Investigation

Frame · Discovery and revelation situational

Searching systematically – gathering clues, recognizing connections, getting closer to the truth piece by piece.

Design question – In your game there is an investigation. What is the central question – and how do you ensure the clues can lead to the solution without giving it away?

Reference example – Clue: suspects, weapons, rooms – reconstructing the crime clue by clue. L.A. Noire: searching crime scenes, questioning suspects, spotting lies.

Associations

• Typical Activities – Investigating, Deducing, Interrogating, Analyzing

Coherence

Activities: Investigating, Deducing, Interrogating, Analyzing. Mechanisms: Deduction, Hidden Information, Clue System, Narrative Choice. Ludic Organisational Structures: conflict order (investigator vs. the concealed). Ludic Narrational Structure: puzzle narration, Kishōtenketsu (a surprising turn as revelation).