A Case of Distrust is a 2D noir mystery game developed by The Wandering Ben and published by Serenity Forge. The game was released last month for Steam and recently presented at the 2018 SXSW Gaming Expo. I was pretty excited to check it out when I got home, and just two minutes into A Case of Distrust, I know that that it would be unlike all other games that I currently own.
Set in 1924 San Francisco, you take on the role of private investigator Phyllis Cadence Malone and travel around the city to solve cases. As mentioned, the game is in 2D, so all of the characters, including your sassy but lovable cat, and locations are paper-like silhouettes. All of the dialogue is text-based, so be prepared for quite a bit of reading. As you interact with others to get clues, you’re able to choose which response you’d like to go with. You have a notebook with a summary, goals, evidence, and statements that help you along the way.
Even without 3D graphics, the game is beautiful and features simple animations that effectively let your imagination take over a bit. It also does well at making you feel that 1920’s vibe. The music has a huge part to play in this, as well as the writing. The conversations can be a bit long-winded, so that may be a con for some gamers, but the historical facts thrown in throughout the game are pretty interesting. Surprisingly, A Case of Distrust also takes on some social commentary, such as emancipation, making it deeper than what you would expect on the surface.
The gameplay isn’t that long, lasting just a few hours, so some may have an issues with the $14.99 price tag. However, if you’re looking for quality over quantity and want a solid noir-type game to check out, A Case of Distrust may be for you.
