Info about Unheard - Voices of Crime:

Official game description:
Welcome, Detectives
===================
Hey detectives, we hope you like this game and enjoy the unique non-linear audio-driven gameplay experience.  
We strove to create a different narrative-driven gameplay experience, which makes Unheard a very 'maverick' work for the players and us either. Since a 'different' has an underlying meaning of "indefinite", this project means a whole new challenge for us to fuse splendid storytelling and puzzle solving together. We are definitely appreciated all your understanding and we believe that Unheard has the potential and capacity to flourish a new way to experience stories of other genres more than mystery in the near future in your supporting.  
There are five chapters with full Chinese and English voices in the first version, and meanwhile we are planning to make a free DLC in a couple of months to update.  
**Please feel free to comment and get in touch with us!** We would like to check and read every feedbacks from time to time. With your voices, we could make Unheard even better!  
Last of all, we wish Unheard would make you feel like...it's really worth the wait. Cheers!  
Unheard team  
2019.03.29 1:10
About the Game
==============
Put on your headphones and step back into the past. Use the voices you hear to return to crime scenes, tracking down each individual involved and solving the cases. But where do the voices come from? Can you trust what you hear? And what's the mysterious thread weaving all of these cases together?  
**
A Unique Case-Solving Experience  
Discover the truth hidden in the voices from the past.
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**  
Step through time as you use our device to eavesdrop on conversations from past crime scenes. Every clue, every move, and every motive will be presented in the form of audio. Rather than controlling any one character, you only need listen to their conversations, following along as the story evolves. Use the information you hear to match names to voices and determine how everything (and everyone) is related. Can you discover the truth?  
**
Open-Ended Narrative Mystery Game  
Explore the story and piece together the puzzle in your own way!
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**  
Don't expect to be "fed" a pile of clues. Rather, take the role of a fly on the wall, observing and listening to the events as they unfold. Anyone could be the culprit; key clues may be revealed at any second; any character's storyline may cross paths with another at any point in time. YOU be the editor—the order of the story is up to you!  
——————————————————————————  
_**Tributes To:**_  
Detective Fiction: In Unheard, all the clues in a case will be presented to players. There's no hidden information, nor rooms that require a key to enter. Players will be privy to the same information as everyone present at the crime scenes.  
Immersive Theater: All characters in Unheard have their own storylines; however, each of these storylines will become interwoven in the same space, and at the same time, resulting in complicated cases that force you to meticulously search for and track clues. You can choose to follow one character or move around between multiple characters. You can also replay the audio as many times as you want until you reach a conclusion.  
Radio Drama: Unheard is, in a way, an interactive radio drama. By combining aural narrative techniques with the type of exploration elements present in video games, Unheard offers a brand-new, non-linear radio drama experience.  
**_Special Thanks:_**  
Special thanks to our voice actors and directors in both China and the U.S. Thank you for your continued hard work and support.

Release date: Mar 28, 2019

Categories: Investigative Gameplay, Sound-based Gameplay, Deductive Reasoning Puzzle, Story-driven Gameplay, Multiple Endings, Branching Narrative, Non-linear Storytelling, Interactive Fiction

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 5; verdict: Fair / Pure; summary: All user feedback refers exclusively to standard DLC (free and paid). There is no evidence of microtransactions, loot boxes, currency obfuscation, pay-to-win, or any predatory monetization. The only minor negative is about missing translations for paid DLC, which is a localization issue.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: The Student - Instructional Data; summary: Players consistently mention needing walkthroughs or solution guides to progress, especially for the DLC, indicating a clear external dependency for understanding game systems and puzzle solutions.
- Steam Deck: score 85; verdict: Broken - Unplayable due to crashes and missing controller support; summary: The game exhibits frequent crashes during cutscenes and completely lacks controller support. These issues are severe and directly impact playability on Steam Deck, even if some workarounds might exist.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Based on a single non-recommended review from a player with 8GB VRAM, the Windows <8GB VRAM cohort reports poor optimization and problematic feature additions that hinder playability.
  - Sample size: 24 (1% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 15 reports): The only provided review describes unoptimized operation issues and a disruptive new feature, implying performance and stability problems.
  - Caveats: 24 of 2141 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews state the game is worth its $10 full price, but many more emphasize it's better on sale due to short length (2-5 hours). A common sale price mentioned is around $2.79–$3, while the £5 (~$6.50) price is considered fair full price. The community generally agrees $5–$10 is a fair base-game range, with $10 being the upper bound for those who value the experience and $5 being a more cautious estimate given the short playtime.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 8.5h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews consistently state the base story/campaign takes 3–5 hours, with 4 hours being the most frequently cited. For total game completion (including free DLC), some players report 7–10 hours (e.g., 7 hours, 8 hours, ~10 hours). Session length is inferred from descriptions of individual levels lasting 30–60 minutes (e.g., “30 or 40 minutes to an hour long”). No credible evidence exists for post-story endgame content; the game is linear with minimal replay value.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts slowly with tedious audio listening and shallow early cases, but becomes deeply rewarding once players immerse themselves in the investigation, typically after the second case.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After the second case
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Tedious rewinding of levels to follow different characters; Long, repetitive audio recordings (10+ minutes) with no background noise; Demanding concentration and active listening with no visual aids; Frustrating controls and lack of polish; Boring, wandering gameplay for those seeking action
  - Unlock drivers: Satisfying 'aha' moment when piecing together the full picture; Improved voice acting in later cases; Varied re-listens that reveal new details; Immersion in the story-driven, movie-like experience
  - Conditions: Playing with friends enhances enjoyment; Player mindset focused on storytelling and immersion rather than fast-paced gameplay; Taking notes and actively engaging with audio clues increases satisfaction; Progressing through DLC content that adds difficulty and depth
- Player Archetypes:
  - Deductive Puzzle Purist (buy)
    - Motivation: Solving complex cases through logical deduction and comparison to classic detective games.
    - Playstyle: Replays audio multiple times, draws relationship maps, and actively compares the game’s puzzle design to other deduction benchmarks.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Obra Dinn fan; Phoenix Wright fan; detective game veteran
    - Reference games: Return of the Obra Dinn; Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; The Case of the Golden Idol; Roottrees Are Dead
  - Audio Immersion Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing a fresh, sound-based detective mechanic that relies on careful listening and spatial awareness.
    - Playstyle: Uses high-quality headphones, moves the cursor between rooms to follow conversations, and replays segments to catch subtle audio details (accents, background noises).
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: auditory detective; sound-puzzle lover; immersive listener
    - Reference games: Tacoma; The Sexy Brutale
  - Casual Mystery Novice (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying a straightforward, low-commitment mystery game that doesn’t require heavy concentration or prior genre knowledge.
    - Playstyle: Plays through in a few hours, uses the built-in note system lightly, and relies on obvious audio cues without needing deep analysis.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: 推理小白; casual detective fan; beginner puzzle player
    - Reference games: Return of the Obra Dinn (mentioned as a comparison but not required)


