Three Recommended Masterpiece Mystery Adventure Games for Free

When I was in elementary school, a game called "Kamaitachi no Yoru" was released for the Super Famicom.
This work can be said to have established the sound novel genre.
I feel that the previous work, "Otogirisou," didn't gain as much traction as "Kamaitachi no Yoru," perhaps because it was in the horror genre.

Anyway, this game made me fall in love with the sound novel genre, and I've played many more games in that genre since.
Titles like "Scary Stories from School," "Tsukikomori," "The Taste of Pomegranates," and "The Last Train" were released in droves by various manufacturers for a while, and I felt that they were all reasonably entertaining.

There are many sound novels available as free games.
This time, I'd like to focus on "mystery" games and introduce some recommended titles.

Freezing Rain (by Murata KEG), released February 2002

This game has a similar atmosphere to the Super Famicom game "Kamaitachi no Yoru".
This is a closed-circle mystery where you try to deduce the culprit behind a murder.
This really captures the atmosphere of the latter half of "Kamaitachi no Yoru," and I highly recommend it.

Due to the flagging mechanism, it's difficult to solve the problem by simply trying all the options, and I think the trick is well-designed.
The heroine, who has a girlish atmosphere and is a bit different from Mari, the well-developed heroine of "Kamaitachi no Yoru," is also quite cute.

I think this is a work that can still be enjoyed even more than 15 years after its release.

Purgatory: Kamaitachi no Yoru 2 another- (by Haritora) Released March 2004

As for a sequel to "Kamaitachi no Yoru," there is a work called "Kangoku-jima no Warabeuta" (The Nursery Rhyme of Prison Island) which is considered the official sequel.
However, this free game is a sequel created with a different approach.
Since the character settings and other elements are directly carried over from Kamaitachi no Yoru, it's best to play it with the understanding that it's a fan-made game.

I think it was probably written to match the original author's writing style, but it reads surprisingly smoothly as a sequel to Kamaitachi no Yoru.
The music, silhouettes, graphics, and other elements used in the original work are all faithfully reproduced, making it very interesting.

It's a highly accomplished mystery game, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Kamaitachi no Yoru.
I hope you'll give it a try.

The Kanbayashi Family Murder Case (by Mr. Torikago) - Released July 2015

This game is not a sound novel; it was created using a tool called WOLF Editor, which can be used to create RPGs and other games.
Therefore, I think it's more accurate to call it an exploration-based deduction game.

Now, this game is also a closed-circle mystery.
The story revolves around a Western-style mansion where mystery enthusiasts gather, and a series of murders occur there.
You move the character around and explore various parts of the mansion,Since you'll be going back and forth to the same place multiple times, it might feel a little tedious.
I felt that they had taken great care to minimize stress, such as making it possible to display the map at any time.

The main appeal of this game is undoubtedly the elaborate traps set for the player.
Even as a regular mystery novel, it was quite an interesting and engaging read.
However, the plot twists and settings that followed gave me goosebumps for the first time in a long time.

I hope you'll try to reach the true ending on your own, without consulting any walkthroughs or guides.
Additionally, the author, Torikago, has also released a free game called "Shiyouka" (Death Demon Flower).
That work was like "Otogirisou" with added mystery elements, and I personally found it quite interesting as well.

In both works, the authors provide clear hints.
Please be suspicious of any part that seems even slightly unnatural or that is repeated multiple times.

After learning everything, if you play it again, you'll realize that the hints were all too obvious, and you'll be frustrated.
However, that's precisely the appeal of mystery stories.
Please fully enjoy the pleasure of being deceived by the author.