Scene Investigators

About

Scene Investigators is a single player simulation game with mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by EQ Studios and was released on October 24, 2023. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Scene Investigators," become a trainee detective solving challenging cases in a near-future setting. Use your observation skills and critical thinking to analyze each scene, find motives, and make plausible assumptions. Designed for fans of detective films, true crime, and escape room puzzles, the game offers a challenging and immersive investigation experience.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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66%

Audience ScoreBased on 428 reviews

story32 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

The game offers a challenging and engaging detective experience that requires players to think critically and piece together clues.
The environmental storytelling is well-crafted, allowing players to immerse themselves in the narratives of the cases.
The game encourages note-taking and logical deduction, making it a rewarding experience for fans of mystery and puzzle-solving.

Many of the questions posed in the game feel arbitrary and do not directly relate to the cases, leading to frustration.
The game lacks sufficient information in some cases, requiring players to make large assumptions that can detract from the overall experience.
Technical issues, such as clunky controls and inconsistent sound design, hinder the gameplay and immersion.

story
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
79%
3%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the environmental storytelling and character depth, while others criticize the lack of cohesive narratives and the reliance on players to piece together plot points from limited evidence. Many reviews highlight that the game is more focused on detective mechanics than on delivering a strong overarching story, leading to frustration when cases feel disconnected or incomplete. Overall, while there are moments of compelling storytelling, the execution often leaves players wanting more clarity and coherence in the narrative.
- “The story is woven between the lines of three different scenarios, spanning 20 years, and is both compelling and heartbreaking.”
- “Each case file presents us with a vignette, a snapshot of what is going on in these people's lives, told exclusively through environmental storytelling.”
- “Despite this, it still has impressive storytelling and makes you care about the characters involved even though you never interact with them.”
- “At every step of where this game succeeds at uncovering environmental storytelling, it faceplants and is fully disappointing at what the story is that you're actually uncovering.”
- “As if isolated crime scenes with lots to read and lots of gaps and guesswork weren't bad enough, the vague promise of an overarching plot tying everything together is proven false at the end.”
- “This game lacks any kind of story really.”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment in its mechanical execution and overall satisfaction. While some found the core mechanics entertaining, others criticized the lack of challenge and depth, particularly in comparison to similar titles like "Painscreek Killings." Technical issues and a perceived focus on environmental detail over gameplay quality further detracted from the experience, leaving players feeling unfulfilled.
- “I like the gameplay a lot more than Painscreek, and I think it works better as a basis for a game.”
- “The gameplay was what I expected and was entertaining enough, although playing it in one sitting undoubtedly makes the game a lot easier.”
- “I had fun with Painscreek Killings and was looking forward to seeing a similar style of mechanics in this game.”
- “Somewhat disappointed to not recommend this, but if you compare this to Painscreek, other than graphics, it feels like a massive gameplay downgrade.”
- “It honestly feels like a lot more effort went into making the objects to fill the environment rather than focusing on the core gameplay components.”
- “Firstly, the 'removal' of 30% of scene evidence—a game component meant to elevate the difficulty—means that we also lose 30% of the storytelling mechanic, leaving gaps in the case's plot that are only capable of being filled by our own logic jumps or through the exam questions.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals and high quality, with many reviewers noting that they fit well with the game's atmosphere. However, there are significant criticisms regarding inconsistent lighting and textures, which can hinder gameplay by making it difficult to spot clues. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight, they are marred by technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “Graphics and atmosphere: the visuals are stunning.”
- “Once the textures are loaded, the game becomes fluid again and the level of graphics is high.”
- “I love the graphics (I think they're a good fit for the content at hand).”
- “It's easy to miss clues because of the graphics and lighting.”
- “Somewhat disappointed to not recommend this, but if you compare this to Painscreek, other than graphics, it feels like a massive gameplay downgrade.”
- “The graphics and controls can be a bit wonky at times, but it's forgivable.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the suspense and immersing players in a crime thriller experience. However, there are significant issues with the audio, including inconsistent volume levels, random disappearance of music, and a lack of balance between sound effects and voiceovers, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While the ambient soundtrack is appreciated, technical flaws in the audio design hinder the gaming experience.
- “I love the ambient music too; it's very much like the movie the game.”
- “The soundtrack adds to the suspense, making you feel like you’re in a crime thriller.”
- “- atmospheric music”
