Immerse yourself in a psychological thriller with narrative adventure elements and unsettling details. Join Detective Bennett on his final case and uncover dark secrets in a world where reality bends and sanity wavers.
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About
The Empty Desk is the first chapter of the Detective Bennett: Solved Cases saga—a psychological thriller with narrative adventure elements and hints of horror. It immerses the player in a true crime story while exploring the effects of a mind trapped in a cycle of repetition and emotional burnout. In this first installment, veteran homicide detective Thomas H. Bennett, just one week away from retirement, faces one final and unsettling case that could change him forever.
The story centers on the mysterious death of business tycoon Arthur Blackthorn and the inexplicable disappearance of his daughter Emily. Everything unfolds within the headquarters of Blackthorn & Co Insurances, a company hiding far more than simple contracts behind its polished walls. What starts as a routine homicide case quickly spirals into a surreal, harrowing experience. As Bennett explores the dark hallways of Blackthorn, he finds himself trapped in a nightmare where time and space warp, pushing him to the brink of sanity.
As you delve deeper into the game, reality crumbles before your eyes. The Blackthorn offices become a hostile, ever-shifting limbo where every corner hides disturbing secrets, and each door you open may bring you closer to the truth… or take you further from your own salvation. The title, The Empty Desk, symbolizes much more than a physical absence; it reflects the emotional exhaustion and the sense of emptiness felt by those, like Arthur Blackthorn, trapped in a life of monotony and despair—a mirror of Bennett’s own weariness after years on the force.
PLAY YOUR WAY
Throughout the chapters, there are certain moments where unexpected scares may appear.
You can play with the scares enabled or without them—it's your choice. If you enjoy the thrill of the unexpected, keep them on. But if you don't like jump scares and prefer to focus on the story, you can disable them for a more immersive experience.
A complete story you can finish: Between 2.5 and 3.5 hours of gameplay, designed to deliver the full experience from beginning to end. No filler, no distractions—just a narrative adventure made to be played and completed.
Deep narrative: Follow Detective Bennett’s final mission as he confronts a homicide case that devolves into something far more unsettling and emotionally devastating.
Psychological exploration: The game tackles themes of mental health, emotional burnout, and workplace alienation through Bennett’s experiences and the dark mysteries of Blackthorn.
Tense atmosphere: Blackthorn & Co's offices are a changing, disorienting environment where reality distorts, and every step reveals new threats and secrets.
Accessible and fluid investigation: Use your detective intuition to examine scenes, uncover clues, and reconstruct events without the fear of getting stuck. Puzzles are seamlessly integrated into the narrative to keep the story flowing and ensure an immersive, smooth experience.
Start of a saga: The Empty Desk is the first chapter in the Detective Bennett: Solved Cases series, with more missions and mysteries to unravel in future installments.
The title The Empty Desk is far more than a literal reference. At its core, it symbolizes the empty hearts of those trapped in a monotonous, repetitive work cycle, in an office environment where daily routine can become an invisible prison. As Bennett uncovers the secrets of Blackthorn & Co, he must also face the reality of his own life—a life spent solving other people’s mysteries while ignoring the emotional emptiness consuming him.
Will you solve the case before the truth devours you too? This is only the beginning of a saga where each case will challenge you on a psychological, emotional, and narrative level.
Stats
All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English*, French, Italian*, German, Spanish - Spain*, Danish, Spanish - Latin America, Finnish, Dutch, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian +16 more
Engagement
Hours played at review time, across 27 reviews with recorded playtime.
