Intro
This visual novel experience harkens back to a lighthearted TV show with a memorable cast and an enthralling circus setting. These aspects coupled with strong writing and light action mechanics propel Death Trick Double Blind to set a proficient bar that left me having had an enjoyable adventure, even if a more seasoned player might anticipate the twist coming from a mile away.
The Premise
In this story you’ll play through the perspective of two different viewpoints. First is the magician, Jackie. She’s traveled from Europe to take the place of her friend, The Amazing Hattie, after coming to find she has been unexpectedly murdered. Upon her arrival to the circus, Jackie convinces Moses, the showrunner, to disguise herself as the “missing” Hattie for the rest of the shows scheduled in San Francisco, CA. Moses doesn’t want the news of Hattie’s death released since he knows this will affect ticket sales, and he does hint to the business being in financial decline. Aside from having the gig as the main act, Jackie’s goal is to meet all the performers of the circus, and inquire what they know of Hattie’s death.
In the other perspective, you’ll wake from being unconscious, outside the circus and without clothing. Having a pounding headache, Detective Jones can’t remember what happened to get him into this precarious situation. Jones calls his secretary of his investigative business to see if she can catch him up to speed. Funnily, she says that this is a common occurrence for the detective, and explains that he has been hired by Moses to investigate the murder of Hattie. Afterwards, Detective Jones meets with Moses at 10AM (after putting on clothes) and is given the deadline to solve the case by the final performance, which is tonight at 7PM. Given such a tight deadline, Jones has no time to lose and immediately leaps to investigate all possible suspects of the crime. The two characters are on a similar path to find out about Hattie with constricting limitations and a killer in their midst.
Of the two player personalities, Jones is the one with more engaging conversations and agency. Jackie, on the other hand, feels a bit bland in her dialogue and limited in choices, but I believe that’s intentional due to what happens later in the story. Nonetheless, the supporting characters are all diverse and fun to interact with. They are brimming with their personalities to the point where you will start to care for them by the time of the resolution. To get there, It is very important to use distinct knowledge from both Detective Jones and Jackie to leverage the knowledge and put the pieces of the murder mystery together. Confirming alibis, recalling significant events and ruling out suspects are all a part of the alternating perspectives.
The Gameplay
Starting a conversation with a suspect of your choosing will begin with your player approaching at a time where they are busy with performing, eating, or practicing. These scenes are charming bits to learn about the characters, and it’s realistic. Following these sequences opens a conversation that allows the player to question any of the pieces of information or items regarding the mystery at hand. Each inquiry costs 1 Action Point (AP), and the player is given 5 to start off with. Additionally, the players can search the surrounding areas to find critical items to use in their investigation. If given the opportunity, the player can put two conflicting pieces of information involving a character to “contradict” them. There’s a hint system in place to let you know when there are conflicting pieces, but it’s up to you to put the pieces together to catch the suspects in a lie. These options give the player more variety to interact with the characters and more ways to solve the mystery, and they also cost 1AP.
A Light Action System
Once both characters deplete their respective AP, the time moves forward by one hour, inching closer to 7pm. It never felt like I needed more than 5AP because the game will not allow you to pick an action that will be a waste of an AP. There was not much consequence to inputting answers that didn’t match the conversation. I’m glad it didn’t though cause I can see that getting frustrating. The AP system is not perfect, and not all conversations flow cohesively, but these moments don’t take away from the overall satisfaction of the playthrough.
Visuals & Performance
Running on my PC, I experienced no hiccups or problems whatsoever when it comes to performance. I wouldn’t think that a visual novel would have any problems of that sort, but you never know. As for the visuals, they are substantial and give a painted like style. The vibrant colors and painted like composition compliment the odd characters and circus setting perfectly.
The Verdict
Death Trick Double Blind may not blindside a veteran visual novelist, but it remains a very charming experience that will keep you intrigued by its likable characters, a solid action system and an intriguingly high stakes ruse. The use of the AP system coupled with giving you the agency to inquire with any information you choose truly evokes the feeling of Sherlock Holmes when the puzzle pieces you chose match. The system isn’t perfect, but when you unravel the mystery of the plot you will feel satisfied that you were able to connect the dots. Even deeper satisfaction when you get to see certain characters’ lore after the fact. I highly recommend giving Death Trick Double Blind a play through if you have a craving to solve a murder mystery. This game is available in March of 2024 on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
