The Deed

About

The Deed is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Pilgrim Adventures and was released on November 23, 2015. It received very positive reviews from players.

The Deed is a single-player role-playing game with a dark twist on the murder mystery genre, featuring compelling gameplay, good graphics, and masterful music. As Arran Bruce, you must murder your sister to restore your inheritance, choosing from various weapons and navigating interactions with your dysfunctional family. With a dense atmosphere and high replayability due to different outcomes, The Deed offers a hilarious and immersive experience. Check out other The Deed games on Steam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,742 reviews

story120 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Unique and engaging premise of playing the murderer in a murder mystery.
Multiple endings and replayability add depth to the gameplay.
Well-written dialogue and character interactions enhance the experience.

story
358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The game's story revolves around a dark and twisted premise where the player must plot to murder their sister to inherit the family fortune, echoing classic murder mystery themes. While the narrative is engaging and offers multiple endings, many players feel it lacks depth and detail, leaving character motivations and backstories underexplored. Despite its brevity, the game provides a compelling experience with replayability, as players can experiment with different approaches to the central crime.
- “The story is actually pretty good and can be sadly relatable for those who come from not-so-happy backgrounds, which really shows how good this game is when it comes to realism between the relationships of the characters.”
- “The story is short, but the fact that almost every interaction has a part in which ending you get makes it have good replayability.”
- “Set up like a classic murder mystery story a la Clue, Agatha Christie, etc., only with the twist that you are the murderer and have to find different ways to murder your sister and then make it seem that somebody else did it.”
- “The only thing the story lacks is a satisfying ending for the butler and the maid.”
- “There's very little in the way of additional plot to be found in the game past the initial reveal, which is a huge shame given how otherwise wonderful the tone and ambiance is.”
- “For something as dependent on plot as this game is, having little variation to it really causes the game to suffer.”
replayability
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
55%
7%
The game is generally considered to have high replayability due to its multiple endings, various choices, and the ability to experiment with different strategies for completing objectives. While playthroughs are short, typically lasting around 10-20 minutes, players appreciate the depth of options available, which encourages repeated attempts to explore all possible outcomes. However, some reviewers note that once all endings are discovered, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly.
- “The story is short, but the fact that almost every interaction has a part in which ending you get makes it have good replayability.”
- “It’s a short game, but there’s plenty of replayability with so many options for doing the deed, with achievements associated.”
- “This game's strength is mainly in its replayability, as the brevity of the scenario allows it to have nearly every decision you can make influence which ending you wind up with.”
- “Short but interesting, but completely not replayable; I can't keep doing the same thing over and over again with horrible graphics even for 100% achievements.”
- “It has almost no replay value because the story doesn't change much regardless of what you do.”
- “Thankfully, the multiple endings and different ways to kill and set people up give it moderate replay value; however, you will still quickly see all of the outcomes, and once you've seen them all, there is little point in playing again.”
graphics
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a charming aesthetic that fits the game's atmosphere, particularly in its use of retro and simplistic styles typical of RPG Maker games. While some appreciate the ambiance and character designs, others criticize the graphics as bland or low-quality, suggesting that they detract from the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as adequate for the game's length and depth, but they may not appeal to everyone.
- “The visuals are so charming.”
- “The graphics are pretty nice for the type of game that this is.”
- “The atmosphere is there, the artwork is well-crafted, and exploring the various options for how to murder your sister and frame it on someone else, or make it come across as a suicide, is thrilling in a slightly 'creepy' way.”
- “Short but interesting, but completely not replayable. I can't keep doing the same thing over and over again with horrible graphics, even for 100% achievements.”
- “The graphics in this game are a clear negative, no doubt.”
- “Extremely short with awful graphics, poor character design, and uninteresting choices.”
gameplay
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
79%
2%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple mechanics and unique premise of framing someone for murder, offering a mix of puzzle-solving and social simulation elements. While some players find it engaging and replayable, others note its brevity and occasional glitches, suggesting that the game could benefit from further development and refinement. Overall, it provides an intriguing experience, especially for those who enjoy choice-and-consequence gameplay, but may feel limited in depth and duration.
- “The gameplay itself is very unique and can be very challenging!”
- “Highly recommended for people who like the pure choice-and-consequence puzzle gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fast enough that replays don't feel tedious.”
- “Some fair warning though, the mechanics of the game are slightly hard to get used to and there is a major glitch where if you load a game you can no longer use your mouse until you progress into another 'chapter' of the game, but definitely manageable and still entirely worth the dollar.”
