Indie video game developer EQ Studios recently announced its next project, a “true crime” deductive reasoning game called Scene Investigators. The game isn’t currently scheduled to release until sometime in 2021, but there is a Steam placeholder page up, and a limited-time demo available.
The Scene Investigators Steam page does not yet have a price listed for the game, but you can still wishlist and follow the development until launch. And if you’re interested in trying out the demo, it’s available on Steam from 10am PST October 26 to 10am PST November 2.
If you fancy yourself a keen observer, with strong powers of perception that may rival Sherlock Holmes, Adrian Monk, or Patrick Jane, then Scene Investigators (SI) may be your kind of game. SI puts you in the role of a crime scene investigator trainee seeking to earn your official license. The game presents you with a series of crime scenes inspired by real-world locations such as “an American house, a Japanese classroom, or a European office building.” It’s then all up to you to observe the crime scene, find all the relevant clues, and piece them together to solve the crime. Simple!
But not quite. SI features crime scenes that are as authentic as possible without actually being crime scenes. In order to give you the “true crime” detective experience, the game allows you to make full use of your real-life perceptive and reasoning powers. There’s no on-screen UI except for an aiming reticle, no hint feature, and no other help on the part of the video game. If you take notes, you’ll have to use your own real-world items to do so. SI merely presents you with the visuals, and your “only tools are your keen perception, mental sharpness, and real-life wisdom.”
If you’re interested in checking out the demo, there’s a short Scene Investigators: Demo Walkthrough video up on EQ Studios’ YouTube channel that gives you a brief glimpse at the crime scene. A good idea if you want to know just a little more info before fully jumping into the investigation.
Click over to the Scene Investigators website and Steam page for more info, and follow EQ Studios’ Facebook and Twitter channels for real-time updates.
Source: Scene Investigators