Paranormal adventure where a lazy detective explores a haunted house, solves light puzzles, and collects runes in a short, straightforward point and click experience.
You step into the shoes of a detective who has little interest in actually doing his job. He would rather smoke constantly and slack off. Fed up with his behavior, his boss gives him one final assignment and warns that failure will mean termination. The case involves paranormal activity in a haunted house, so there is no choice but to investigate.
The game supports a controller, but since searching scenes for clues plays much like a point and click adventure, it does not translate comfortably to a gamepad. A keyboard and mouse setup feels far more natural. You have basic movement, a sprint button, a separate dance button that doesn’t really serve any purpose, and access to your inventory.
All other interactions are handled with the left mouse button, including examining objects and using items from your inventory. You need to pay close attention while scanning rooms because there is no button to highlight key hotspots. The only indication is your cursor changing into a hand icon, and hotspot names do not appear on screen.
Fortunately, you do not need to stand close to objects to interact with them. You can enter a room and immediately click on anything of interest, even a drawer on the opposite side while you remain by the door. Interactions are straightforward and usually involve opening drawers and picking up objects.
Items are stored in specific inventory slots. Similar items stack together to save space, which is helpful since you can collect multiple packs of cigarettes, bottles of alcohol, runes, and other objects. To use an item, simply select it in the inventory to activate it, then click on the desired hotspot. If the combination is correct, something will happen. If not, the item drops to the ground, where you can pick it up again. Since there is no inventory limit and no items that appear later in previously explored areas, it is wise to collect everything as soon as you find it.
Your main objective is to explore the house, enter each room, and gather anything that might prove useful. The house is not very large, and most rooms are compact, allowing you to access all of them early on. Nearly every room contains a puzzle, though none are particularly demanding.
Some puzzles involve connecting pipes or navigating mazes to find an exit. In the maze sections, shadowy creatures will chase you, but they can be easily defeated by shining your flashlight at them. The flashlight remains on while exploring the house, which helps given how dark the environment can be. Outside of maze sequences, nothing actively hunts you. Even if you are caught during a maze, you simply restart that puzzle.
The primary goal is to collect the runes needed to open a large door, which can typically be accomplished in less than an hour. There is also a secondary door that requires you to use collected items in unexpected ways. For example, one item allows you to break windows and gather shards needed for an additional puzzle. This content is optional and not required to complete the main story, but finishing it unlocks an extra achievement and a bonus scene at the end.
