Staffer Case is a murder mystery visual novel from Korean developer Team Tetrapod that recently received an English translation. The odd-sounding title is a reference to the titular “staffers”—humans who have manifested supernatural abilities—involved in perpetrating and solving the game’s crimes. This game is something of a fantastical twist on the formula popularized by the likes of Ace Attorney, but does the magic hold up?
London Fog
Staffer Case takes place in an alternate history 1960s London where a phenomenon called Mana has led supernatural abilities to manifest in a fraction of the population. Those with such abilities are called staffers, and typically these abilities manifest with specific effects under specific circumstances. For example, a staffer might have the ability to ignite flammable objects, but only those they touch. Still, many staffer abilities are quite dangerous, and as a result, staffers are tightly regulated by the government. Even so, there exist staffers who misuse their abilities to criminal ends, and that’s where the story of Staffer Case begins.
On the recommendation of his old boss, American detective Notrick “Note” Case travels to London for an assignment with the Mana Affairs Division, a special investigative team formed to investigate crimes involving staffers. The existing members of the division are all staffers whose abilities are well-suited to detective work. Hothead interrogator Athena “Thena” Hervenus‘s ability to sense vibrations makes her a human polygraph machine. Mild-mannered crime scene investigator Caucasus Bryan uses his ability to accentuate objects to create “trace photos” of crime scenes with useful information clearly organized and highlighted. Lastly, division chief Pandoria Redfins can read the memory of any object she touches, reliving its experiences from the recent past, although for reasons that are not completely clear, she cannot use her abilities on humans either living or dead. Unlike his colleagues, Note is not a staffer and has only his deductive reasoning skills to rely on.
Mana Affairs is on the Case
Staffer Case plays similarly to the investigation segments of Ace Attorney. Once Note and Co. are called to the scene, you examine objects to find clues and take witness statements. Along the way, Note and his colleagues will debate and discuss theories about the case, and when Note chimes in you will be prompted to open the evidence board and either find evidence to support or oppose a claim or find two pieces of evidence that reveal a contradiction.
Many pieces of evidence are rich with detail. A picture might have multiple locations of interest or a document several sections of selectable text, so you have to be precise in finding exactly what you need to make your case. This type of gameplay works when it balances difficulty and accessibility. The puzzles need to be tricky enough that solving them feels like satisfying detective work, without devolving into an arbitrary hunt for obscure details or bizarre leaps of logic.
Staffer Case mostly does a good job in this regard. The prompts are usually detailed enough that it’s clear what you should be looking for and the solution feels fair in retrospect. If you do need help, there’s a convenient hint system that highlights which pieces of evidence contain what you need without outright revealing the answer. I only got stuck twice. Once was something I should have been able to figure out. The other was one of the few occasions where I felt the question posed was too vague. Worst case scenario you can get a hint and then brute force your way through via trial-and-error until things work since there’s no penalty for being wrong, but this is of course tedious and unsatisfying.
Some of the cases have multiple endings branching from a puzzle with more than one possible solution. There’s always one “Truth” ending that fully reveals what exactly happened. Alternate endings wrap things up with a story that on first glance seems plausible, but upon closer inspection leaves subtle loose ends. One might expect the truth to be the “good” ending. However, often the alternate endings are more convenient, happier, and even more just for those involved. Sometimes Note (and you) will wonder if pulling at every last thread until things fully unravel is really the right thing to do. This creates interesting narrative tension and complexity that add to Staffer Case’s dour mood and main themes.
While it’s easy to imagine that law enforcement exists to catch the bad guys and keep people safe, another perspective is that law enforcement is empowered by the state to enforce a particular rule of order. And in the world of Staffer Case, this order is oppressive toward staffers. What does the Pheno-mana Bureau overseeing the Mana Affairs Division really want? By refusing to offer simple and easy resolutions, Staffer Case encourages you to engage with its themes and the overarching mystery simmering in the background.
