Almanac: Detective Agency playtest

About Almanac: Detective Agency

The year is 1910. You arrive in the Town of Almanac with a key, a letter, and a missing friend.

You were a detective once. Now you are running someone else’s agency, taking on cases to pay the rent.

Your colleague had discovered something hidden inside Almanac, and someone in this town made sure they would never explain what it was. To survive here, you will need to do what detectives do best: search rooms, photograph evidence, question witnesses, catch suspects in lies, and build a theory strong enough to hold up when challenged.

Every case brings you closer to the truth. Every conversation can open a door, close one, or make someone remember you for the wrong reason.

Search crime scenes for details that do not belong.

Photograph evidence, inspect rooms, question witnesses, and collect testimony from the people involved.

Your investigation board keeps track of what you have found: suspects, clues, statements, motives, and contradictions.

Link evidence together with red string and form your theory before making an accusation.

You need to understand what happened, who had the means, who had the motive, who had the opportunity, and who is trying to hide the truth.

In Almanac, conversations are part of the investigation. You can type or speak your own questions instead of choosing from a fixed list of dialogue options.

Ask where someone was. Press them about a contradiction. Show them a photograph. Bluff, flatter, accuse, or earn their trust. Some witnesses open up if you treat them gently. Others only reveal the truth when cornered.

Some cases are small and personal. Some lead into stranger corners of the town. Some seem unrelated at first, until you start noticing the same names, symbols, and secrets appearing again.

The deeper you dig, the more Almanac starts to feel less like a town full of isolated cases.

When you believe you know the truth, build your case.

Connect the suspect, location, method, motive, and evidence. Then present your accusation and defend it.

In Almanac, solving a case is about proving that your version of events is the one that fits the evidence.

Behind every door is a potential lead. A bartender may know who was seen late at night. A doorman may remember who entered the building. A nervous witness may know more than they are willing to admit.

Your reputation spreads as you solve cases.

As your agency grows, you gain access to more complex cases, more influential clients, and more dangerous secrets.

And somewhere beneath it all is the reason your friend disappeared.

The longer you stay in Almanac, the more the town opens up - and the harder it becomes to leave.

From the game's Steam page.