It's August 1999. You're a journalist sent to investigate the murder of Vivian Roberts, a successful businesswoman, in the now-abandoned town of Painscreek. As you explore its streets and buildings, you realize her death might not be the only secret this mysterious place holds...

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Ambiance is definitely the game's strongest point. Traversing the streets of the abandoned town of Painscreek manages to be both a charming and unnerving experience at the same time. You constantly feel that something isn't quite right— that you're not truly alone in its frozen-in-time, liminal spaces. This sensation persists until the very end, with only a few exceptions along the way. The score plays an important role in enhancing the game's already excellent atmosphere despite its limited number of tracks.

Another factor that adds to the immersion is the freedom the game initially offers. As soon as the tutorial ends, you will be presented with multiple choices for where to start your investigation. These will subsequently branch out into more micro-decisions that will make your investigative sequence feel unique and authentic. I really appreciated this feature, especially considering the extra effort it must have taken the developers to plan it so well. To compensate for it, however, a hefty amount of backtracking is required in the later, more linear sections of the game.


The story unfolds in the pages of diaries you will find scattered around the town. It's fairly interesting, but be warned that the game gradually spells everything out for you, leaving little up to interpretation. In my opinion, this detracts from the narrative, as it sometimes forces characters to reveal information in ways that don't feel natural, especially during the final third of the game. If you want to solve the mystery on your own, I recommend keeping notes and taking breaks to formulate theories before the game presents its next big reveal to you.

The puzzles are fairly easy, usually involving finding keys, unlocking doors, and using tools to remove obstacles. However, this simplicity can sometimes be undermined by a lack of highlights on interactable objects. While this is done intentionally to maintain the town's biggest secrets safe, it often forces you to retrace your steps, searching for drawers or items you may have missed the first time.


Now, let's talk about the game's biggest flaw: clunkiness. It's likely you will encounter bugs like getting stuck in the map or issues with collision detection, but these are usually minor and resolved thanks to the "Reload" button in the game menu.

What really detracted from my experience, however, was the awkward inspection camera. It’s extremely sensitive, entirely controlled by mouse movement, and I could never get objects to rotate the way I wanted. A more reliable system, perhaps using a click-and-drag mechanic with reduced rotation speed, would have been a welcome improvement.


It's a fun and engaging mystery game, on the condition that you take the time to immerse yourself, take notes, and theorize before the game inevitably spells everything out for you. Please give it a try, it's worth it!

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This section contains spoilers—please do not read unless you’ve finished the game!

The chase at the end was an amazing way to culminate the ever-increasing tension this game is so good at creating. I loved every aspect of it. At first, I was genuinely scared, especially when I saw Sofia's ghost (I thought she was teaming up with Matthew as a vengeful spirit) but when I realized she was trying to help me, I felt so relieved and hopeful, it was a really sweet moment! When I reached the hospital’s second floor, I couldn’t figure out where Sofia wanted me to go next, so I ended up juking the killer in the gym, which made for some funny, goofy moments. Even if not intended, the mix of fear followed by hilarity was extremely cathartic. I wholeheartedly enjoyed it!