When your "100% a fan game" Danganronpa idea ends up changing your life: "We were at a crossroads where we either have to go back to doing our real jobs, or we can change this just enough to be legally distinct"

Key art for Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter showing a close-up of Himari's face, who has hands on her cheek covering her glasses in shock, cut together with the grinning fance of Nyanus, a cat mascot character.

What's better than a single murder mystery? Several in a row! That's the premise behind the killing game set-up that's fuelled some of my favorite detective games – and is one reason Danganronpa 2x2 remains one of my most anticipated of the year. Still, that's only a reshuffle, with many of the team that worked on it moving past the sub-genre towards new combinations, like with last year's excellent and super ambitious The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. But what about fans like me that crave watching lovable, charming characters put through grim scenarios as they struggle to survive (with some hijinks along the way)?

Mango Factory, the development studio behind Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter had the same question after playing through all of Danganronpa, but, unlike me, decided to do something about it. Taking cues from the popular series and adding plenty of fresh twists – from characters with inventive, quirky, and fresh backstories, to its alternate history setting – the upcoming murder mystery is shaping up to be a must-play for genre fans, and I loved playing through Kumitantei's opening hours last year. You can even check out the Kumitantei demo for yourself for free right now!