Noir Syndrome is an interesting game. It tries to bring in something new to the Rogue-lite market, by putting you in the shoes of a private detective. From there, you have several places to visit to gather clues and suspects, while trying not to step on the wrong faction's toes.
While the concept is fantastic, the game's scope is much more modest. I was expecting much more from it, and it's not what it was trying to deliver.
Sessions last about 15 minutes.

There is a rampant murderer in the city (for cult reasons), and you can visit every landmark freely, spending one day to explore each area. I was expecting a bit more FTL or WeirdWorlds influence, with a deep lore that one could discover by playing it over and over again, but this is purely a mechanical game. Unfortunately, its mechanics are not robust enough to carry it, in my opinion.


Presentation
The game's artstyle is not beautiful, nor unique. You can probably get that from the screenshots. But it's functional, and to be honest, it didn't prove very relevant in my enjoyment of the game. A great artstyle would certainly make it more enjoyable, but I could distinguish everything of important here, so it's fine.

The Music, however, was pretty neat! As you would expect from a Noir game, it features a lot of Jazz, with a bit of chiptune influences at times, and also Classical music in a couple of places (expensive hotels and the hunting club, for example). But for the most part, it's jazz. And it fits the detective vibe perfectly.
It's not something I'd listen to on my own time (it's simple, and not a lot of variety), but I didn't feel like turning it off while playing the game!


Now that this is out of their way, I'll explain how the game works.

You have 14 days to explore the city and find out who the culprit is, and bring him to justice. You have various different areas of the city to explore. You can explore one each day.
In those areas there are objects and people. In a restaurant, for example, you can speak to people there, and also explore the seats and tables for clues. Each area functions similarly. This exploration phase plays like a 2D side-scroller.
People can be either of 2: normal people, and sellers. Normal people can give you suspects (or give a very generic and not very convincing argument against them being a suspect... just flavour text), while vendors will try to sell you Food, Lockpicks or Bullets.
Examinable objects can also give you Locks, Bullets, Money, or Clues.
You'll need Locks to open doors or steal from vaults, and Bullets to... well... kill people. More on that later.

Clues are a bit more interesting (although not too much). For your deductive reasoning, you'll have to find suspects that fit certain criteria. After you learn about a person, you'll know all of their attributes. Clues will provide you with the killer's attributes.
Each person has a faction, an occupation, a gender, and a name. The faction includes Police, Mob, and Civillian. Occupation can go from Artist or Chef to Tailor or Driver. Once you think you've found who the killer is, you check him on your notebook, and his location will be shown on the map.
Every clue is about the killer. This is very important (and also a big issue). No matter where you find it, the clue is always about the murderer. Also, the clues are Binary. A gun holster, for example, tells you (s)he's either from the Mob, or the Police. An ornate fabric tell you (s)he's either a Tailor, or a Dancer. And so on. There can't be contradictory clues, so you'll end up collecting just enough to find which aspect is common between them.
If no one fits those traits, you'll need to speak to more people to get more suspects.

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This is a very uninteresting way of making you a detective, isn't it? There's barely any brainwork from the player! It's just about running around the place, inspecting every random background object (because that's where you get clues), and then finding the right choices. It doesn't feel like you're playing a detective, and every game ends up playing too similarly.
Since every clue is about the killer, you don't really need to go to the crime scenes or follow leads to find anything about him(her). You can just explore any place that's convenient to you, and you'll easily succeed. This is probably the biggest issue I have with it. There's not a lot of thinking in this game, and it completely takes the "detective" part out of the game.
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On the City, there are different possible events. There are Civillian Gatherings, Police/Mob takeovers, Crime Scenes, and fishy places. About he latter, I have no ideia... You get that information from the people, but there is nothing different in those areas.
The first 3 are areas dominated by said faction. This is relevant when you killed someone from the Police/Mob and left witnesses, or stole from either, as factions can then be hostile towards you, and shoot on sight. On Hard mode, there's always an hostile faction from the start.
CrimeScenes are areas without people, where you can look for clues, without the risk of getting murdered.