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Quality DLC praised (weight 0.56): Players highly praise the DLC for its high quality, engaging story, increased difficulty, and substantial content. It is considered better than the base game by some and is well worth playing.
- Surprising and compelling story (weight 0.43): The game and its DLC feature surprising twists, especially at the end, which players find engaging and memorable. The story is interesting with interconnected cases.
- Innovative audio-based gameplay (weight 0.4): The game's unique mechanic of solving cases by listening to audio is frequently highlighted as innovative and immersive. This novel approach to detective puzzles is a standout feature.
- Excellent voice acting (weight 0.28): Voice acting is consistently praised for its quality, natural delivery, and use of dialects. It significantly enhances the immersive experience of the game.
- Great value for money (weight 0.23): Players appreciate the game's value, especially when purchased on discount, and note that the free DLCs add significant content, making it a worthwhile purchase.

Common complaints:
- Game is too short (weight 0.44): The base game is very short, lasting only 1-3 hours, and even with DLC it feels limited. This is a common complaint across multiple clusters, indicating players expect more content for the price.
- Development team disbanded (weight 0.18): The studio disbanded, meaning no more updates, content, or sequels are possible. This leaves players feeling abandoned, disappointed they won't see more from this series.
- Difficulty too low (weight 0.18): The reasoning puzzles in the base game are too easy, making them feel unchallenging. Players desire a harder difficulty, especially after experiencing more complex DLC chapters.
- No subtitles available (weight 0.17): The game lacks subtitles for dialogue, including for accented or dialect-heavy parts, making it inaccessible for hearing-impaired players and tiring for others. This is a major accessibility oversight.
- Game feels incomplete without DLC (weight 0.13): The base game feels like a demo or incomplete without purchasing additional DLC, which is seen as a negative practice. Players are frustrated by this business model.
- No fast forward or speed control (weight 0.07): The game lacks a fast forward button or playback speed control for audio recordings. This forces players to listen to long, repeated audio without skipping, which becomes tedious.

Gameplay feedback:
- Audio-based deduction gameplay (weight 0.97): The game primarily revolves around listening to audio conversations and sound clues to deduce information, solve mysteries, and progress the story. It requires active listening and note-taking to piece together fragmented information.
- Detective and mystery focus (weight 0.54): Players take on the role of a detective, solving cases by eavesdropping on dialogues, identifying characters by voice, and reconstructing events. The game is described as an immersive detective experience with innovative mechanics.
- Base game simple, DLC harder (weight 0.29): The base game is considered easy and serves as a tutorial, while the DLCs are significantly more challenging, with complex cases and higher difficulty. Many players feel the DLC contains the real content.
- Suitable for passive listening (weight 0.28): The gameplay is suitable for passive listening while doing other tasks, but it also requires active deduction for solving cases.
- Spatial audio and directional sound (weight 0.07): The game uses spatial audio technology to simulate realistic positional sound, enhancing the immersive experience of eavesdropping and locating audio sources.
- Multiple endings and branching narrative (weight 0.07): The game features multiple endings and a branching narrative that converges, allowing player choices to impact outcomes.

Performance notes:
- Improve sustainable development optimization (weight 0.03): Feedback highlights opportunities for better optimization to support long-term game development and performance. This includes ensuring resource efficiency and code scalability to maintain a healthy product lifecycle.

