Explore an underworld mystery in Tokyo Dark
Point-and-slick
Crowdfunded murder mystery game Tokyo Dark [official site] launched this week, and looks pretty gorgeous. Publishers Square Enix describe it as "somewhere between a point-and-click adventure and a visual novel", and it follows Detective Ito, who is trying to find her missing partner in the Japanese capital. You'll delve into Tokyo's underworld, solving puzzles and making decisions that lead you towards one of 11 endings.
I'm a big fan of the anime art style, which depicts an exaggerated version of Tokyo with lots of bright neon lights and plenty of cherry blossom trees. It's all enticing stuff.
Here's more on story, which has heavy psychological themes:
"What starts as a straightforward case soon spirals into a twisted nightmare that causes Ito to confront her past and question her own sanity. Your decisions and actions change Detective Ito's state of mind, opening doors to different possibilities as you attempt to find your partner and understand the dark and horrifying world around you."
A constant auto-save function means you can't go back and change choices you've made in the past. I like that: you have to live with the consequences of your decisions.
Tokyo Dark is made by developer Cherrymochi, who floated the game on Square Enix's indie platform, Collective, in 2015 before bringing the game to Kickstarter, where it reached its funding goal within 14 hours.
You can pick it up on Steam for £12.23/16,19€/$16.19, which includes a 10% discount until Thursday.