Demo floated for Inspector Schmidt: The Ebbing

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Sequel to A Bavarian Tale coming with new adventure-RPG mystery set in nineteenth-century Germany

It didn't take long for Active Fungus Studios to get right back at it. Mere months after their debut title Inspector Schmidt: A Bavarian Tale (originally released as A Bavarian Tale: Totgeschwiegen) left early access, now the indie developers have unveiled the next game in their mystery series set in nineteenth-century Germany, called Inspector Schmidt: The Ebbing (itself renamed from its original moniker The Ebbing: A Coastal Tale).

It's four years after his first adventure when the young surveyor Valentin Schmidt visits the seemingly "beautiful and relaxing holiday destination" of Havstedt, on the northern coast of Germany. Naturally, he soon finds himself swept up in another mystery when the town's telegraphist Bente Hansen turns up dead, her corpse disfigured. Adding intrigue to injury, other strange things begin happening at the same time time: unexplained lights appear over the ocean, and unusual signals are received at "the station of the first transatlantic telegraph cable." Worst of all is that Valentin falls under the townsfolk's suspicion himself, so if you're to prove his innocence, you'll need to "lead intense dialogues, search for clues, connect your observations and make difficult decisions" that will impact the direction of the story." As you progress, you must "choose your friends and enemies wisely to prepare for a final confrontation against an entire community."

As with its predecessor, The Ebbing is a behind-the-back, third-person 3D adventure (think a lower-budgeted version of Frogwares' recent Sherlock Holmes games). In this "detective RPG" game, you'll perform many of the same tasks as a typical adventure sleuth by exploring a rustic new locale, interrogating suspects, searching for evidence and combining facts into new leads to pursue. But it's up to you what kind of detective you wish to be, as you can develop your character and level up your skills however you choose. Classic pen-and-paper-style skill checks will help restrict you to your chosen path, so the way you roleplay the protagonist will affect the avenues of investigation available, whether through "charisma, diplomacy, brute force, the art of stealth or strategic escape." Along the way you can also collect resources to craft useful items and consumables, and a degree of stealth may be necessary at times in order to "sneak into places where you are not allowed to go."

It's too soon for a release date just yet, but if you like what you saw of A Bavarian Tale and are ready for a taste of Valentin's next adventure, a playable demo for Inspector Schmidt: The Ebbing is already available on Steam for Windows PC. To follow the game's progress in the coming months, be sure to check out the official website for additional details.