun to explore, especially when coupled with another fantastic soundtrack from series composer Tomohito Nishiura. If you find yourself craving some puzzles and English accents, Mystery Journey is a game you should look into picking up.

• A wonderful soundtrack, as is usually the case in the Layton series
• Shorter chapters/cases means the game is much easier to play in short intervals
• Still the same reliable Professor Layton gameplay
• Kat and her supporting cast just aren’t quite on the same level as her dad
• Puzzles overall seem a bit easier than they have been in the past
• The lack of an overarching plot makes it a bit underwhelming compared to past games

A.) Any indication the NFC Charms work witb the NA release? B.) Will those who already played the 3DS version find much of anything new? C.) If you like the idea of Kat continuing on Professor Layton's story, go watch the anime.  I've been wathing it of late.  It's fun.

If I've never played a Layton game before, is this a good place to start?

Hard to say. In a recent topic on the subject of Professor Layton here on the forums, no one seems to have played this game yet. Despite not playing it myself either, I'd be willing to say yes for a few reasons: 1. The main formula of the Layton series is just playing a bunch of brain teasers while also following along a story of some sort. A couple times the puzzles might relate to actual story events but usually they are just people you meet asking if you can solve their puzzle while moving along in the story narration. 2. This is a different cast from the other Layton games before it from what I've seen. Therefore, I don't think there will be many ties to the past games in it. Even the Layton series before keeps things pretty self-contained so that you aren't really spoiled about what happens in past games in whatever game you might choose to play. But by being a new cast, it will be a different experience even if one is a veteran of the series so it would be a new starting point for everyone in a way.

James savaged the 3DS version on RFN back when that came out, apparently the puzzles are trash. Every puzzle was a sliding block puzzle or a trick question where you had to answer 1 or 0.

My wife will be getting a Switch Lite with Stardew Valley for Christmas.  Looks like I found what game she'll have under the tree with it to tide her over til Animal Crossing.  She loves all the Layton games, so this sounds like it's at least within the range of what she'll enjoy.

Personally I'd say this is a fine place to start, but I'd more recommend you find a way to play Curious Village and play the original two trilogies first. But this game won't really spoil you for any of those though, so you'd be safe starting here either way. Still having my fingers crossed for some switch releases of the original though!

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Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaire’s Conspiracy

Layton's mystery journey: katrielle and the millionaire’s conspiracy guide, images & screenshots.

Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaire’s Conspiracy News

DualShockers

Layton’s mystery journey: katrielle and the millionaires’ conspiracy review -- charming entry in the layton series.

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy adds new systems to stand out in the Layton series, is the Layton series ready for a new a detective?

I wouldn't consider myself the go-to person for mobile games, but Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy is not the typical game you'd find on the app store. For the most part, mobile games are usually free-to-play and offer incentives to those who binge for hours or extra power to those who are willing to put money into the game. I applaud Level-5 for doing something a bit different with Layton’s Mystery Journey , but sadly they may have tapped the wrong market -- this game has more potential on other platforms.

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy begins by introducing the player to Katrielle Layton, the daughter of the famous Professor Layton who has popularized the franchise over the years. She has recently opened up her own detective agency to assist Londoner's with any mystery they need solving.

[pullquote]"I applaud Level-5 for doing something a bit different with Layton’s Mystery Journey , but sadly they may have tapped the wrong market -- this game has more potential on other platforms."[/pullquote]

From the opening scene, it's evident that Level-5 put a lot of work into setting up this new cast of characters for the game's story. The writing is clever and witty, giving each character a role to play throughout the game as well as fleshing out their respected personalities early on. Katrielle is an ambitious detective who strives to be the best. She lacks a filter and pretty much just says whatever comes to the top of her head. She brings a great deal of charm to the game which adds to the enjoyable experience of the story.

Additionally, Katrielle's first case is a rather interesting one that involves a talking dog named Sherl who has amnesia. However, Katrielle puts his case on the backburner to take on other cases, only because they seem "more interesting." Sherl ends up accompanying Katrielle on her other cases as an aid as well as a means to balance out her ambitious attitude. Also joining along, we have Ernest Greeves who is Katrielle's self appointed assistant and is around if only to help the detective... but mostly slip in a chance to slyly flirt with her, with the most innocent of intentions.

