The game I’m introducing this morning inevitably brings to mind the very recent Hundred Line and the works of its developer, references explicitly acknowledged by the team at Mango Factory, who will debut this year with Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter.
Set in a twisted alternate version of 1980s Japan, this upcoming indie RPG throws sixteen “Absolute” students into a deadly experiment at the mysterious Janus Institute, and only some of them are expected to walk out alive.
Inspired by retro anime and classic Japanese adventure games, Kumitantei blends multiple genres into one sharp, horror-infused package. There’s card-based courtroom combat, pixel platforming, old-school mini-games, and puzzle solving, all serving a branching murder-mystery narrative that clearly takes cues from Danganronpa but leans heavily into 80s-style presentation. The devs also cite Rumiko Takahashi’s work as a major influence, and it shows in both the character design and setting.
Gameplay revolves around solving crimes, building trust with other students, and surviving high-stakes “Clinical Trials” where lies are exposed and the wrong move could mean death, not just for the killer, but potentially for everyone. These debates unfold through card battles and quick-fire retro mechanics, forcing you to stay sharp at every turn.
A free demo is already available on Steam, and a full release is planned for Q3 2025. Below are some more details and a trailer.
About This Game
Kumitantei™: Old-School Slaughter is a murder-mystery tribute to retro anime and pop culture of 1980’s Japan, underlined with a dark twist of horror and conspiracy!
Stylistically inspired by Rumiko Takahashi and classic Japanese adventure games, blended with a wide variety of interwoven gametypes from deck-building to platforming to puzzle solving, and all tightly wrapped in a plot influenced by the Danganronpa series, Kumitantei™ is a love letter to decades of ADVs that wears its many inspirations on its sleeve!
- Enter into an engaging world of murder, mystery, and anemoic alternate history where solving complex cases is the key to unravelling the winding narrative!
- Meet a colourful ensemble cast of sixteen uniquely gifted Absolute students as they find themselves caught in a deadly Apathy Experiment, where their very humanity is put to the test!
- Trapped in Janus Institute’s decrepit Bunker, will exploring and solving the mysteries of its past and present lead to means of escaping alive?
- Bond with fellow participants to earn their trust, investigate grisly crime scenes to find your evidence, and then leverage both to uncover the truth!
- Battle your way through fast-paced Card Debates, Retro Minigames, and more to ensure the facts prevail and the true killer is discovered! These high stakes, high energy Clinical Trials can only end in bloodshed, whether it’s the culprit’s or everyone else’s!