Murder & Machination
Staffer Case consists of five cases. The first is understandably on the simpler side and serves as an introduction to the game’s mechanics. The subsequent cases ramp up the complexity and explore different ways in which Mana phenomena influence life in this world. In addition to staffers, Mana can empower objects, which are then called “staff”, or animals, which are then called creechers. Due to their potentially dangerous abilities, staff are tightly regulated which naturally creates a thriving black market. Creechers are likewise potentially dangerous but simultaneously the subject of research and breeding programs intended to advance science and agriculture. Each case also focuses on one of Note’s compatriots in the Mana Affairs Division, revealing more about their backstory and how it informs their values and idiosyncrasies.
The exploration of Staffer Case’s world is not particularly deep, but it still serves to give interesting and distinct flavor to different cases. The story attempts to do more with the main characters, with mixed results. Pandoria has a compelling, well-written arc supported by enough small character moments along the way to convincingly build up to her central conflict. Thena and Bryan often banter, which adds some decent comic relief, and I found relationship development between the two interesting and unexpected. However, their individual backstories didn’t have as much punch as I would have liked. The pieces are there, they just don’t quite have enough time to marinate and aren’t as well connected to the rest of the story as Pandoria’s arc.
Side characters outside the Mana Affairs Division exist almost solely to move the plot along, or in the case of characters like “Woman B”, are complete throwaways. I think this is mostly fine since it keeps the pacing brisk, though Staffer Case could take a note from Ace Attorney and give them a bit more personality.
I haven’t yet said much about the construction of the cases themselves, perhaps the most important factor in a mystery visual novel like Staffer Case. As I noted, the first case is a bit simple, but that’s acceptable since it’s also meant to ease you into the gameplay and world. Cases 2 and 3 are solid cases that I enjoyed playing through and found satisfying to solve, but they didn’t have the intricacy or misdirection of my favorite mysteries. The clear standout here is Case 4, which deftly weaves multiple layers of deception leading to a chilling twist. Case 5 is more along the lines of 2 and 3, but because this case is also tasked with resolving Staffer Case’s ongoing main story, I think the choice to limit complexity works here. Plus, the climax and resolution of the main story are well-executed. The truths revealed fall neatly into the place with the subtle hints Staffer Case has been feeding you in the background, and the starkly emotional conclusion is a fitting culmination of Staffer Case’s ideas and themes.
Art, Sound, and Extras
Staffer Case does not have voice acting, but the art and music combine to set a dour, sinister mood. It’s easy to imagine that the foggy streets and dimly lit parlors of London are a breeding ground for the kinds of backroom deals and double-crosses that lead to murder. The character sprites likewise mix a striking intensity with a muted, sepia-toned palette that make them stand out yet simultaneously feel at place in this grimy, dismal version of London. The music similarly has an ominous weight to it, the perfect compliment to the aforementioned environment and gruesome murders.
The UI on the other hand could be better. The basics are there, and the evidence board is readable enough when solving the cases, so you don’t notice too many issues while playing through the first time. However, if you want to replay a case or revisit a scene, Staffer Case doesn’t make it easy to do so. Aside from a single autosave slot, you have to rely on manual saves. Cases are a few hours long, so if you’re not diligent with saves, it’s easy to find yourself wanting to revisit a scene but lacking a conveniently located save. To make matters worse, skipping your way back from the start of the case is quite slow. Staffer Case also requires you to choose “New Game” to start the next case after completing the previous. While this is not a huge deal on its own, it’s not explained, and it would have been nice to have the option to simply continue on like in Ace Attorney.
Verdict
With an array of solid mysteries capped by some standout moments, Staffer Case is a strong entry in the murder mystery visual novel genre. I hope to see Notrick’s journey continue in future games.
STAFFER CASE IS RECOMMENDED
If you are looking for another visual novel, you may enjoy our reviews of Real Anime Situation! 2 or MAMIYA – A Shared Illusion of the World’s End.
Thank you to Team Tetrapod for providing a PC review code for Staffer Case.
A veteran of Oregon Trail and Battletoads, Wes has been playing and talking about games for as long as he can remember. He’s down to try almost anything, and he especially enjoys games with gripping narrative experiences.
