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A Case of Fraud

A Case of Fraud Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
music, graphics
98% User Score Based on 333 reviews

Platforms

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A Case of Fraud Game Cover

About

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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98%
Audience ScoreBased on 333 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Engaging and satisfying deduction gameplay reminiscent of The Roottrees Are Dead, with a clear and logical puzzle structure that rewards attention to detail.
  • Well-paced delivery of evidence and variety of documents, including charming pets, which adds personality and unique flavor to the investigation.
  • Accessible difficulty and smooth user interface (despite minor clunkiness), providing an enjoyable challenge suitable for both newcomers and genre enthusiasts.
  • Game is relatively short, often lasting around 2 to 5 hours, with limited replay value and a somewhat simplistic final mystery resolution.
  • Lack of deeper interactivity or searching mechanics like in its spiritual predecessors, which some players found leads to a more linear and less immersive experience.
  • Some UI limitations and art consistency issues, as well as moments where the narrative or mystery felt underdeveloped or less compelling than expected.
  • gameplay
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay closely mirrors that of "The Roottrees Are Dead," offering satisfying deduction mechanics centered around analyzing documents to fill out corporate hierarchies, with the unique addition of identifying pets. While streamlined and shorter—around 2-4 hours—it provides a fun, intellectually engaging sleuthing experience without added search mechanics, though some find it feels more like a proof of concept than a fully immersive game. Overall, it's a solid, enjoyable detective puzzler, especially for those who enjoy methodical clue-solving and a charming presentation.

    • “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
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is an engaging detective mystery centered on uncovering the CEO's murder through puzzle-based investigation, with a well-paced narrative and immersive presentation via documents and emails. While it offers enjoyable corporate intrigue and some fun subplots, several reviews mention that the story is somewhat basic, occasionally feels rushed or anticlimactic, and could have better utilized its unique animal-themed premise. Overall, it delivers satisfying sleuthing gameplay and clear storytelling, though it lacks the depth and complexity of top-tier adventure puzzlers.

    • “The story and characters are interesting and it left us wanting more.”
    • “Things like a fleshed out story, expansive detective work, and a satisfying resolution.”
    • “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.”
    • “To keep it vague: the mystery's solution struck me as so obvious that I wasted a solid 20 minutes going through every document again and then another 20 minutes chasing the 'big picture thinking' achievement in the vague hope that a major plot twist would pop out at me in the process.”
    • “Filling out the organisational chart was somewhat fun but the ending just felt super anticlimactic and seemingly ignores a lot of the story setup.”
    • “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 felt a little lacking because some of these characters don't have virtually any information about them. While it is nice to read characters' emails to each other, a fair amount of dialogue doesn't give that much information, some of which is actively useless.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music features smooth, jazzy background tracks by Kevin MacLeod that effectively create a focused, noir atmosphere fitting for the game. However, many note it heavily resembles the soundtrack from "Roottrees Are Dead," with some criticism about a short, non-looping playlist and reliance on stock music. Overall, the music supports immersion well but lacks originality.

    • “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 1 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
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics receive mixed feedback, with some praising the charming and clever art style that complements the gameplay, while others find the art direction plain or unappealing. Technical quality and graphical options are limited, but the minimalist design helps keep the focus on the puzzles and story. Overall, the visuals serve their purpose despite not standing out technically.

    • “The art style is great, the puzzles are satisfying and the mystery unfolds itself after you gain more evidence in a really cool way.”
    • “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.”
    • “Graphical options are very limited.”
    • “The art direction/graphic design/UI leaves a little to be desired, but the actual puzzle core is quite well thought-out and fun.”
    • “There is only one thing I don't particularly like about this game, and that's the art style consisting of traced-over photos.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers very limited to no replay value, typical for its deduction genre, with most players noting that once solved, there is little incentive to replay. Its short playtime and low replayability suggest waiting for a discount before purchasing.

    • “$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

    The game's humor is widely praised for its charm, wit, and clever satire, delivering multiple laughs through amusing writing, funny dating profiles, and playful references. Players find the comedic elements well-integrated with the intriguing mystery and cute pets, enhancing the overall enjoyment.

    • “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

    Players appreciate the game's unique representation of New Zealand, providing a rare sense of cultural recognition, and value the intellectual challenge it offers. However, some feel the emotional depth and character development are limited, and the mystery elements can feel disconnected or underwhelming.

    • “Lastly, as a New Zealander living in Auckland, this game made me feel seen - I think the only 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

    Grinding in this low-budget indie game is kept minimal and engaging, allowing players to solve the mystery without feeling tedious or repetitive.

  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is characterized by a simple, calm presentation and subtle audio design, fostering a sense of analytical focus instead of 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

    Character development is generally considered weak, with limited emotional depth and minimal growth, particularly disappointing for players seeking narrative-driven or branching storyline experiences.

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5h Median play time
7h Average play time
3-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

A Case of Fraud is a puzzle game with mystery theme.

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, Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game, Utter a Name, The Rise of the Golden Idol and others.