- “There needs to be more to the game; I could go on forever, but the gameplay structure needs to be evolved.”
- “An interesting little gem, little being the operative word; minimalist cast, short story, mansion that's more like a large house, and gameplay that takes all of about 5 minutes to complete.”
music
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players noting that it effectively sets the atmosphere and complements the gameplay, despite being derived from generic RPG Maker assets. While some find the soundtrack unmemorable, others appreciate its ability to evoke emotions and enhance the narrative experience. Overall, the music is described as fitting and atmospheric, contributing positively to the game's ambiance, though there are calls for more variety to prevent repetitiveness in longer playthroughs.
- “The music is perfectly atmospheric, and since a single playthrough is so short, it never becomes grating.”
- “The music and sound effects are artful, evoking at times a nostalgic feeling akin to a BBC-funded detective series, and at other times a discordant melancholy feeling.”
- “Game, although simple, is very well crafted: dialogues are smart and interesting; background music completely fits the atmosphere intended; very good pacing and it has incredible replayability.”
- “It is a fairly low-budget affair, without anything noteworthy in the music, sound design, or graphics.”
- “The graphics and soundtrack are all very bland.”
- “A variety of creepy ambient songs would go a long way; however, since this game is meant to be played multiple times, repetitive music would get old fast.”
atmosphere
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
37%
4%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its chilling background music, well-crafted graphics, and a brooding aesthetic that effectively complements its dark themes. Players appreciate the smart dialogue and the immersive experience of planning a murder, which creates a compelling and unnerving environment. While some elements, like character portraits, may clash with the overall style, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, enhancing the game's replayability and engagement.
- “The game does a wonderful job of setting up an unnerving and uncomfortable atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is there, the artwork is well-crafted, and exploring the various options for how to murder your sister and frame it on someone else, or make it come across as a suicide, is thrilling in a slightly 'creepy' way.”
- “The sombre atmosphere lent well to the standoffish family and dark premise of calculatingly planning a murder.”
- “It does a somewhat effective use of the dark tone and brown color palette to create at least a creepy atmosphere, even if there is nothing remotely creepy or even scary about it.”
- “For instance, the length could have been greatly improved through the use of more elaborate ways of committing the crime and the atmosphere could have also been enhanced by using eerier sound effects.”
humor
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "The Deed" is characterized by its clever writing and dark comedic elements, effectively blending a grim premise with laughable dialogue and absurd scenarios. Players appreciate the game's ability to elicit genuine laughter through character interactions and the humorous use of murder weapons, making it a standout despite its short length. Overall, the game is described as a funny and engaging experience, particularly for fans of point-and-click adventures.
- “For the grim premise, the story is not without its own brand of dark humor.”
- “The humor comes from the laughable dialogue choices and actions that, if used correctly, can be used to your benefit.”
- “The deed is a funny little game about the challenge of convicting the perfect murder at a family party.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, especially after the initial playthroughs, as repeated dialogue and minimal differences between endings contribute to a sense of monotony. While the first few runs can be enjoyable, the need to replay for achievements or to explore all endings quickly becomes a chore. Overall, the game is seen as short and lacking in challenge, leading to a grind that detracts from the experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The first 3 play-throughs were okay, even slightly fun deciding who to frame and which piece of evidence to plant, but after that it just became a very tedious grind.”
- “Playing through the game multiple times to see multiple endings can become tedious in a hurry.”
- “Some flaws include repeated dialogue getting tedious during your multiple playthroughs.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, user reviews on stability are mixed; while some players report a smooth experience with no bugs or glitches, others describe the game as a "buggy mess." This inconsistency suggests that stability may vary significantly between different users' experiences.
- “At this price point and no glitches, 7/10”
- “At this price point and no glitches, 7/10”
- “A buggy mess.”
- “A buggy mess.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization aspect received a low rating of 2, indicating that users found it lacking, particularly in how character emotions and actions were managed within the game. The performance did not meet expectations, suggesting that the optimization could be improved to enhance the overall experience.
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Character development in the game is criticized for being extremely short and lacking depth, with poor graphics and uninteresting choices. However, some users appreciate the great character design and realistic facial and body proportions, suggesting a mixed reception regarding the visual representation of characters.
- “It's a point & click alike with a great character design and rather realistic faces/body proportions.”
- “Extremely short with awful graphics, poor character design, and uninteresting choices.”