The Purple Peacock preparing to strut its stuff

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Demo coming later this year for classic-styled, hand-drawn point-and-click mystery  

Collecting stamps may not be considered the most riveting of hobbies, but it's what all the cool kids in the adventure game community will be doing with the upcoming launch of The Purple Peacock, by indie collaborators Casus Aenigma and Twins Creative Studio. 

Well, perhaps "collecting" is the wrong word. FINDING is more accurate – and one stamp in particular, the eponymous "rare and mysterious stamp connected to a forgotten boarding school and a scandalous past" that is only "whispered about in collector circles." Tracking down the elusive item falls to Virgil Russ, a "seasoned antique dealer with debts, instincts, and a reputation for finding the impossible." Virgil isn't the most idealistic sort of "hero" – cynical and quiet, he doesn't trust people and speaks only when necessary. However, he has a "dry sense of humor" and he excels at discerning patterns and noticing odd details that others do not.

In his work, Virgil is a cautious man who "does not like being rushed, pushed aside, or told he crossed a line," and he especially "hates being controlled." He prefers to take his time and look at circumstances "the way he looks at old objects: slowly, from different angles, checking what fits and what does not." Through years of experience, he's learned to trust his gut, and "when something is too easy, when answers come before the right questions, he feels uneasy." Not surprisingly, perhaps, a whole lot difficult questions will be raised in his pursuit of the Purple Peacock.

Inspired by genre classics like Broken Sword, The Purple Peacock is a beautifully hand-drawn graphic adventure that promises a traditional point-and-click experience, blending "noir storytelling with intricate puzzles and hidden secrets." The story takes place in the small (fictional but European-inspired) town of Eugene Grove, a place where every phony smile conceals hidden truths about stories "no one wants to remember." Getting to the bottom of a mystery that "connects the past to the present" will involve interacting with the eclectic locals, each representing a piece of the puzzle but resistant to inquiries from an outsider like you.

As you search for clues in an investigation that "rewards observation and curiosity," you'll need to collect items and solve lots of inventory-based puzzles along the way. And the deeper you delve into a "narrative full of tension, intrigue, and unexpected twists," the harder certain secrets will "fight to stay hidden." How you handle the challenge is important, as your choices will determine which of the game's multiple possible endings you get.

It's still too early for a target launch date, but after three years of development, The Purple Peacock is now ready for wishlisting on Steam, with a playable demo due out sometime later this year.