Just in time, Phosepo and Thermite Game are bringing this visual novel, built around psychological mysteries, to players.

A mysterious cult known as the Li has taken over a gothic cathedral and summoned thirteen “Afflicted Ones” to participate in a trial: kill without getting caught and ascend to godhood. Each Afflicted One carries a rare cognitive disorder and is capable of bending reality in a unique way. One participant’s OCD makes it physically impossible for anyone near them to lie. Another’s spatial neglect erases evidence from one side of a room entirely. A third’s prosopagnosia blurs every face into anonymity, including those of the witnesses and the killer. These Disease Abilities not only define each character but also directly alter what players see and how they experience the investigation. They distort crime scenes and cast doubt on every testimony. In Debate Mode, cut through the noise by judging statements on the fly and striking back with the right clue at the right moment. Since its unveiling, the demo of Psycho-Sleuth has received high praise at international showcases, including the Busan Indie Connect Festival and Gamescom. It will be back on the show floor at the Smilegate Stove booth during the Tokyo Game Show.

Cognitive disorders can distort investigations in real time, turning perception itself into an untrustworthy variable. Cross paths with thirteen afflicted characters, each with a unique ability tied to their condition, ranging from erased evidence to faces no one can recognize. Every trial ends in a punishment shaped by the culprit’s twisted mind. Over 500,000 words of script, fully voiced key scenes, more than 40 CGs, dozens of 3D backgrounds, expressive Live2D animations, and over 50 original compositions bring the investigation to life.

“I’ve always loved mystery games like Danganronpa and Ace Attorney. I’ve always wanted to create one of my own. But with Psycho-Sleuth, we didn’t want to simply follow the traditional formula. Instead, we built cognitive disorder directly into the mystery itself. Players aren’t just asking who’s lying anymore. They have to ask whether anything they’ve seen or heard can be trusted at all,” wrote Phosepo producer Xiaolu in the press release.

Psycho-Sleuth will be released on November 5 for PC on Steam and Stove, though the latter isn’t exactly a mainstream platform.

Source: Gematsu