Case Files series reopened Behind Closed Doors

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Second installment of FMV investigative mystery franchise available now on Steam

With the murder of Paulette Williams now resolved, it's time for a new Case Files mystery, and indie developer Think Ten Media Group is happy to oblige by releasing the next installment in its FMV mystery series, Behind Closed Doors. 

When 49-year-old financial planner and "abusive boyfriend" Daniel Murphy is found shot to death in his own home, with his own gun, players must "sort through suspect interviews, home security footage, crime scene photos and more" to bring the perpetrator (if indeed there was one outside of Daniel himself) to justice. This time around, there are double the number of potential homicide suspects: four to be precise, each with their own personal testimonies recorded on camera. It's up to you to uncover and review all the evidence, then "find contradictions and discern truth from lies." You'll need to "use every tool at your disposal to ensure that justice is served," but choose carefully, as failure could be an option and the fates of these suspects are in your hands. 

As with its predecessor, Behind Closed Doors is a "true crime-style experience" that seats players at a desk behind a computer monitor to solve the case rather than sending them out into the field to do their own legwork. But while The Death of Paulette Williams was little more than an hour-long, choice-based interactive movie, this game promises a "significantly improved" experience, with a more complex mystery to explore and a better balance between "realistic simulation and critical thinking tasks." Not only are there additional suspects, but the gameplay has been enhanced with more interaction as well. For example, after poring through the many case file documents, from police and autopsy reports to text messages, you'll be able to manually link pieces of evidence and testimony together to expose deceptions. And with five possible endings, there's replay incentive to make alternate decisions and perhaps even reach different conclusions. 

The perp clips are ready and waiting for scrutiny right away, as Case Files: Behind Closed Doors is available now on Steam for Windows PC.