Demo fashions early look at Button Man on Windows PC

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Classic comic book-styled prohibition-era adventure with beat 'em up elements coming early next year 

Being a gumshoe in an adventure game is usually a matter of wits, requiring careful observation, analysis and deduction to succeed, but occasionally you may just want to haul off and slug a bad guy standing in your way. The good news is that you'll get plenty of chance to do BOTH in Styrax Studios' upcoming comic book-styled adventure, Button Man. 

Players control Bruce McKenzie, a former war hero-turned-fixer and enforcer for Albert Fisher, the "local bootlegging kingpin" in the fictional Nova Scotia seaside city of Kingsport during a time of prohibition. But when Fisher is found murdered, it becomes your new job to discover who killed him and "protect the town from what’s coming next." Fortunately you'll have some help in conducting your investigation and solving puzzles from companions such as Jaime Donovan who will "follow you into hell and back." Occasionally that will require chucking some knuckles with those who wish to do you wrong, but you're on your own for making important decisions that will impact the lives of Kingsport's citizens and influence the direction of a mystery that can end in one of multiple possible ways. 

As its old-fashioned slang title might suggest, Button Man is very much a throwback to a bygone era. While the side-scrolling environments of Kingsport are depicted in colourful hi-res graphics drawn by hand, the game's aesthetic is designed to match its time period, with an art style inspired by the comic books of the 1920s and 30s and a swinging jazz soundtrack accompaniment. Controlled via gamepad or keyboard and mouse, gameplay is a blend of classic-styled point-and-click adventuring with "tactical beat 'em up against myriad enemies" (if you choose to engage). Along with your physical well-being, you'll also need to monitor your reputation and mental health levels as you proceed through a story the indie Canadian developers consider a "love letter to Halifax, its history, the good and the bad." 

The complete version of Button Man isn't due out until sometime in the first quarter of 2025 for Windows PC, but you can follow its progress through the official website and sample its wares right away through the playable demo available on Steam, which takes players back to a time before Fisher's death after a lengthy period away.