Other than that, one important aspect is the Hunger Meter. Yes. This has a ♥♥♥♥ing hunger meter.
I'm sorry, that's rude. But seriously... Why?!
The game has nothing to do with survival, except for the fact that you have to buy food not to die. Each time you examine something, or open doors, you'll lose 3 points. A piece of food can give you from 100 to 300, depending on the price. I guess this puts a stop to spamming Z constantly, but it doesn't feel necessary to have such a "feature".

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This is a good segway!
The game is far too easy. There aren't too many suspects, and it's easy to find his attributes from the clues. Normal mode is not challenging at all. Hard Mode, can be fairly challenging, but for the wrong reasons. Food could be one of them, but you learn to play with it. The main reason is the factions that's trying to kill you. You have very limited bullets (1-2, usually), so you can't just kill everyone, which is good. However, while finding clues is very easy, finding all the suspects can take more effort, especially, when there's a faction that will kill you immediately, and there may also be hitmen on you, that seem to spawn randomly. You can literally enter an area and just die, because he was right in front of you, and you couldn't escape.
This helps the game having challenge, but still doesn't feel like being the detective was the focus. The detective part is a very thin layer, surrounded by all these other systems trying to keep you from examining it closely.
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I think I've covered most of it. It's a purely mechanical game, of getting clues and suspects, and then arresting them. Killing them ends the game, but not with a victory. There are some special systems, like stealing from factions (that piss them off) or killing everyone in an area not to leave witnesses, but those play a very minor role in the overall game. This is because the game isn't hard at all! When you die, it's mostly out of your control.

The only narrative, is present in the murderers appartment, where there are random logs (6), with a passage of his Egypt-mythology related killing spree. Nothing substancial at all, though. There are no interesting plots throughout the city, no lore, no interesting random events, nothing of the sort. It was what I was mostly looking forward to, unfortunately...


Conclusion. It's not an awful game. It's actually pretty solid, for what it is. If you're looking for a very simple game (perhaps a good first project), then go ahead. I enjoyed the game, but I don't consider it great at all. Lots of wasted potential, but an interesting effort nonetheless. Only higher from here!

Noir Syndrome is like single player Clue, but with a detective/noir feeling and a pixel art aeshthetic.
You are plopped into the life of a pixelated detective and must catch a serial killer in 15 days. You're presented with an array of locations to visit, where you'll collect clues and interview people in point-and-click adventure style. Once you leave an area, a day has passed. Any info you've collected is placed in a notebook you can access at any time. Gather enough clues about the gender, occupation, and civilian/mobster/police affiliation of the suspect and you'll be able to pinpoint them and arrest them before they can kill again. Behind all this is a hunger system, but most locations offer at least one food vendor. I've never gotten hungry enough to experience any ill effects, but I imagine if you reach full hunger you die.

That's only the core of the game. There are all kinds of side objectives and optional activities. You have a gun, and if you play on a harder difficulty, steal from the mob, or shoot an innocent civilian you'd better be quick with it or you'll be dead.
This isn't a health bar situation, this is one shot to kill.
Money is an important resource in Noir Syndrome, as you'll need it to buy lockpicks to investigate locked rooms, bullets to defend yourself, and food to sate your hunger. You start with an appropriate budget for a private investigator, about the price of one hotdog. In the course of your investigations you'll find more cash, and by earning badges (essentially in-game achievements) you can unlock better starting bonuses, including extra lockpicks and bullets.
There's a seperate Dinner Party mode, in which you've been invited to a Clue/Murder By Death style dinner party and must uncover the identity of a murderer. You already know all the suspects, but finding clues is complicated by the paranoia of the remaining guests who can become hostile with little warning.
A playthrough of either mode will likely take you less than half an hour, but since the clues and culprit are randomized each time you'll want to play repeatedly.

I love Noir Syndrome, if for no reason other than that it's the second game I've ever played that actually lets you use deductive reasoning to solve a mystery, the first being L.A. Noire.
The art is great, and gives you just enough information to know what you're seeing, but not enough to get you bogged down in details (insert GIF of Cole Phelps examining a beer bottle, mumbling "useless" to himself.)
The game's soundtrack is great, but gets a little repetitive after a few playthroughs.
The controls can take a few minutes to get used to, and I find myself clicking the wrong button to close the notebook often, but these are minor details, and I expect they'll be addressed.
This game is not in Early Access, but is being actively deveoped, and each patch I've seen has added significant content. The latest as of this review added randomized challenges for each playthrough, which I haven't tried yet.

