"One murder. Three suspects. Countless lies. Can you crack the case?"

The rain-soaked streets of 1980s Chicago hold secrets, and Detective Calloway is about to uncover them. Crimson Shadows is our take on the classic noir detective story, blended with interactive storytelling, mind-bending ciphers, and real consequences.

We wanted to build something more than just another text-based game. We wanted a living, breathing mystery, where every decision carries weight.

🔍 What is Crimson Shadows?

A murder mystery puzzle game where players step into the trench coat of Detective Calloway, investigating the murder of heiress Evelyn Harrington.

Players must: ✔ Decipher cryptic messages (Atbash, Baconian, Rail Fence, and more). ✔ Interrogate slippery suspects and catch them in their lies. ✔ Explore 1980s Chicago, from smoky jazz bars to abandoned warehouses. ✔ Make choices that shape the outcome—justice, corruption, or failure.

One wrong move, and the killer walks free. Or worse - Calloway doesn’t make it out alive.

💡 What Inspired the Game?

We grew up on film noir, classic detective novels, and immersive crime thrillers. Movies like Chinatown, The Maltese Falcon, and L.A. Confidential set the mood. Games like L.A. Noire and Return of the Obra Dinn inspired the mechanics.

We wanted puzzles that felt like detective work - not just “find the key, open the door.” Every cipher, every clue, every locked drawer connects to the story. The player’s intuition and logic drive the case forward.

🛠️ Challenges We Faced

Building Crimson Shadows wasn’t easy.

🔥 Balancing Difficulty: Puzzles had to be challenging without being frustrating. The Atbash cipher? Too easy. The Rail Fence cipher? Players struggled. We tweaked clues, added optional hints, and made sure every puzzle felt rewarding.

🔥 Making Choices Matter: We didn’t want a game where every choice leads to the same ending. Calloway’s fate changes based on how players handle suspects, solve puzzles, and interpret clues.

🔥 Creating the Noir Feel: The font, colors, soundtrack, and dialogue all had to feel authentic to 1980s noir. We spent hours tweaking dialogue—too modern, and it lost the grit. Too old-school, and it felt forced. We found a balance, and now Calloway talks like he walked out of a Raymond Chandler novel.

🚀 What’s Next?

We’re gathering player feedback and adding: ✔ More puzzles and clues hidden in the environment.  ✔ Alternate endings based on morality - Will you take a bribe or bring justice?

👀 Try the Game & Give Us Feedback!

Crimson Shadows is now live on Itch.io! We need your detective skills - play the game, test the puzzles, and tell us what you think!

Think you can crack the case? Let’s find out. The shadows are waiting. 🔎🔥