Bring out your inner sleuth

It’s a well-known fact: under a dictatorship, the concepts of good and evil are a lot cloudier than in normal times. Which is why hitting the streets of Nova Polemos and violently interrogating anything that moves to unearth an intractable serial killer may seem like child’s play to specialists in this line of work. But there’s a snag. The year is 2066 and you’re playing in the shoes of Mordred Foley, a detective with a questionable sense of ethics and a past dotted with screaming blunders. This time, it’s the leader of the oppressive ruling party, the Black Bands, who is giving you a chance to regain your standing... It’s a bit strange, but why not? In this narrative point & click game with “Visual Novel” vibes, your job is to strike a balance between misdeeds and noble actions over the course of three investigations all linked to the mysterious Pandora!

Agatha Christie knows a thing or two when it comes to crime stories. Known and renowned for her sombre and convoluted mysteries, here you will be confronted by the pen of the famous British novelist herself. Based on her novel of the same name, Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders places you behind the moustache of none other than Hercule Poirot himself. The brilliant detective is on the trail of a mysterious serial killer known as “ABC”, who has the nerve to mock you by informing you of his next misdeed by letter. Your job is to find this public enemy through a series of observations, interrogations and cross-examinations, puzzles, and mini-games, before he amasses any more victims and spoils your reputation as a peerless detective. And if you ever get stuck in your investigation, a quick read of The A.B.C murders will help you curtail the unbearable suspense. It’s cheating though...

In 1950s New York, unsolved murders are a common occurrence. Abandoned by the police, the victims’ families call on the skills of private investigators with their dubious, but often effective, methods. One of their number is John Blacksad, a feline detective with a dog’s nose for a case, as well as a striking ability to get people to talk. Not the kind to shirk his responsibilities, either, the character from the graphic novel by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido can’t stop himself from coming to the aid of a beautiful woman who knocks on his door to solve her father’s murder. In Blacksad: Under The Skin, your personal sense of ethics will prove just as important as the investigation itself, and you can choose to play as a dirty cop, or a principled officer. So, are you more the type to get the claws out in defence of the truth, or to accept bribes and join the dark side of the forces of order?

Sometimes, an investigation – like a car crash – happens without warning. As it happens, it is by losing control of his car (and an unhealthy sense of curiosity) that the hero in White Night, a detective with a passing resemblance to Humphrey Bogart, finds himself stuck in a haunted mansion plunged in darkness. It’s in this chiaroscuro setting, Sin City-style, that you will endeavour to solve the mystery of exactly what happened to cost the residents their lives. Unfortunately for you, the investigation will soon become a nightmare as you explore the depths of the mansion. Worse still, all you’ve got is a few matches to light your way in the oppressive darkness. You could, of course, just turn and run, but then you’d never get to see how the strange story turns out. Will your curiosity get the better of you?

When the FBI shows up, it often means that the case has taken on a new dimension and the “big guns” of American law enforcement have had to intervene! In Art of Murder - FBI Confidential, you play as Nicole Bonnet, a young recruit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Here’s the hitch: she has been assigned to the case of a psychopathic serial killer who uses Pre-Columbian artefacts to kill their victims, rather than to the mystery of her partner’s death... Your job is to shine some light on this dark affair, and you may as well exceed your remit, just like any self-respecting video game FBI agent would do! And if you’ve always dreamed of looking a police commissioner in the eyes and saying, “FBI! It’s our case now”, this is your best shot!