Arcane Investigations conjured up on Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Ace Attorney-styled magical mystery adventure available now for download on Windows, Mac and Linux

If you yanked Phoenix Wright from his home, dressed him up in pajamas and dropped him onto the Hogwarts Express to solve a magical crime and defend a (possibly) innocent client, it just might end up something like What's All That Racket's newly released visual novel-styled adventure, Arcane Investigations.

Okay, it's actually the Quartzway Express, and there's no sign of Harry Potter or everyone's favourite pointy-haired ace attorney. But this IS a tongue-in-cheek legal mystery set on a moving train in a world filled with magic. Players control Kabili, recent academy graduate into the Magisterium Bureau of Investigation, who can't sleep on the train en route to his new job the night before orientation. When you hear a suspicious noise, you can't help but investigate – with or without getting properly dressed for the occasion – only to discover that an arcane power gem has been stolen from a seemingly secure safe with the help of a teleportation rune. There doesn't appear to be much for you to do, though, as Oberon, self-proclaimed "sorcerous forensic expert" and skilled prosecutor, already has a secretive witch in custody, fully convinced of her guilt. Your gut tells you there's more to the case than meets the eye, however, so you foolishly voice your opinion, only to be thrust into the role of public defender on the spot. You now have just one night to successfully solve the mystery yourself and get your client acquitted against a ruthless, highly experienced opponent in trial.  

In keeping with its acclaimed inspiration, Arcane Investigations is a cozy, stylishly hand-drawn but unvoiced game with "unique comedic flair" that plays out like a combination of visual novel and slideshow-style point-and-click adventure. During the detective portion, you must question the handful of people (and non-people) on the train, including the prime suspect Ismeta and her brother Foley, the empath Willa and eyeball automaton adjudicator Zircon, choosing your questions carefully from the options provided. You'll also need to scour the crime scene and other rooms around the train for evidence. Anything potentially useful goes into your travel folder, where you can inspect it for additional details, and a counter in each room helpfully indicates how many items of interest there are to locate. Once you're ready to present your case, the trial will begin, during which you must "defend the accused through unique cross-examination puzzles" to expose discrepancies in witness testimony. It may sound like a lot of work for one night, but it shouldn't take long to complete, with a projected hour or so of play time filled with "emotional twists and turns."

If you have no objections, you can jump aboard the Quartzway Express right away, as Arcane Investigations is available now on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux.