The Empty Desk is the first chapter of the [i]Detective Bennett: Solved Cases[/i] saga – a psychological thriller with narrative adventure elements and hints of horror. It immerses the player in a true crime story while exploring the effects of a mind trapped in a cycle of repetition and emotional burnout. In this first installment, veteran homicide detective Thomas H. Bennett, just one week away from retirement, faces one final and unsettling case that could change him forever.

The story centers on the mysterious death of business tycoon Arthur Blackthorn and the inexplicable disappearance of his daughter Emily. Everything unfolds within the headquarters of Blackthorn & Co Insurances, a company hiding far more than simple contracts behind its polished walls. What starts as a routine homicide case quickly spirals into a surreal, harrowing experience. As Bennett explores the dark hallways of Blackthorn, he finds himself trapped in a nightmare where time and space warp, pushing him to the brink of sanity.

As you delve deeper into the game, reality crumbles before your eyes. The Blackthorn offices become a hostile, ever-shifting limbo where every corner hides disturbing secrets, and each door you open may bring you closer to the truth… or take you further from your own salvation. The title, The Empty Desk, symbolizes much more than a physical absence; it reflects the emotional exhaustion and the sense of emptiness felt by those, like Arthur Blackthorn, trapped in a life of monotony and despair – a mirror of Bennett’s own weariness after years on the force.

PLAY YOUR WAY – Throughout the chapters, there are certain moments where unexpected scares may appear. You can play with the scares enabled or without them – it’s your choice. If you enjoy the thrill of the unexpected, keep them on. But if you don’t like jump scares and prefer to focus on the story, you can disable them for a more immersive experience.

Game Features

• A complete story you can finish: Between 2.5 and 3.5 hours of gameplay, designed to deliver the full experience from beginning to end. No filler, no distractions – just a narrative adventure made to be played and completed.
• Deep narrative: Follow Detective Bennett’s final mission as he confronts a homicide case that devolves into something far more unsettling and emotionally devastating.
• Psychological exploration: The game tackles themes of mental health, emotional burnout, and workplace alienation through Bennett’s experiences and the dark mysteries of Blackthorn.
• Tense atmosphere: Blackthorn & Co’s offices are a changing, disorienting environment where reality distorts, and every step reveals new threats and secrets.
• Accessible and fluid investigation: Use your detective intuition to examine scenes, uncover clues, and reconstruct events without the fear of getting stuck. Puzzles are seamlessly integrated into the narrative to keep the story flowing and ensure an immersive, smooth experience.
• Start of a saga: The Empty Desk is the first chapter in the Detective Bennett: Solved Cases series, with more missions and mysteries to unravel in future installments.

In this detective RPG, you untangle a thick web of intrigues, lies, and secrets that surround a mysterious death. Find the origin of eerie telegraph signals, question the villagers, decipher the strange symbols that are suddenly appearing all over town – and hide from the danger lurking in the moor.

The sudden death of Bente Hansen shakes the picturesque seaside town of Havstedt. The townspeople are in turmoil: Who murdered him? What is the story behind the mysterious symbols in the town and – is there really a brutal beast lurking in the moor?

Uncover the truth behind the sea of lies and reveal the dark secrets of the inhabitants of Havstedt – without being targeted yourself.

Game Features

• Explore the open world: Move freely around a coastal town in 1870 and search for clues.
• Lead exciting dialogues: Use the dialogue mechanic to question the residents, gather compelling information and find out who is hiding something.
• Start a confrontation: Question the suspects and catch the perpetrators.
• Search for clues: Use your detective sense to find hidden evidence.
• Crack exciting puzzles: Use hidden clues and, above all, your wits to find important information.
• Evade detection: Slip into forbidden areas and survive the dangers of the moor – getting caught is not an option!
• Pass the skill checks: Use your abilities in classic pen and paper skill checks (dice rolls).
• Level up: Develop your character and decide which skills you want to improve.
• Craft useful items: Gather resources and build items and consumables to improve your skills.
• Make difficult decisions: Your actions affect the course of the story. Decide for yourself how you want to succeed: Through charisma, diplomacy, … the mission is clear: crack the case!

Germany, 1956. The war is over, but justice is not served. Former Nazis walk free, while their victims lie in unmarked graves. As a prosecutor, you’ll unearth long-buried evidence, confront witnesses and hunt down perpetrators. Will you have the courage to bring these “ordinary men” to court?

Justice requires courage. The courage to uncover truths that no one wants to see. The courage to confront former murderers who now wear suits and command respect. The courage to be threatened, ostracised or worse. And the courage to look into the darkness and be changed forever.

You are Esther Katz, a young prosecutor who has just joined Fritz Bauer’s new special unit. Your task seems impossible: to investigate crimes committed years ago, where evidence has been destroyed, witnesses silenced and the perpetrators embedded in the highest ranks of society. Every decision matters. Every interrogation can bring you closer to the perpetrator or lead you astray. Silence is your worst enemy. Time is working against you. And German society is not ready to face its past.

In 1956, Fritz Bauer and his team of “Nazi hunters” demanded justice when everyone else demanded silence. A small team of prosecutors defying an entire nation. Criminals hiding in plain sight as respected citizens. Experience their dangerous struggle through the immersive investigations. Uncover truths a country has fought to keep buried. Challenge a society desperate to rewrite its own past.

Game Features

• Investigate two extensive cases based on true Nazi-era crimes.
• Interrogate witnesses and suspects, break through walls of silence and expose lies.
• Witness different versions of events through Esther’s “mind’s eye” as you perceive testimonies – which may be truthful, distorted, or deliberately false.
• Reconstruct events step by step from fragmented evidence and testimonies.
• Prosecute perpetrators in court with the right charges, where your investigative thoroughness will be put to the test.
• Shape the outcome with multiple endings – succeed in bringing justice or face the harsh reality of a perpetrator walking free.
• Explore Esther’s story, her past and her relationships with family, colleagues and the iconic Fritz Bauer.
• Immerse yourself in stunning cell-shaded 3D graphics inspired by 1950s pulp comics, complete with comic panels that reflect the era.
• Listen to full English voice acting bringing every character to life.

Mars Vice is a narrative adventure game set on a distant and futuristic Mars. Follow two civil investigators, Dax and Anaya, as they root out deep-seated corruption in the Martian city of Pavonis in this biopunk-infused story.

2184, the Martian city of Pavonis: the place to be on the partly terraformed red planet. The Martian population decided to take evolution on a whole new path and turn their once human bodies into a plethora of shapes and forms: fully custom-built bodies to take on the challenges of living on a harsh new planet. New Mars, with its subsidized transhumanism, would practically be a utopia if it wasn’t for the rampant corporate greed and power-hungry police, all looking to take advantage of its fresh-faced populace. Enter: Dax, civil investigator with poor impulse control, and his world-weary new partner, Anaya.

Welcome to Mars! Don’t ask too many questions.

Game Features

• Non-linear dialogue and keyword-based interactions.
• Best of both worlds: Visual novel & 3D adventure mechanics combined.
• Explore lovingly hand-crafted 3D environments brimming with clues.
• A deep dive into Martian biopunk and corruption through a comedic lens.
• And, naturally: Take selfies with and finger-gun plenty of uniquely weird NPCs!