The full-motion video (FMV) interactive game "Hidden Detective," jointly produced by Dayu Kuaiyou, Baina Qiancheng, Zhonghui Film & TV, and H&R Planet, and co-published by Fenglin Studio and Yixiangfeng Interactive Technology, launched on the Steam Platform Curators' New Product Festival on August 20. A free demo was made available to all players for the first time, accompanied by the release of the latest trailer. Directed by Li Mobai and starring talented actors such as Li Siyang, Chu Xu, Pan Mingyun, An Yongchang, Tian Yifan, Chen Guanying, and Ding Mu, the game casts players as agent "Hu Yang," immersing them in the intrigue-filled legends of China's Republican Era during the 1920s.
Latest Trailer:
Since its initial reveal in August 2021, "Hidden Detective" has undergone five years of meticulous refinement. The development team dedicated this period to enhancing content quality, including specialized reshoots for new content in late 2025. Now, this project, representing years of the team's hard work, is ready to face player scrutiny.
"Hidden Detective" is filmed using live-action full-motion video, aiming for a cinematic audiovisual experience. In terms of interactivity, it features classic multi-option branching endings and incorporates several immersive Quick Time Events (QTEs) integrated into the storyline. Additionally, the game introduces innovative systems such as the "Republican Era Encyclopedia," which automatically unlocks historical background knowledge as players progress. From the North-South Peace Talks to the French Concession Police Station, and from the May Fourth Movement to the Japanese Black Dragon Society, it combines education with entertainment.
The "Republican Era Diary" system further enriches the experience with nearly 100,000 words of textual material, crafting a vivid and dynamic protagonist. When facing difficult decisions, players can consult the diary to understand the character's past and emotions, transforming each choice from merely "controlling" a character into "empathizing" with a living, breathing person.
While maintaining its entertainment value, "Hidden Detective" places greater emphasis on narrative coherence and logical consistency. It not only adheres to the creative principles of film and television but also innovatively adopts a storytelling approach better suited to interactive gameplay, allowing characters to evolve naturally driven by their established personalities. Players will engage in a strategic interplay with these characters through their own choices, exploring various branching storylines to personally experience the turbulent, unpredictable era and witness the myriad facets of life in those chaotic times.
The demo includes the prologue and part of Chapter 1, allowing players to experience the narrative suspense of an "amnesia start," frequent interactive choices, and the initial directions of multiple branching storylines. Development of the full version of "Hidden Detective" is also nearing completion and will be released soon.
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