My only real complaint about Noir Syndrome is that the hunger system feels inappropriate for the rest of the game, Like it was left over from some earlier iteration in which this was a survival rogue-like. But for the most part it's unobtrusive and doesn't detract from what is otherwise a birlliant game.

I highly recommend Noir Syndrome, and if you like solving mysteries it's an absolute must-have game.

This game is exactly as advertised, a procedural detective game. Sadly the result is a bland experience.
The clues, suspects, and locations where something can be found are random, this also means that the story -- such as it is -- makes no sense at all. What this leads to is a detective game where you don't care about the story and you just go about at random.
And the gameplay just isn't interesting. Everywhere you go it is the same. Walk up to someone or something and press Z. Walk up to the next person or thing and press Z. Shoot and kill someone with X. Z, walk, X, walk, Z, Z.

Good concept, but sadly lacking execution.

Noir Syndrome is a procedurally generated Detective-Em-Up and it's a heck of a lot of fun.
The mechanics are fairly simple. you basically move from location to location hitting Z (to search) on everything to gather clues, suspects and various items.

The fun comes from taking these clues and trying to work out who the culprit is.
Your Notebook gathers all your clues together along with any suspects you've learnt about.
It's then about eliminating suspects who don't match the clues.
For example, one clue might belong to either a Poet or an Artist so you know the killer has to be someone with either of those hobbies.
The killer and the clues are randomised every game, although the locations are always the same.
You'll also find money, bullets and lockpicks as you search each location.

Although a playthrough might only take 20 minutes or so there's a lot to come back to.
Beyond simply trying to track down the killer there are various other side things to do.
For example, one area houses a vault that's been sealed shut for 100 years. Tempting, no?

There's also a more condensed mode called Dinner Party where you and all the suspects are locked in one location.
Here you already know all the suspects including their affiliation (Civilian, Mob or Police) and their hobbies so all you need to do is hunt down the clues and piece them together.
Although it seems being cooped up together does take it's toll on the guests, over time they go a little crazy and need to be avoided (or shot) until they cool down.

Aside from the two main modes there are also in game Badges to unlock for completing various objectives, such as closing five cases or visiting 100 crime scenes.
Each game also offers an individual challenge, fire 10 bullets for example.
Unlocking badges and completing challenges give the player permanent bonuses for future games, such as starting with an extra lockpick.
Oh and there are costumes to unlock too.

The soundtrack is superb as well.

On the downside, the gameplay is really simple. You talk, you search, you shoot and you unlock. That's it.
I think it helps that there are side objectives to do but if you're looking for something really deep you won't find it here.

Although each game technically is different there's not a lot that changes between playthroughs.
The clues, suspects and killer will be different yes but this doesn't really mean as much as you might think.
You'll still be doing the same things regardless. You choose a location to visit, you hit Z on everything and then you have a look at your Notebook before moving on.
There's also no real logic to the clues. You find them anywhere, regardless of whether it makes sense to do so or not. Sometimes murders happen as you play and an area is marked as a crime scene but all this means is the area will empty on that day. You won't necessarily find a lot of clues in that area for example.

The Hunger mechanic can be a bit of a pain too, you lose hunger every time you do something (even searching in an area you can't find anything in for example, or searching the same area twice). This has been improved now that the Notebook states hunger as a number though. Before that update it simply said "Hungry" or "Full" without giving any indication how much longer you could go without eating anything.

Also it's a really minor thing but it'd be nice to be able to score people off the suspect list.

Overall though, I'd recommend it for sure.

This game is SO FUN! Each case is randomly generated and lasts just a few days, so the replayability factor is huge. There are in-game achievements that give you in-game bonuses as you complete them.

This game is suprisingly good and relaxing. Great casual game. I recommend picking it up especially if it's on sale.

