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A Case of Fraud

A Case of Fraud Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, story
Most mentioned negative aspects:music, graphics
98% User Score Based on 367 reviews

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A Case of Fraud Game Cover

About A Case of Fraud

A Case of Fraud is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Hesperus Games and was released on November 10, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A short non-linear detective adventure where every clue is hidden in plain sight. Carefully read and cross-reference documents to unravel a CEO’s disappearance and expose a case of fraud.  Inspired by The Roottrees are Dead! You're a detective on a case with a twist: the evidence is already in your hands. From the start, you're given a binder of documents and a single objective: solve the my…

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A Case of Fraud screenshot
A Case of Fraud screenshot
A Case of Fraud screenshot
A Case of Fraud screenshot
A Case of Fraud screenshot
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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 367 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Engaging and satisfying deduction gameplay reminiscent of The Roottrees Are Dead, with a unique office organizational chart and pets mechanic adding charm.
  • Well-balanced difficulty that allows solving puzzles through logical reasoning without guesswork, with a helpful hint system and a neat in-game notebook for note-taking.
  • Cozy, well-written narrative with believable characters, humor, and a compelling mystery delivering several hours of entertainment in a concise format.
  • The game is relatively short, typically completing in around 2-5 hours, which some players feel does not fully justify the price.
  • The story and final mystery resolution are considered somewhat predictable, lacking deep complexity and a strong 'aha!' moment compared to genre benchmarks.
  • User interface and quality-of-life features could be improved, including clunkier UI, limited note tabs, inability to easily swap or clear entries, and basic artwork style.

  • gameplay

    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    22% positive mentions, 72% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers solid, enjoyable sleuthing mechanics centered on gathering evidence and filling out an organizational chart, closely mirroring the style of "The Roottrees Are Dead" but in a simplified, shorter format without the text search feature. While it provides a satisfying deduction experience with a unique pet-identification twist, it feels somewhat lightweight and more like a proof of concept than a fully immersive game. Overall, it’s a fun, accessible detective puzzle that’s well-priced for its concise, streamlined gameplay.

    • “Point-and-click gameplay involves scrolling through jumbles of documents, jotting down notes in a pop-out notebook, clipping photos, and making logical inferences to fill out a corporate hierarchy tree.”
    • “It delivers a tightly constructed, intellectually satisfying puzzle box that demonstrates how compelling deduction-based gameplay can be when executed with confidence and restraint.”
    • “The mechanics are clearly based heavily off the roottrees are dead, but the change of focus from a family tree to a business organizational chart and the optional pet profiles put a fresh spin on things.”
    • “My main complaints are the length (even though the price is reasonable), but mostly that it takes way too much from The Roottrees Are Dead without giving proper credit on the Steam page for copying most of its game mechanics.”
    • “If one has played The Roottrees Are Dead, this game is a significantly lighter, shorter, and less complex version (partly due to the lack of keyword search mechanics) of that game.”
    • “The mechanics don’t really fit with the mystery.”

  • story

    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    40% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions

    The story offers a compelling and entertaining detective narrative centered on corporate intrigue and a CEO's murder, with engaging characters and well-paced storytelling through documents and puzzles. However, some found the mystery resolution predictable and the plot lacking depth or emotional development, occasionally underutilizing intriguing elements like the animal communication theme. Overall, it delivers a satisfying but somewhat straightforward adventure that complements the puzzle gameplay well.

    • “A pretty compelling story was told through a handful of documents and a few hours of your time.”
    • “The story and characters are interesting and it left us wanting more.”
    • “Definitely worth going in blind, and trying to solve the mystery yourself along the way; I appreciated the storytelling via small snippets of pictures, emails, text conversations, etc. A competent puzzle game that scratches an itch I don't always find in other games.”
    • “I had fun, but found the actual murder-mystery part of the story to be on the weak side.”
    • “Filling out the organisational chart was somewhat fun but the ending just felt super anticlimactic and seemingly ignores a lot of the story set up.”
    • “Unlike Roottrees Are Dead there is no searching things up via the internet; this is a double edged sword because while it has easier to access information, I did feel the story itself was a little lacking since some characters have virtually no information, and while reading character emails is nice, a fair amount of dialogue doesn't add much information and some of it feels actively useless.”

  • music

    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    19% positive mentions, 62% neutral mentions, 19% negative mentions

    The music, primarily smooth jazz by Kevin MacLeod, effectively creates an immersive noir and detective atmosphere that suits the game well, although it is largely stock and closely resembles the soundtrack of "Roottrees are Dead," leading some to see the game as a shallow imitation in terms of audio ambiance.