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy has some great animations and voice overs which makes it so much more than a typical mobile game in my opinion. Gameplay allows players to travel around town and search through crime scenes as well as interrogate citizens about the primary case. During these scenes it's possible to find extra dialogue between the characters, small souvenir items, and "Hint Coins."

Furthermore, this is where the player will be offered primary and secondary puzzles, the latter of which can be skipped and taken on at a later time. Sadly, this may be where the game lacks the most because puzzles are the core element of the Layton series. Instead of focusing on a one long case, Layton’s Mystery Journey has the player participate in multiple small puzzles throughout the course of the game. Some of which can feel shoehorned in as an attempt to beef up the game.

[pullquote]"I had a lot of fun following the primary cases from beginning to end."[/pullquote]

Specifically, secondary puzzles often just repeat themselves and serve no common theme with the case at hand. Granted they can be skipped over, but in order to receive all the points available the player needs to solve them.

That's not to say that the primary puzzles aren't as charming as the story itself; the ones encountered in the later parts of game can be quite difficult. In all honesty, I had a lot of fun following the primary cases from beginning to end. However, in the case of Layton’s Mystery Journey's secondary puzzles can come off as a distraction that kept me from the more interesting story.

Over the game, the player will unlock "Picarats," a point system that is given for completing difficult puzzles. These points are then used to unlock special top secret files which offer an incentive to those who go out of their way to complete both primary and secondary puzzles. Additionally, there are daily puzzles that can be downloaded and completed for "Museum Points" which are used to unlock scenes from the previous Layton titles.

I'd like to add that the music in Layton’s Mystery Journey's is awesome. Each scene is accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack that sets the mood perfectly. This added to the quality of the game and made it a requirement to take my phone off on silent in order to hear all the wonderful music this game has to offer.

I feel like Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy's amazing story quality makes it fail as a mobile game because I can't play it when I'm standing in line at Starbucks or sitting in the back of Lyft. The game requires the full attention of the player as it presents long scenes of dialog, sometimes deep puzzle descriptions, and set pieces that are full of areas to interact with. As for in-app purchases, the game offers new dresses for Katrielle to wear as she hits the streets to look for clues.

[pullquote]"With the less interesting puzzles aside, the difference between the two series is clear and I appreciate Level-5 for making something different that can potentially begin a new series of games in this universe..."[/pullquote]

There's is so much content in Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy which justifies the one-time purchase. Even though this is clearly a game for another platform, it can pass as a console quality game on your mobile phone. With the less interesting puzzles aside, the difference between the two series is clear and I appreciate Level-5 for making something different that can potentially begin a new series of games in this universe, albeit more light hearted than the original Layton series. The question fans need to ask themselves is: do they purchase the game now or wait for the Nintendo 3DS version , which might cost a little more.

Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy

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LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy - Deluxe Edition

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"LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy" revamped as "Deluxe Edition" with multiple improved features! ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ Enhanced puzzle-solving adventure experience with the Deluxe Edition! ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ ■NEW PUZZLES: This Deluxe Edition includes more than 40 brand-new puzzles and additionally, some refined puzzles from the Nintendo 3DS version. ■Unlocked DLC: Content that was previously released as paid DLC, including the “Daddy’s Girl” and “Luke Lookalike” outfits, are unlocked. ■New Outfits: More than 50 new outfits have been added, all of which can be obtained through gameplay. ■Improved Layout and Enhanced Graphics: Key clues and essential information for each puzzle is now viewable on one screen, and all graphics have been remastered in HD. ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ What is "LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy"? ＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ ■Intuitive and easy to play "Mystery Solving Action Adventure": Progress through the story while walking around town, chatting with local residents looking for clues, and solving puzzles and mysteries with the heroine, Katrielle Layton! ■Comical puzzle-solving story composed of adventure and rich animation: Players can experience distinctive Layton aesthetics with in-game high quality animation. ■Original puzzles: "LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy" includes new, original puzzles that have been created exclusively for this game. ■Largest Puzzle Collection: "LAYTON’S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy" includes the largest assortment of puzzles of any LAYTON series title to date. ■Character Customization: Fashion-conscious players can dress Katrielle in various outfits to suit the case at hand as well as redecorate the agency.

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Screen Rant

Layton's mystery journey deluxe edition review: passable portable puzzles, katrielle's adventure is one of the weaker entries in the layton series, but it's still a decent low-stakes puzzler for nintendo switch owners..

