Case File 091 · Inside Murder Book
What Is Murder Book?
The definitive overview of Murder Book: what it is, how it plays, who is making it and when it is planned to release.
Murder Book (full title: Murder Book: The Art of Interrogation) is an upcoming narrative-driven interrogation game from Gungrounds, an independent game studio based in Zagreb, Croatia. You play a detective, and you solve cases by questioning suspects rather than by fighting, running or searching rooms. You read their behaviour, compare what they say and push on the places where their stories stop adding up. The game is inspired by real police footage and psychological interviews. Its cases are designed for focused 5–10-minute sessions on PC (Steam) and mobile. Murder Book is in development and currently planned for release at the end of Q2 2027.
Key takeaways
- Murder Book is a detective game built entirely around interrogation.
- It is developed by Gungrounds, an independent studio founded in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2016.
- Cases are short, self-contained stories that take roughly 5–10 minutes each.
- It is planned for PC (Steam) and mobile, with release targeted for the end of Q2 2027.
- The project is co-funded by the European Union's Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC).
What kind of game is Murder Book?
Murder Book is a narrative investigation game. Its official description calls it "a narrative-driven interrogation game inspired by real police footage and psychological breakdowns." In practice, the player takes the role of a detective sitting across the table from a suspect. The challenge is not reaching a crime scene or winning a fight, but working out which parts of a story hold up.
That puts it in the same broad family as story-driven detective games where the main verb is thinking: reading testimony, noticing inconsistencies and drawing conclusions. There is no combat to master and no reflex test between you and the next clue.
How do you play Murder Book?
Development materials published by Gungrounds describe a loop built around a single interrogation at a time:
- Open a case. Each case is a separate file with its own suspect and story.
- Listen and read the behaviour. The game documents suspect behaviours in an in-game casebook, including fabrication, avoidance, narrative gaps and emotional leakage.
- Connect the statements. Development screenshots show an evidence board where statements can be linked when they contradict each other.
- Decide how to press. Screenshots also show a choice of interrogation approaches, such as Build Trust, Bluffing, Baiting and Confrontation.
- Reach a conclusion. Cases branch, so what you notice and how you handle the suspect shapes where the story ends.
For a closer look at each step, see How Murder Book Turns Interrogation Into Gameplay.
Why are Murder Book cases so short?
Murder Book's press materials describe "5–10 minute cases—ideal for mobile or quick PC play." Each case is meant to be a complete story you can start and finish in one sitting, whether that is a commute, a lunch break or a few minutes at the end of the day. Short cases also suit the interrogation format: a single conversation, examined closely, rather than a sprawling investigation you need to pick up again days later.
The reasoning behind that format is covered in Why Murder Book Cases Are Designed for 5–10-Minute Sessions.
What makes Murder Book different from other detective games?
Many detective games ask you to find clues in an environment or to assemble a solution from physical evidence. Murder Book focuses on something narrower and more personal: the story a suspect tells, and the way they tell it.
- Interrogation is the core mechanic, not a side activity. The whole case happens in the conversation.
- Behaviour is part of the evidence. The in-game casebook names and explains the behaviours players look for.
- Real-world inspiration. The game draws on real police footage and psychological interviews, with concepts such as cognitive load explained in plain language.
- Short sessions. Each case is designed to be finished in about 5–10 minutes.
It is worth being clear about what the game does not claim. Research on deception consistently finds that there is no single reliable sign that someone is lying. Murder Book treats behaviour as something to examine and question, not as a lie detector.
Who is making Murder Book?
Murder Book is developed by Gungrounds, an independent studio founded in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2016. The studio previously made Serious Sam: Tormental and is also developing Immunauts. The Murder Book team credited in the official press kit includes Kristian Macanga (game design, development and programming), Andrej Mrkonjic (programming), Antonio Villamandos (concept art), Sinisa Bahun and Matija Vigato (storytelling, game design and level design) and Noemy De Guzman (marketing).
Read more in Meet the Team Behind Murder Book.
Is Murder Book publicly funded?
Yes. Murder Book is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, which listed the project among its 2023 video game development results. It is also supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC).
When is Murder Book coming out, and where?
Murder Book is in development. Release is currently planned for the end of Q2 2027 on PC (Steam) and mobile. No exact release date has been announced. The Murder Book release and development FAQ is kept up to date as details are confirmed.
Who will enjoy Murder Book?
Murder Book is aimed at players who like the thinking side of detective stories more than the action side. If you enjoy games where the key moment is realising two statements cannot both be true, or you like mysteries that fit into a short break, it is designed with you in mind. Players who liked the investigative structure of games such as Her Story, or the interrogation scenes of L.A. Noire, may find its focus familiar. See Games Like Her Story and Best Interrogation Games for PC for more.