Missing Witness

We've created a web-based deduction game with a core mechanic that differs from traditional murder mystery games:

Players don't choose from fixed options; instead, they can freely ask questions and interrogate any character.

For example, you could ask:

* "What time exactly did you see the deceased last night?"

* "Why are you lying?"

* "Who can prove what you're saying is true?"

Each character responds based on their own "knowledge base," rather than following pre-set lines.

What we want to test is:

Will players' thinking change when deduction is no longer a "game of choices" but a "free dialogue"?

One significant change we've observed is that players are more like "interrogating people" than "solving puzzles."

We started Missing Witness after noticing that most mystery games still rely on dialogue menus and scripted story paths. While these games can be enjoyable, they often limit player creativit.

Recent advances in AI made it possible to build characters that can respond naturally to unexpected questions. We wanted to see whether players could solve a mystery through genuine conversation rather than selecting predefined options.

Missing Witness is our attempt to combine detective storytelling with conversational AI. We’re building it to explore how AI can make narrative games more interactive, personalized, and replayable.