Papers, Please dev’s next game, Return Of The Obra Dinn, due this autumn

The developer behind Papers, Please, Lucas Pope, has released a new trailer for upcoming monochrome mystery game Return Of The Obra Dinn. It’s coming this autumn, and will see players take on the role of an insurance adjustor who must investigate when an abandoned ship floats into harbour after being thought lost at sea. Take a peek below:

It certainly looks distinctive, but that sound design is what’s really piqued my interest. That, and what better mystery is there than a ship disappearing? Well, one that eventually returns without its crew, of course. Plus, you get a book called “a catalogue of adventure & tragedy” and a bunch of old maps and diagrams to look at. I’m very excited.

If you just can’t wait to dive in and get hands-on with the magic pocketwatch that’ll let you investigate the strange fates of the sailors through flashbacks, there’s a demo available from a couple of years ago. Though, a word of warning: Pope says it’s “not meant to be a proper demo of the final product, but it’s probably safe to extrapolate from.”

Return of the Obra Dinn doesn’t have a fixed release date yet, though the trailer says it’ll be, quote, “autumn 1818.” Until it washes up on our shores, you can find more information on its official website.