- “Other problems include typos, music that comes and goes seemingly at random, and a hypersensitive cursor in the final cases that sometimes moves very quickly and makes it difficult to point and examine objects.”
- “The sound is all over the place; the music and sound effects are obnoxiously loud upon opening the game, but turning them down even a bit makes them extremely quiet.”
- “The voices are also pretty quiet even at max volume, and the music sometimes randomly disappears for no reason, leaving you in silence.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of "Scene Investigators" to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the extensive note-taking and repetitive analysis of evidence required. The process of solving puzzles feels laborious, with many expressing that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Those who prefer a more streamlined experience may find this level of detail overwhelming.
- “Playing through the first few levels with hints turned off felt incredibly tedious.”
- “It just seemed a little tedious to have to figure out all the basics based on receipts in wallets or post-its scattered around the place.”
- “If the idea of taking extensive notes and poring over evidence repeatedly and pondering every possible scenario sounds tedious or frustrating rather than thrilling, then maybe it's not for you.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users expressing that the content does not justify its price and that there are no incentives to revisit the game after completion. Many hope for future updates to introduce new cases that could enhance replay value.
- “The price feels too high for what you get in terms of gameplay, challenge, features, replayability, polish, and overall experience.”
- “There is zero replayability here though.”
- “No replayability, so I can only hope they will release further cases in updates.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
10%
10%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals and atmospheric music, creating a unique and immersive experience. Reviewers note the chilling and eerie elements that enhance the storytelling, contributing to a subdued yet captivating ambiance. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a defining feature, setting the game apart from others.
- “Graphics and atmosphere: the visuals are stunning.”
- “There's not many games out there like this and the atmosphere is amazing as well.”
- “The stories you put together are awesome, sometimes chilling, and the eerie atmosphere gives it a nice touch.”
- “Interesting omission of the word 'crime', by the way, fitting the subdued atmosphere.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both compelling and heartbreaking, with a narrative that spans 20 years across three scenarios. However, many players express disappointment in the lack of resolution and depth in the storytelling compared to previous titles from the studio, leading to a sense of unfulfilled potential and emotional disconnect.
- “The missing case files in particular were heart breaking.”
- “The story is woven between the lines of three different scenarios, spanning 20 years, and is both compelling and heartbreaking.”
- “Because I was really looking forward to this game, and I saw how EQ Studios were able to make a fantastic story brought together by lots of little bits of evidence that also painted clear pictures about the characters' personalities, motives, and how they interacted with those around them, so it feels extra heartbreaking to play this and see almost none of what I saw before.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The stability of the game has been criticized for a clunky and buggy user interface, with users reporting issues when navigating using both controllers and mouse/keyboard. Additionally, players expressed frustration over the lack of feedback on incorrect answers, indicating that the overall experience can be inconsistent and frustrating at times.
- “The user interface was clunky and buggy; I used both a controller and mouse/keyboard at the same time to navigate it.”
- “It's a bit buggy at times, and I'm somewhat annoyed that it doesn't tell you which answers you got wrong; you only know how many of them are correct but not which ones.”
- “The interface can be buggy.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant frame drops and an average FPS of around 30, leading to a jerky and stuttering experience. While there is hope for improvement due to the developers' track record with updates, the current state of optimization detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Terrible optimization, I had bad frame drops on my PC for no good reason.”
- “The first thing I noticed was how poorly optimized this level is with an average FPS of about 30.”
- “I think I might have enjoyed it more if it was possible to move around without the jerkiness and stuttering though - it's a great idea, and I really hope that can be fixed!”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely limited to the quirky names of knock-off products, with players expressing a desire for more engaging comedic elements throughout the experience. Overall, the humor does not significantly enhance the enjoyment of the gameplay.

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50%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews

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10h Median play time

9h Average play time

7-11h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Scene Investigators is a simulation game with mystery and thriller themes.

Scene Investigators is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing Scene Investigators.

Scene Investigators was released on October 24, 2023.

Scene Investigators was developed by EQ Studios.

Scene Investigators has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its music.

Scene Investigators is a single player game.

Similar games include The Painscreek Killings, The Case of the Golden Idol, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, Unheard, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments and others.

Scene Investigators

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