Standalone demo detected weeks ahead of Mini Murder Mysteries launch

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Nine cozy deduction cases from the The Biggleboss Incident creator coming to PC and iOS June 23rd

Sometimes you crave a beefy, thickly layered detective mystery to sink your teeth into, and sometimes you just like a nice little deduction snack between heavier investigative meals. You can probably guess which of those best describes Mini Murder Mysteries, a collection of bite-sized cases coming later this month from Bunkworks, creator of The Biggleboss Incident. 

Players step into the trench coat and fedora of a classic-noir-styled detective, but instead of interrogating skeezy suspects, flirting with femme fatales and snooping around seedy gin joints, you'll do all your sleuthing here through the collection of evidence compiled on your screen. And instead a single case to crack, here we'll get nine "twisty, tricksy murder mysteries" to puzzle through. Each case promises to "pay homage to (and build upon) tropes from across detective fiction – from dusty old manors to Ancient Egyptian museum exhibits, and from restaurant kitchens to cutting edge biochemical labs." Success depends on keen observation as you "examine evidence, read witness statements, scrutinize statements, and connect the dots." It won't be as easy as it sounds, however, with "oodles of clues" to sift through that will require you to "use your noggin to make intelligent deductions." Complete all nine cases and who knows, you may even "unravel a deeper, interconnected mystery" you weren't expecting. 

With its series of "cozy, crafty whodunits," Mini Murder Mysteries plays like a traditional point-and-click deduction game in the mold of the Golden Idol series. The more evidence you uncover, the more your "murder board" for each case will become "chock-full of evidence – from incriminating correspondence and fingerprint reports, to burner phones and distracting red herrings." Persons of interest close to the deceased will offer statements, including "power-mad movers and shakers, innocent bystanders, gamblers, spies, liars and lotharios." But are they telling the truth? It's up to you to "cross-reference information" in order to complete the picture and "use your intuition to see through the lies." As you progress, you'll collect 24 Deduction Words unique to each mystery that you'll drag and drop into place to "assert whodunit." The catch is that only "a handful" of them will result in the correct conclusion, so you'll need to thoughtfully "sort the coincidental from the crucial to make smart deductions." 
 
In terms of when to expect Mini Murder Mysteries, there's good news and better news. The good news is that an exclusive case is now available to download on Steam for Windows and Mac, or playable on itch.io directly from your browser, which stands "completely separate from the nine core cases in the main game." The full game, meanwhile, is hot on its heels, expected to launch both on Steam and the App Store for iOS devices on June 23rd. And if you like this game as an appetizer, then be sure to keep an eye out for the developer's next course in the upcoming The Murder of Ava Monroe. 

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