In the ever-expanding pantheon of Nintendo Switch ports , remasters , complete remakes , and deluxe editions with additional content , Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is a comparatively small name. This upbeat puzzle/adventure game was originally released for mobile devices and the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, serving as both a continuation and a fresh start for the long-running Professor Layton series. Now the Deluxe Edition of the game has come to the Switch with over 40 new puzzles, HD visuals, an enhanced layout, and any previously released DLC. Beneath all of that, though, is still an underwhelming and oversimplified Layton title - but not necessarily a bad puzzle game. Newcomers to the series or other Switch owners just looking for some casual puzzle-solving will still get plenty of fun out of Layton's Mystery Journey .

The game stars a new protagonist for the first time in the main series: Katrielle Layton, daughter of the renowned Professor Hershel Layton, who mysteriously disappeared when Kat was younger. Now 21 years old, Kat has just established the Layton Detective Agency and is hoping to attract potential clients who need help with their unsolved mysteries . Her first client ends up being a talking dog with amnesia, and he seems to believe that he was once human. Under her motto of "any mystery solved", Kat reluctantly takes his case to rediscover his past along with her steadfast assistant, Ernest Greeves. But it's not long before more urgent cases start coming in, and soon Kat and Ernest are off solving the biggest capers in London along with their newly-named talking hound, Sherl O.C. Kholmes.

Related: The Legend of Bum-Bo Review: A Hypnotizing Puzzle-RPG

As the trio travel around London, the player is treated to the always-lovely art and sound design that the Layton series is known for. The HD touch-up of the Deluxe Edition really pays off; the quirky character models and multilayered backgrounds of Layton's Mystery Journey look better than ever. Each character design is wildly different and uniquely exaggerated, making all of them memorable no matter what their role is. Moving between locations feels like walking through equally varied and detailed paintings, and the game encourages you to visually explore these places to find hidden collectibles. Of course, Layton's Mystery Journey is also complete with a top-notch soundtrack that includes plenty of catchy new compositions along with variations on classic tunes from the series' history. The overall audiovisual quality of the game is what gives it its cheery, "Layton-esque" attitude, in spite of some grating voice acting (which there isn't much of).

Layton's Mystery Journey also features an exceptional level of customization for a Layton game. Kat can pick up "Fashion Farthings" from daily bonuses and during investigations, which can be exchanged for full outfits. The Deluxe Edition includes more than 50 stylish custom outfits in addition to the former DLC outfits, and all of them can be unlocked through gameplay. It's undeniably fun to pick out different fashions at any time, and even Sherl can be dressed up in little dog clothes. As the player solves more and more puzzles, they'll also get access to a growing suite of interior design options for the office at the Layton Detective Agency. Everything from wallpaper to upholstery can be redone individually, allowing you to turn the office into a pretty home or a mismatched nightmare.

When it comes to gameplay, puzzles still make up the bulk of the experience. Puzzles are everywhere - they come up in clues, in conversations with NPCs, in random spots on the background... there's plenty of them in terms of quantity. But in terms of quality, these brainteasers are a mixed bag; most of them are fairly simple by Layton standards and can be solved relatively quickly, but some of them can give your mind a nice little workout. Despite the sheer amount of puzzles in the game, a lot of them are also holdovers from previous Layton games. The Layton series has been recycling puzzles at an increasing rate for a long time, and while that may not be a concern for newcomers starting out with Layton's Mystery Journey , the game still recycles its own puzzles as it goes on. There were a few occasions where I finished solving a puzzle and moved on, only to encounter another puzzle of the same type next. It's not that these puzzles are bad in themselves - it's just that the variety leaves something to be desired.

The story of Layton's Mystery Journey is the biggest change of pace for the series so far, but it's not really an improvement. Unlike Professor Layton's longer tales that revolved around cracking a central mystery, Katrielle's adventure has an episodic structure based on solving separate cases . These episodes have little to do with one another and are held together by only the thinnest overarching thread, which doesn't make for a very engaging plot. The thing that makes them downright boring, however, is the fact that Kat automatically "solves" each mystery for the player once all clues have been gathered. Regardless of whether the conclusion is blatantly obvious or patently ridiculous, the player isn't given the chance to work it out for themselves. Some major story threads are also left dangling at the end of the game, leaving too much in doubt about our central protagonists.

