The year is 1995. You are a detective at Gumshoe Detective Agency, which has solved approximately zero cases. Victoria Mason, the daughter of a local tech tycoon, has gone missing. And most importantly, you’ve received your very first computer. 

Inspired by The Roottrees are Dead, Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is a visual novel that takes place entirely on a 90’s computer. Packed with a combination of nostalgia and mystery, it’s a game that leads you down a rabbit hole of internet searches and conspiracies. 

Developed by Birdy Interactive, the 20 minute demo is currently available on Steam and Itch.io. The full game is set to release in Quarter 4 of 2025.

The Investigation

Once the detective boots up their computer, jazzy detective music plays in the background (I could just picture the fedora on my head). On the computer are four applications that the player can access: the browser, e-mail, notes, evidence, and a file called “start here.txt”. The “start here” file presents the detective with a summary of Victoria Mason (the heiress of Mason Industries), the night she disappeared, and hints on where the detective should start.

Next comes the sleuthing, which the detective expertly executes by opening the delightfully retro browser and searching keywords, such as “Victoria Mason” and “Mason Industries.” These searches bring up websites with more clues and leads for the detective to gather. Using the notepad, the player free-writes notes, such as new keywords, to help them solve the case. 

These leads gradually snowball into a slew of branching rabbit holes. Because certain features, like the ability to send emails, are not available in the demo, the player can only progress so far. However, while playing the demo, I found myself already invested in finding clues and developing theories.

The Computer

Similar to The Roottrees are Dead, the charm of this game is strongly related to retro nostalgia. I’m a big fan of immersion, and the visual style of Gumshoe Detective Agency definitely brought me into the game’s world. Each website is uniquely designed, down to the font, layout, and writing style. Plus, there are nice bits of dry humor that add even more personality to the game.

Even though the player can’t send emails in the demo, they still get a taste of receiving emails. These emails are triggered when the player enters particular websites. They serve as story progression to give more substance to the existing clues. For example, once the player finds an article that introduces a suspect, the police chief emails them transcripts of that suspect’s police interview, thus granting the player more information. 

The Future

I have to admit, even though it was sorely needed, I barely used the notepad application in the game. The player can only have one application open at a time, so they can’t have the notepad open next to the browser for note taking. And when the browser closes, it completely resets. So, whenever the player needs to jot down a quick note, they have to close the browser, open the note application, take the note, and open the browser back up. But since their place will have been lost, they must completely re-search the keyword, then find where they left off on the website again. It’s more efficient to use a real-life notepad and use the in-game notepad for copy-pasting email addresses and large pieces of text.

Another note on the notes: The text in the notepad application can be hard to read. The text doesn’t actually rest on the bottom line but rather touches the top line. But once this is fixed, and if I can keep my notes and the browser side by side, I’ll be typing theory after theory.

Speaking of theories, I have several already. The mystery of Victoria Mason’s disappearance, plus the larger conspiracy developing around Mason Industries, is compelling. Once the full game releases, I’ll be ready to boot up my 1995 computer, don my trusty fedora, and solve the case.

The demo for Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is available for Steam Next Fest: June 2025.