Supernatural Detective Committee (Free Exploration ADV) Introduction and Review

Preface

first,"Cut through the supernatural with logic!"What attracted me most was the tagline.
I've always liked stories that solve supernatural phenomena through approaches from deduction and science.
I loved the famous overseas drama "The X-Files," and I also like the light novel "Minato the Zero-Ability User," which is in a similar vein.

The introduction page for this game, "The Mysterious Detective Committee," shows retro-style student characters exploring, which reminded me of the PS game "Twilight Syndrome," and I felt a strong sense of nostalgia.
I played it with high expectations, wondering what kind of content it would be, and it certainly lived up to them in terms of being fun.
The game doesn't take very long to complete, about an hour and a half, but I'd like to give a brief introduction.

Game Overview

This game, "Occult Detective Committee," is a short exploration adventure game created using "WOLF RPG Editor."

It mainly consists of four main episodes and a prologue/monologue, so you can start with whichever story you like.
However, there's no particular reason not to read them in order, so it's best to select them from left to right.

The game itself isn't particularly complex.
The story progresses as you walk around the school and town, and talk to the people you need to meet.
Characters involved in the scenario progression flags will have black speech bubbles above their heads, making it clear who you should talk to.

Even if a black speech bubble isn't displayed, many places will show a message when you investigate.
(People, school bulletin boards, buildings in town, etc.)
While it's great to progress through the story, it's also fun to wander around the map and fully experience it.

Review (no spoilers)

The story revolves around two main characters: Sabaki, the intellectual protagonist, and Kannon, his extremely physically strong friend.
Kannon's muscle-brained nature is perhaps a bit extreme, but that's precisely why the contrast and banter between him and Sabaki are so entertaining.
Furthermore, even the nameless students within the school have their own unique personalities, and you grow fond of them as you progress through each episode.

The game involves interviewing various people about rumors of common ghost stories, much like the questioning in a detective game, as the title suggests.
The way the truth behind occult rumors is brought to life and integrated into real-life incidents, brilliantly unraveling the mystery, provides a cathartic experience much like the resolution of a detective story.
In terms of solving everyday mysteries, it has the same kind of appeal as the novel "Hyouka," which was also adapted into an anime.

As a game, there are hardly any parts where you get stuck; basically, you can clear it by exploring every corner of the map.
The only part you need to be careful about is when you go up to the rooftop in the final episode.
The sixth sense of judgment will prompt you to confirm whether it's really okay to proceed, so it's a good idea to save your game properly.
If you are still unable to resolve the issue, explore the school and town until no more people with black speech bubbles appear.

As it's a short story, it has a good pace and evokes a sense of nostalgia.
Along with the illustration that appears after completing the game, you'll likely experience a refreshing feeling after finishing it.