Speaking of our central protagonists, the three of them come off as oddly unlikable characters - which is unusual for the series. It's not as though the trio is unbearable, but they're just mildly annoying and don't change or develop much over the course of the game. For a gentlewoman, Kat is often presumptuous and cocky, and can even be exploitative when it come to Ernest. Ernest himself is such a lovesick yes-man that most of his dialogue involves heaping praise on Kat in some way. Sherl is perhaps the worst of them; he's insistently sarcastic and rude no matter the situation. These surface-level descriptions might make them sound worse than they really are, but these are still the tropes that you'll be stuck with throughout the game.

Layton's Mystery Journey isn't the best game in the series by any means, but it can still be an enjoyable collection of low-stress puzzles - especially in the absence of any other Layton titles on modern systems. Between the splendid production values and the large number of clever but recycled puzzles, new players will probably be the ones getting the most out of this Deluxe Edition. Other elements of the game may be disappointing, but it's better to have played a Layton game than never to have played one at all.

Next: Overwatch for Nintendo Switch Review: Overwatch, Underachieved

Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy Deluxe Edition is available now on Nintendo Switch for $39.99. A Switch code was provided to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.

Things to do in Moscow for First-Timers

Updated December 14, 2017

// By Margherita

Last August, a dream came true for both myself and Nick – we visited Russia for the first time. We joined the 13-day Waterways of the Tsars cruise with Viking River Cruises, travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg (with some cool stops in between). Here’s our first post, with lots of interesting things to do in Moscow for first timers!

My Moscow Dreams

I’ve always liked to think that Moscow was my first trip ever. My father visited the (then) Soviet capital in 1986, and returned with a mini-bearskin hat and stories about that mysterious country – ‘a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma’ , as Churchill famously defined it.

My dad told me stories, and I dreamt. I dreamt the multicoloured domes of St Basil’s, the crenellated walls of the Kremlin, the metro stations – my dad described them as ‘real underground palaces, with marble and chandeliers’ – I even dreamt of visiting GUM, the legendary department store on Red Square, with luxurious stuccos and dusty, empty shelves.

Moscow fascinated me so much that I imagined I could see it from my bedroom window. Looking east, beyond the station of Milano Lambrate, I could see a dozen red, blocky apartment buildings, and imagined it was Moscow. Deep within myself I knew they weren’t Socialist high-rises, it was Milano Due, the utopic ‘city of the future’ built by Berlusconi at the dawn of the 1980s.

That is probably why when we first visited Moscow last August, the city looked familiar. Many people describe their first visit to New York as a kind of deja-vu, after having seen the city in so many movies. Moscow gave me exactly the same feeling. Because, in a way, I had already been there.

Not just through my dad’s tales and my own childhood daydreaming – but also through books. I walked alongside Dr Zhivago in the streets of post-revolutionary Moscow. I sat next to Anna Karenina as she travelled to the city. Most of all, I walked down the Arbat and flew over the roofs of the city with my namesake heroine, Margarita .

Yet, Moscow eluded us for years , until we finally landed at Sheremetyevo airport one hazy morning, after two aborted landings because of thick fog. From the very first minute, it felt familiar – yet surprised us in ways I couldn’t imagine. No book or photograph prepared us for the magnificence of the Kremlin cathedrals, for the dazzling beauty of the city at night, for the extravagance of the Metro stations.

If you follow our blog regularly, you’ll know that we rarely write about ‘must-sees’ – instead, we try to delve deeper and find unusual things to see and do in the towns we visited. However, as this was our first time in Moscow, we decided to focus on the essentials, and compiled this guide of things to do in Moscow with first timers in mind. (I’m sure we’ll be back to explore the city further)

6 Things to do in Moscow for first timers

1)red square.

Red Square is Moscow’s main landmark , and the place where – I guess – 99% of people begin their exploration of the city. Imagine my joy when we were about to cross the gates into the huge square that I had so often pictured in my mind.

I could glimpse the multicoloured domes of St Basil’s on the far side , but it wasn’t the sprawling expanse I knew – something was blocking my sight. Two huge grandstands for a forthcoming festival of military bands had been erected right in the middle of Red Square, taking up most of available space.

The rest of the square was packed with tourists, it was a very hot day, and I’m sure you can imagine my disappointment.

So, just a little piece of advice for you. If you want to see Red Square in all its sprawling magnificence , make sure there’s no event going on in the square – apparently, events happen very often. We got a couple of messages on social media from people that also found Red Square all blocked up because of concerts or other festivals.

