Death Trick:
Double Blind

Death Trick: Double Blind (2024) is a point-and-click brain game where you solve a murder in a travelling circus. You play an amnesiac detective and a magician, searching for clues and asking questions to each quirky performer to poke holes in their stories and uncover the truth. It stands out for the challenge of searching for contradictions between people's stories, and the way the investigation changes based on where, when, and who you question each performer with.

---

In the middle of the 20^th century, Morgan's Travelling Circus was the best show in America. However, the star magician Hattie is murdered after sending a letter to her friend and fellow magician asking her to come to the circus. You play both this friend and an amnesiac detective as you investigate the murder by searching for clues and questioning the performers. However, you only have until midnight to solve the mystery before the curtain falls and evidence is lost.

Play involves switching between the two characters to investigate different locations and question the circus performers. The magician can explore backstage and talk to people there, while the detective investigates the front of house where crowds are gathered. You look around the (2D) spaces for items of interest, and talk to the performers, asking questions to uncover the truth. By carefully choosing what to ask, you can reveal contradictions in the statements and physical evidence, which open the way to further questions. Every performer has secrets, however, and not all are about the murder, so you need to carefully decide what's relevant and what's not.

Each hour, you can only do a limited number of actions (like searching a location, moving around, and asking a question), so deciding which threads to pursue is essential. Based on which protagonist you use to ask questions, as well as the time and location, what you're able to ask and the answers you get can be quite different, adding even more strategy to consider in your approach.

The result is a game where there's a lot to consider and keep track of, but rather than being overwhelming, it results in a detective story that adapts to your choices as it unfolds. Critical thinking is rewarded by every contradiction you catch.

---

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Death Trick: Double Blind 3 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 2 weeks ago.