CriticalLeap and Mother Gaia Studio have announced that The Posthumous Investigation is in development for Nintendo Switch.
Brás Cubas is dead, but his spirit is restless. Playing as a private eye, you have been hired by a particularly unusual client: the victim himself. Trapped in a purgatorial time loop, the only way for you to break the cycle is to solve the mystery that surrounds his murder.
With their hand-drawn noir thriller, the developer has looked to blend the deduction mechanics seen in Return of the Obra Dinn with the atmosphere of classic Film Noir. You will be challenged to manipulate the schedules of 14 suspects, uncover contradictory alibis, and piece together the perfect crime before the day resets.
“We wanted to create a detective game where the setting itself is a puzzle,” explains Mother Gaia Studio game director Bruno Toledo. “By combining the time-loop mechanic with the rich, satirical world of Machado de Assis, we’ve built a mystery that challenges players to think like a true investigator—where every failed loop is just another clue.”
The publisher has outlined the game’s key features, which include:
- The Client is the Victim: Investigate a murder where the only witness is the ghost who hired you.
- Master the Loop: You have one day to solve the case, but infinite chances. Learn the routines of 14 distinct characters, shadow them through a stylised 1930s Rio, and use knowledge from previous loops to unlock new dialogue paths.
- A Living Literary World: Inspired by the biting satire of “The Brazilian Shakespeare,” Machado de Assis, the game offers a witty, morally ambiguous narrative where no one—not even your client—is completely innocent.
- True Deduction: No hand-holding. Use your “Thinking Board” to physically connect clues, reconstruct timelines, and identify the killer through pure logic.
The Posthumous Investigation will be released digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide, with a release date or window unspecified.