    • “The smooth jazz is great background noise, so much so that I feel like they copied the Roottrees soundtrack!”
    • “✅ Soundtrack encourages focus but isn't bland.”
    • “The music used gives it that great detective noir touch (plus, cats!!!!!!!)”
    • “The music is all stock music, which is fine since you'll be reading and taking notes the whole time anyways.”
    • “I think there's only one soundtrack, and it doesn't loop properly; you'll hear the break.”
    • “It's a very shallow clone of 'The Roottrees Are Dead', even down to copying the jazzy background music.”

  • graphics

    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    25% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 25% negative mentions

    The graphics feature charming, hand-drawn artwork with a distinctive style that enhances the game's atmosphere, though some users find it plain or based on traced photos. Graphical options are limited, and the art direction may lack polish, but the minimalistic design effectively keeps focus on the puzzles and narrative. Overall, the art style is appreciated by many for its care and charm despite some mixed personal preferences.

    • “A very cute game, with clearly a lot of care and effort put into all the hand drawn artwork.”
    • “Fun having to work out all the staff members and their animals, lovely artwork and enjoyed the puzzles.”
    • “Great art style, a fun story and clever puzzles.”
    • “Graphics quality and technical aspects are rated 4/10, indicating noticeable shortcomings.”
    • “Graphical options are very limited, reducing customization and possibly affecting user experience.”
    • “The art direction, graphic design, and UI leave a little to be desired, suggesting room for improvement in visual presentation.”

  • replayability

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 50% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    The game has very low to no replay value, typical for its deduction genre, as players often complete it within a few hours. While appreciated by fans, most recommend waiting for a discount due to limited playtime and replayability.

    • “$10 for a game with ~3 hours of content and zero replay value is a bit steep.”
    • “I still appreciate its existence and will recommend it with the advice to maybe wait for a discount before you get it (due to the playtime and very limited replayability).”
    • “Very low replay value.”

  • humor

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its charming, funny, and satirical writing, with many players enjoying clever jokes, amusing character interactions, and playful references. Its blend of humor and intriguing storytelling adds a delightful and entertaining layer to the deduction gameplay.

    • “I found the game's writing and humor genuinely charming, with multiple laughs from me.”
    • “I thought the dating profile and the comments on it were hilarious.”
    • “A great deduction game with lots of humor and cute pets sprinkled throughout.”

  • emotional

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Players appreciate the game for its unique representation, making some feel personally seen, though the mystery element may feel disconnected and underdeveloped. While it offers intellectual satisfaction, fans of emotionally rich, narrative-driven detective games may find it lacking in depth and character development.

    • “Lastly, as a New Zealander living in Auckland, this game made me feel seen. I think the only other time I've ever seen my country in a video game was a Hitman mission set in Hawke's Bay.”
    • “It made me feel very smart, which is not easy.”
    • “As far as the mystery, it had almost nothing to do with the tree you fill out, which made me feel a bit like I had wasted my effort.”

  • grinding

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is minimal and not tedious, allowing players to enjoy the mystery-solving without feeling bogged down despite its basic, low-budget design.

  • atmosphere

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The atmosphere is characterized by simplicity and calm, with quiet audio design that fosters a sense of analytical focus rather than tension or drama.

    • “This simplicity, paired with a calm presentation and quiet audio design, creates an atmosphere of analytical focus rather than tension or drama.”

  • character development

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The character development in the game is considered shallow, with limited emotional depth, making it less satisfying for players who prefer narrative-heavy or branching storyline experiences.

    • “Those who enjoy narrative-heavy detective adventures or games with branching storylines may find it lacking in emotional depth or character development.”
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Play Times

5h Median play time
7h Average play time
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

A Case of Fraud is a puzzle game with mystery theme. Common tags for A Case of Fraud include indie, 2d, conspiracy, detective, atmospheric and others.

A Case of Fraud is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing A Case of Fraud.

A Case of Fraud was released on November 10, 2025.

A Case of Fraud was developed by Hesperus Games.

A Case of Fraud has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked A Case of Fraud for its gameplay but disliked it for its music.

A Case of Fraud is a single player game.

Similar games include The Roottrees are Dead, The Case of the Golden Idol, Lost Wiki: Kozlovka, Confidential Killings, Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game and others.