Reviews
Gave this game a shot today! investigation games aren't usually my thing but horror is! i feel like this game focused a lot around the investigation part over the actual horror aspect of the game, little to no jump scares, and very minor ones that aren't all that bad but not overly scary to me as i play a lot of horror games in general. i had no issues in terms of game play, story was a bit slow, and at least to me not overly exciting. puzzles were okay not the best but they were okay, i kinda wish we were able to put in the safes code as we were given it, i also wish that searching through boxes didn't take as long to do, i understand why they do but i feel like if all its going to give is a " useless documents" paragraph saying its no use maybe make those ones a little faster. was a little put off at the start when i was stuck there pushing every elevator button not knowing what to exactly do until that magical phone call happened. some coins were noncollectable I'm assuming this is because of the hit boxes ( issues at the desks) overall a good game, kinda wish it was just that little more into that horror category
Very nice job done for one solo developer! 3 hours of nice story and atmosphere. Mechanics are kind of simple as well as the jump scares are not really scary except 1 or 2 that catch you off guard. I just finished my greek livestream on my channel and I really enjoyed it! Congrats to CheesecakeGames studio and I look forward to the next chapters of Detective Bennett's cases! If you want to check my gameplay, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/0ix15hkjEyA?si=IogWegY39sNqp-hT
Really enjoyed playing The Empty Desk. It's not a perfect game, but definitely provides bang for your buck and is one of the few thriller/mystery games I have completely played thru in a while. Can recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling mystery that is not overly difficult but intense enough to keep you wanting more!
Un jeu d'enquête très sympa avec une petite ambiance horrifique. L'histoire est intéressante et contient quelques rebondissements inattendus. Un studio à surveiller, hâte de voir leur prochain jeu :)
Игра подойдёт тем, кто хочет просто пару часов чем-то себя занять. И чей возраст не старше 12 лет. Ставлю сотку, что все диалоги смоделированы чатом GPT (так от них разит пафосом и картонностью, ну хоть бы копирайтера наняли, чтобы не так топорно читалось). Было забавно разглядывать картинки, явно смоделированные Миджорни. В конце создатель честно пишет, что был использован ИИ, за что ему плюсик. Скримеров всего штук пять, история вообще не цепляет, ощущение, что это проба пера, прощупывание того, на чём ещё можно сэкономить и что можно делигировать ИИ. Механика с фотоаппаратом прикольная, а вот сохранения по главам не понравилось, потому что нужно начинать её заново, если вышел по делам. За 2,5 часа прошла (но можно быстрее, просто мне понравилось разглядывать детали на картинках).
Un juegazo, aunque abusa mucho del uso de la Inteligencia artificial para sus modelos pero de lo demás es un walking simulator en el cual debes ir tomando fotos a evidencias para poder avanzar ya que si no consigues las evidencias repites el nivel como si fuera un loop de PT 7/10
pretty good indie game that especially stands out with its visuals and story. i'd say it falls more into the exploration/walking sim genre, rather than being a thriller or a detective game. you roam around finding and photographing stuff, as directed to you by a ghost. the story contains a few mysteries, which get solved along the way and everything starts to make sense. the writing is decent, with a few meaningful lines especially towards the end, and humor isn't missing. some of the 'missions' were a bit on the tedious side, but overall it was a fun game to play.
A hauntingly immersive experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlDrnIlKU1A The Empty Desk is a gripping start to the Detective Bennett series. From the first moment, the game pulls you into a dark, atmospheric mystery that feels more psychological than procedural. The storytelling is tight and emotionally layered, exploring burnout, loss, and the surreal nature of time in a collapsing workplace. The ability to toggle jump scares is a great touch, and the pacing is perfect for a 3 hour narrative experience. Highly recommended for fans of slowburn thrillers and storydriven games. Can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
Un juego de estos que no puedes dejar, intriga, sustos y buena trama, además de muy buenos apartado visual, recomendado 100% y encima barato :)
Es una experiencia entretenida, me ha gustado y lo he disfrutado. La historia esta bien y los puzles te dejan un rato pensando y buscando, muy entretenido, lo recomiendo :=)
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Momentum
Pace estimated from the game's recent review growth (our daily snapshots) at its own sales-per-review ratio — a momentum signal, not booked sales.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
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