Facing St Basil’s (or the grandstands, in our case), the right hand side of the square borders the Kremlin walls, and near there you’ll find Lenin’s Mausoleum . After having seen the embalmed corpse of Mao in Beijing and Uncle Ho in Hanoi, we were looking forward to visiting Vladimir Ilich – but sadly, we missed the opening times.

On the left hand side of the square there’s  GUM , the same department store that my dad had visited 30 years previously, finding it dusty and empty. During our visit, the afternoon light shone through the glass domed ceilings, over white marble floors and whitewashed walls.

Diners clinked glasses in cafés and the store windows were packed with luxury clothes and accessories. And of course, on the far side of the square, St Basil’s was as dazzling as ever, the five domes five different jewels over the sapphire sky.

A little curiosity for you – the ‘Red’ in Red Square has nothing to do with Communism. The word Krasnaya used to mean ‘beautiful’ in Old Russian, and got the meaning ‘red’ only in more recent times. So, Red Square is also Beautiful Square.

Red Square was a bit of a disappointment, but the Kremlin exceeded all our expectations. The word Kremlin means ‘citadel’ – myself and many others were convinced that the Kremlin would be a simple city palace, but it’s in fact a walled city within a city , with palaces, churches, gardens and two helipads so Mr Putin can get to work without needing to brave the horrid Moscow traffic.

The Kremlin feels like a place that belongs to a parallel world. Everything looks tidy and perfect. Guards in huge hats and manicured uniforms patrol the streets, whistling if you dare cross away from the zebra crossing – yet, strangely, it’s absolutely fine to climb over the Tsar Bell, the largest bell ever cast at a weight of 480 tons.

The Tsar Bell never tolled, and the Tsar Cannon standing right next to it, the largest cannon ever made, never fired a single shot. Go figure.

The most beautiful location in the Kremlin is stunning Cathedral Square , surrounded by several churches with glistening golden domes. We only had time to visit two – Cathedral of the Assumption , where the Tsars were crowned, and Cathedral of the Archangel , final place of rest of several tsars and their families.

3) Moscow Metro

The Kremlin has been the home of Russia’s rulers for centuries. During Communist times, the power was in the hands of the people (or at least, that’s what they were told). In the late 1920s, Stalin ordered the construction of a monumental underground system – a ‘Palace for the People’ , that would fulfil the need for propaganda and intra-city transportation at the same time, as Moscow grew non stop.

Nowadays, the Moscow metro is developed over 12 lines – one circular and 11 radial . An apocryphal tale states that when Stalin was shown the Metro plan, no circular line was contemplated. Stalin placed his teacup on the paper, leaving a round brown mark – naturally, the leader was praised for his brilliance, and that’s how the circular line was born. All lines are colour coded, and the circular line is brown.

The Moscow Metro is not only stunning to look at – it also works amazingly well, and it’s super cheap. It runs from 5 to 2 am, every 20 seconds in peak hour, and a single ride only costs 50 roubles and has no time limit. That means you can spend the whole day touring this stunning system of underground palaces, spending less than a euro.

Each station is decorated differently – no station signs are visible from inside the trains, so Muscovites can tell where to get off by looking at the station’s decoration. Some of the most stunning include Mayakovskaya on the Green Line, Ploshchad Revolyutsii on the Blue Line and  Komsomolskaya, Novoslobodskaya and Kiyevskaya along the Circular (Koltsevaya) line.

I had read about the Arbat so many times in books , that I couldn’t wait to visit it for myself. It is one of the oldest surviving streets of Moscow , connecting the city centre with the boulevard ring. It was once one of the main thoroughfares into town from the West, before becoming home to the nobility first, then to artists and Soviet officials.

These days, the Arbat is not Moscow’s ‘Boulevard St Germain’ anymore – most of the mansions lining it were destroyed to stop Napoleon’s advance in 1812. There are actually two Arbats in Moscow now – the Old Arbat is pedestrian , so it’s still a wonderful place for a walk and some people-watching. There are several souvenir shops but being the heart of the tourist city centre, I’d give shopping around here a miss.

Towards the end of the street there’s an Alice in Wonderland themed cafe (a slice of Tokyo in the center of Moscow?) which could be an interesting spot for a coffee. Or you could check out New Arbat , just parallel, the home of administration and bureaucracy during Soviet times.

5) Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Even if you’re not one for churches, you’ll agree with me that the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a spellbinding sight , with its golden domes and white marble frame set against the sky, and the Moskva river flowing right on its side.

To make matters even better, the Cathedral has a really interesting history. It was erected in the 19th century, after the victory against the Napoleonic Army. A convent was evacuated to make room for the church, and one of the sisters – enraged after having been evicted – claimed that no building erected on that site will ever stand for more than 50 years.

The Cathedral was eventually consecrated in 1883 – and in 1931, 48 years later, it was demolished by Stalin to make room for the ‘Palace of the Soviets’, a monumental building that was going to be topped by a huge statue of Lenin. WW2 halted construction, and after Stalin’s death the construction site stood unfinished for decades – the gaping hole for the foundations was turned into the world’s largest open-air swimming pool.

The ‘current’ Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was built between 1995 and 2000. 50 kilos of gold were used for the domes. Will it last for more than 50 years? Only time will tell.

6) Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

If like me you’re a fan of Communist architecture and iconography , you’ll be spoilt in Moscow. In the past, we visited Communist sights in Warsaw , Vilnius and Bratislava – but really, they’re nothing compared to Moscow.

From kommunalka apartment blocks to Stalin’s Seven Sisters (huge 1930s skyscrapers housing hotels, apartments, offices and universities), from the Metro to statues and plaques everywhere, Moscow has plenty of relics from the Communist period – after all, it was the capital of the Communist world.

I could spend weeks touring all sights of Communist Moscow – to be honest, we are already planning a trip back for this very reason. If you only had time to visit one Communist sight, make sure it’s the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics . The entrance to the museum is in the base of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space , which is by far THE MOST AMAZING monument we’ve ever seen. I mean, check it out.

The museum itself makes for a very interesting visit for everyone interested in the space race. It houses the first satellite ever to be launched, the embalmed bodies of two space dogs, a full-scale reproduction of space station Mir, space suits and lots more interesting exhibits. We visited on a guided tour with Viking Cruises, which was a great idea as it was really hard to understand the function of some objects otherwise.

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics celebrates a time when people dared to look at the stars and dream that one day, we might actually uncover this great mystery. Sure, political implications (on either side of the wall) were behind it all, not some romantic dream – but 55 years from Gagarin’s first flight, space news are often relegated to the bottom of newspaper pages.

Perhaps we have way too many problems on this planet to worry about exploring others. Exploring the Museum, I wished that one day we’ll be able to set out and uncover the biggest mystery of all once again.

Moscow with Viking Cruises

We visited several of the sights mentioned in this list on tours run by Viking River Cruises as part of our Waterways of the Tsars cruise. The Kremlin tour, Moscow city tour (by public transport or bus – naturally we opted for the latter) and a traditional music concert were included in the tour price, but we also took additional tours to the Museum of Cosmonautics and around Moscow by night , both of which we enjoyed a lot.

Our accommodation was on the Viking Truvor , moored in Moscow’s North River terminal near   Rechnoy Vozkal station on the green line, making it possible to reach the centre in half an hour to explore the city independently. All meals are served on the boat, and transport to/from the boat is always provided during tours. Trust me, on a Viking cruise you won’t go hungry!

A great benefit of exploring Moscow with Viking were the excellent local guides , who shared their knowledge with us and gave us ideas on how to make the most of our free time in such a big, sprawling city. We spent three days in Moscow, but we are sure we will be back!

We would like to thank Viking Cruises for having welcomed us aboard the Waterways of the Tsars cruise.

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

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19 Unique And Fabulous Experiences In Moscow

• Destinations

Thinking of visiting Russia? When visiting such a famous city, one must, of course, visit the iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists. Once you’ve seen the sights that are on most travelers’ lists, it’s time to branch out and visit some of the lesser-known sites, and there are some fascinating places to see and things to do.

I know this list is long, but I just couldn’t help myself. You probably won’t have the time to see them all. But that’s okay. Just scroll through the list and choose what sounds the most interesting to you. Where possible, make sure to book in advance, as things can get crowded, especially during high season.

1. The Red Square, Kremlin, And Surroundings

Red Square (Krasnya Ploshad) is the heart and soul of Russia, and where much of the country’s history has unfolded. This is the most famous landmark in Moscow and indeed the whole country, it’s an absolute must-do! The square is always full of people and has a rather festive atmosphere!