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended overall (weight 0.29): Overall, the game is strongly recommended and worth the money, even at full price for some. It is described as a good game with excellent value, definitely worth playing.
- Great for detective game fans (weight 0.21): The game is strongly recommended for fans of detective, deduction, and mystery-solving games. Reviewers highlight its appeal to those who enjoy logical reasoning and crime-solving puzzles.
- Good for beginners and casuals (weight 0.15): The game is recommended for casual players and beginners, especially those new to deduction games. It may be too simple for experienced players, but it offers easy reasoning suitable for novices.
- Not for sensitive to swearing (weight 0.05): The game is not recommended for players sensitive to swearing. It requires sufficient patience and tolerance for strong language.
- Great for audio drama fans (weight 0.05): Recommended for fans of audio dramas or radio dramas, as the game has a strong narrative focus that appeals to this audience.

Other player notes:
- Co-op mode suggestion with deception (weight 0.03): A player suggests developing a multiplayer co-op mode with rooms and deception mechanics, indicating interest in social or strategic gameplay extensions.
- Chinese IP and multimedia format cited (weight 0.02): A review mentions Chinese intellectual property and a multimedia form of the game, though the context is unclear, suggesting niche or external references.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): Players feel satisfied due to the game's novel gameplay, logical deduction, and high-quality voice acting. The moderate difficulty and rewarding puzzle-solving experience, along with good value for money, contribute to a sense of achievement and enjoyment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment stems from the game's short length, lack of sequels or updates due to the studio disbanding, and simplistic reasoning that fails to meet expectations. Weak story elements, poor voice direction, and insufficient content further detract from the experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Frustration arises from audio issues like unclear accents, lack of subtitles, and poor sound balance, making gameplay uncomfortable. Missing features such as speed control and skip buttons, along with repetitive listening and logic inconsistencies, hinder the deduction process.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.08): Players enjoy the game for its unique audio-based puzzles, engaging cases, and immersive storytelling. The fun of solving mysteries with others, creative gameplay, and satisfying deduction contribute to an overall positive and entertaining experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.06): Excitement is driven by the game's innovative sound design, surprising plot twists, and sense of accomplishment from solving puzzles. The immersive experience and well-crafted DLCs, especially the challenging cases, generate enthusiasm and anticipation for more content.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): Appreciation is expressed for the game's unique concept, high-quality voice acting, and well-designed puzzles. The innovative use of audio and detailed execution, despite a small budget, earns praise for its creativity and immersive experience.
- Interest (weight 0.04): Interest is sparked by the novel listening-based gameplay and engaging story design. The unique detective mechanics and immersive audio recordings captivate players, making the game stand out as a fresh and intriguing experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Annoyance is caused by excessive profanity in dialogue, repetitive listening, and unclear voice acting due to heavy accents. Technical issues like sound volume imbalance and missing features such as cutscene skipping further irritate players.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is directed at the game's innovative concept, clever design, and exceptional voice acting that enhances immersion. The attention to detail and masterful storytelling, including fourth-wall breaks, are seen as groundbreaking in the detective genre.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from unexpected plot twists, hidden details, and the game's overall quality exceeding initial expectations. The interconnected cases and clever revelations, such as the play-within-a-play, create memorable and shocking moments.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom results from repetitive gameplay, cliché plots, and slow pacing that make the game feel tedious. The lack of interaction and monotonous audio listening, especially in later levels, diminish engagement and interest.
- Positive (weight 0.02): Players have a positive overall experience due to the game's innovative and fun deduction mechanics, strong narrative, and good value with free DLCs. The engaging note-taking and puzzle-solving elements contribute to a fulfilling gameplay loop.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arises from unclear story elements, character logic inconsistencies, and poorly explained mechanics like the barrage system. Some DLCs and endings leave players puzzled, even with guides, due to convoluted narratives.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is expressed for sequels, updates, or new DLC to continue the engaging experience. Players desire more content to explore the game's unique world and mechanics further.
- Anticipation (weight 0.02): Anticipation is driven by the desire for more sequels and updates, with players looking forward to harder challenges and new features. The excitement for upcoming content, especially DLCs, keeps engagement high.
- Desire (weight 0.01): Desire focuses on wanting more DLC, chapters, and similar games to extend the experience. Specific requests for voice actors and additional content highlight the game's appeal and players' hunger for more.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret stems from the game's short length, incomplete worldbuilding, and the studio's disbandment preventing sequels. Players lament the lack of continuation and commercial success for such a promising concept.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion is achieved through natural voice acting, novel gameplay, and strong pacing that draws players into the detective role. The audio-focused design creates a captivating atmosphere, making players feel like part of the story.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is fueled by innovative storytelling, complex puzzles, and an immersive mystery-solving experience. The suspenseful plot and layered conversations keep players invested and thinking critically.
- Praise (weight 0.01): Praise is given for the game's story, gameplay, and DLC quality, with voice acting and reasoning mechanics highlighted as exceptional. The clever level design and meta elements are celebrated as masterful and innovative.}