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

This is the famous church with the rainbow-colored, onion-domed roof. The cathedral was commissioned in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible and according to legend, the Tsar thought it was so beautiful, that he ordered that the architect’s eyes be cut out afterward, so he could never build anything more beautiful! He wasn’t called Ivan the Terrible for no reason!

Lenin’s Mausoleum

The “love-it-or-hate-it” of tourist attractions in Russia. A glass sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. It may seem a bit bizarre to display the mummy of a person, but it has been there for almost half a century and the 2.5 million visitors who come each year, clearly feel the queuing and thorough body search are worth it, to be in Lenin’s presence.

Pro Tip: no photos and no loud talking are allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Eternal Flame

There is an Eternal Flame in honor of an unknown soldier on the left side of Red Square. The hourly changing of the guards is worth seeing.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president. You can see it from the outside, or you can take an excursion to one of the museums located inside. This is the biggest active fortress in Europe, and holds a week’s worth of attractions! Once behind the 7,332-feet of walls, there are five squares, four cathedrals, 20 towers, various museums, and the world’s largest bell and cannon to see. Worth a special mention is the Armory Chamber that houses a collection of the famous Faberge Eggs.

Pro Tip: You can only go inside the Kremlin if you are part of a tourist group.

2. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre translates to “The Big Theatre” in Russian, and the building is home to both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera — among the oldest and most famous ballet and opera companies in the world.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to get an inexpensive ticket, so if you’re reading well in advance of going to Moscow then try buying tickets on the official website . Last-minute tickets cost around $250 per person. If this is out of your budget, about an hour before a performance, you can try buying a ticket at the entrance from a reseller. Most can speak enough English to negotiate the price.

Tour the Bolshoi Theatre: You can take a group guided tour of the Bolshoi Theatre which focuses on the history and architecture of the theatre and behind the scenes. There’s an English language tour that lasts 2 hours and costs around $300 for a group of up to six.

3. Luxury Shopping At GUM And TSUM

Russia’s main department store, GUM, has a stunning interior that is home to over 100 high-end boutiques, selling a variety of brands: from luxurious Dior to the more affordable Zara. Even if shopping is not on your Moscow to-do list GUM is still worth a visit; the glass-roofed arcade faces Red Square and offers a variety of classy eateries. TSUM, one of the biggest luxury malls in town, is right behind the Bolshoi and GUM. It’s an imposing building with lots of history, and worth a visit just for its design and its glass roof.

4. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This is one of Russia’s most visited cathedrals and is a newer addition to the gorgeous array of Muscovite cathedrals, but don’t let its young age fool you. After perestroika, in the early 90s, the revived Russian Orthodox Church was given permission to build a cathedral on this site. It did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church. The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes, gold, gorgeous paintings, and decor!

The cathedral is located just a few hundred feet away from the Kremlin and was the site of the infamous Pussy Riot protest against Putin back in 2012.

Pro Tip: Bring a shawl to cover your hair as is the local custom.

5. Gorky Park

Moscow’s premier green space, Gorky Park (Park Gor’kogo) is the city’s biggest and most famous park. There is entertainment on offer here for every taste, from outdoor dancing sessions to yoga classes, volleyball, ping-pong, rollerblading, and bike and boat rental in summer. In winter, half the park turns into a huge ice skating rink. Gorky Park is also home to an open-air movie theater and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also Muzeon Art Park, a dynamic contemporary space with a unique collection of 700 sculptures. It is located right in front of Gorky Park.

6. Sparrow Hills Park

If you take a walk from Gorky Park, along the Moscow River embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbor, it has a great panoramic view of the city

Pro Tip: You can take a free walking tour to all of the above attractions with an English-speaking guide.

7. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow, and see all the famous landmarks, but from a different angle, is from the Moscow River. Take a river cruise. Avoid the tourist crowds. There are little nameless old boats that do the cruise, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience take the Radisson Blu cruise and enjoy the sights with some good food and a glass of wine.

8. Metro Hopping

Inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro system is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Started in Stalinist times, each station is a work of art in its own right. I’d recommend touring the stations between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This way, you’ll be able to properly see it without the crowds. Ideally, I’d recommend taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide with GuruWalk, who will tell you stories of forgotten stations and how the history of the country is interconnected with the metro development. If going by yourself, then I definitely recommend checking out: Mayakovskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kievskaya, Kropotkinskaya, Kurskaya, and Novoslobodskaya stations.

Visit the free Moscow Metro Museum: For real train enthusiasts, located in the southern vestibule of Sportivnaya station is a small free museum. Here you can take a peek into the driver’s cabin, see a collection of metro tokens from different cities, and see different models of a turnstile, traffic lights, escalator, and more.

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings and the one with the best view is the main building of the Moscow State University. Although this is a little outside the city center, the view is more than worth it.

10. Izmailovsky Market

Mostly known for the city’s largest flea market, the district of Izmaylovo is home to a maze of shops where you can get just about anything, from artisan crafts to traditional fur hats, handcrafted jewelry, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and antiquities. It’s also one of Moscow’s largest green spaces. There are often no price tags, so be prepared to haggle a bit. Head to one of the market cafes for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

The History of Vodka Museum is found here, and the museum’s restaurant is the perfect place to sample various brands of the national drink.

Once you’ve covered the more touristy spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer, and the places below will also be full of locals! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend the spots below!

11. Moscow City

With a completely different vibe, Moscow City (also referred to as Moscow International Business Center) is like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressive tall glass buildings. Here is where you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, like Ruski Restaurant, the highest restaurant both in Moscow City and in Europe. Moscow City is great for crowd-free shopping and the best panoramic views of the city.

12. Tretyakov Gallery

Tretyakov Gallery started as the private collection of the Tretyakov brothers, who were 19th-century philanthropists. They gave their private collection to the government after their deaths. If there is just one museum you visit in Moscow, I recommend this one!

13. Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno was a residence of Catherine the Great more than two centuries ago. It became derelict during the Soviet era but has now been fully renovated. With its opulently decorated buildings, gardens, meadows, and forests, Tsaritsyno Park is the perfect place for a green respite in Moscow.

14. Kolomenskoye

A 10-minute metro ride from the city center is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, where you can get an idea of what Russia looked like 200 years ago. You’ll find ancient churches (one dating back to the 16th century), the oldest garden in Moscow, and the wonderful fairytale wooden palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great.

15. Ostankino TV Tower

Built in 1967, Ostankino TV Tower was the tallest free-standing construction in the world at the time, it’s still the 8th tallest building in the world and the highest in Europe. It’s also the best observation deck, with a glass floor and 360-degree views. The speedy elevators take you 1,105 feet in next to no time.

Pro Tip: You need to book in advance; entrance is based on specific ticket times and the capacity is limited and only a certain number of tourists are allowed per day. Don’t forget your passport, you’ll need it to get through security.

16. Zaryadye Park

Zaryadye is a newly opened, landscaped urban park so new you won’t find it in a lot of tour guides. The park is near Red Square and is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and floodplains, depicting the variety of climatic zones in Russia.

These last three suggestions are a little quirky, but all are really worth checking out.

17. Museum Of Soviet Arcade Games

Release your inner child playing on 66 arcade machines from the Soviet era! What a great way to spend a couple of hours when tired of visiting museums and palaces. The staff speaks excellent English and are happy to explain how the games work.

18. Moscow Rooftop Tour

Take a 1-hour private Moscow rooftop tour with an experienced roofer. I can just about guarantee none of your friends will be able to say they’ve done it! For your comfort, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Take your camera, there are some amazing photo opportunities out there!

19. Sanduny Banya

This classical Russian bathhouse opened its doors in 1808 and is famous for combining traditional Russian banya services with luxurious interiors and service. If you enjoy spas and saunas, then you should experience a Russian bathhouse at least once in your life! Go with an open mind and hire a specialist to steam you as it’s meant to be done — by being beaten repeatedly with a besom (a leafy branch)! This is said to improve circulation, but is best done by a professional!

So there you have my list of things to do in Moscow. I could have gone on and on and on, but I didn’t want to try your patience! There are so many things to do in this vibrant city that you’ll definitely need to allocate several days for exploring.

Here are some other reasons to visit Moscow and Russia:

• 7 Reasons To Put Moscow On Your Travel Bucket List
• Russia 30 Years (And 30 Pounds) Ago
• Massive Mysterious Craters Appearing Again In Siberia

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveler, yoga teacher, trail runner, and mother of two. When she is not climbing or traveling she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, taking climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.