Noir Syndrome is a murder mystery with the right combination of strategy and randomness to keep the game interesting and replayable. It's not perfect, but it's certainly worth it if you can catch it on sale. Plus I caught Walter White. I'd give it an 8/10 and say its a fun game to pick up every once in a while.

As I stood in my run down apartment, my mission became clear.

Noir Syndrome is agame that hits all the right targets: it's stylish, has a good story and is, most importantly, fun. The player's goal is to travel around various buildings in a 60s Chicago town, collecting clues and learning of possible suspects. However, you are only human, and in this mystery game hunger and hitmen sent by the culprit because you know too much are also your enemies. Anyone anywhere in this town is a suspect, but you need to find someone who's backstory fits the clues you have gathered. Then finally when the culprit is obvious, you locate them and apprehend them.

This game has certainly been worth 5 quid, maybe more (And that is NOT. repeat NOT a hint to raise the price, guys). The general rush of desperately trying to piece these vague clues together while deaths occur all around you is an experience not usually encountered in other games. Beside that, the way you execute justice is entirely up to you. Want some gun action? Go bounty hunting for the Hunt Club. Want a challenge? Rob a shop or kill a gangster and have the police and mob on your tail too! Hungry? Go to the diner and grab a ham and cheese plate. It's basically 8 bit, scaled down GTA.
10/10. Case Closed. Thanks, Glass Knuckle.

a pixel murder mystery game that every time you play its a diffrent murderer every time
and other modes like dinner party and impossible mode its just good!

My favourite thing about the game is the music, the composer sure knows how to write a jazz tune. The graphics are relatively simple but that just means you have to use your imagination, which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. I like the sense of progression you get from unlocking in game badges and the bonuses they give you as a result. Another bonus, you don't have to play as a nice P.I. or even bother to investigate at all and just shoot people and hope to get lucky. I haven't yet found the culprit this way but I'm still holding out hope for a lucky headshot to take him/her down. A gripe I have about the game is that if a NPC is on the same zone, hit box, area, etc., that you have to wait, only a few seconds, for them to move without wasting time talking to them. Besides that though I can't find a reason to not like this game.

There's also a sense of drama and suspense when you go to a part of town where there's also a hitman after you, especially if you don't know about it. One time I went to the Nightclub, there was a hitman with a person standing between us. The assassin and my character just faced eachother for what felt like minutes, he shot first but only by half a second. Joe or Peter or whatever that poor bystanders name was saved me from failure that run by taking the bullet meant for another.

Overall I would recommend if you like casual mystery games, especially if you're a fan of gritty P.I. themed things.

This has got to be one of the best procedural games I've seen in a very long time. You play a detective who is given a limited period of time to whittle down suspects through the elimination of possibilities. Three lifestyle categories, two genders, and several job descriptions are your means of getting there. By the way, hope you're fast on the draw-- the closer you get to solving the case, the more likely it is someone will show up with a gun.

Graphically the game is less than stellar-- and I love it. The game doesn't get fancy and allows you to focus on the task at hand. Obvious (and not obvious) locations of clues will have you thanking the designer for his art scheme later on. The soundtrack is perfect for the genre and evokes memories of gumshoes, mobsters, and private ♥♥♥♥♥ (that was a term for a generic male, people).

The recombines the clues to make for a really great game that can be replayed over and over. In the span of twenty minutes I was shot 4 times, solved 1 case (without getting killed), and shot 4 people (only some of which were actually shooting at me). It had me right at the edge of my seat the entire time. For the price of less than a movie ticket you could be in a trenchcoat saying 'Here's looking at you, kid.'

An easy 10 out of 10 for the price, the music, and the magic.

Loved it! Awesome soundtrack, exciting gameplay, with an awesome Noir feel about it. Highly recommended if you like games like L.A Noire!

A solid buy for a few hours of entertainment. The soundtrack and unique concept alone should make the game work $5.

I've played it over and over again, even though you do the same things again and again, you won't get bored of it. It's so addictive and short to play, it's a nice little game to play during breaks! Also, with the current updates, it's even better!

If you like logic puzzles, then you will like Noir Syndrome.

As in "Sam, David and Cindy are suspects. Sam's a cook, David's a poet, Cindy's a driver. You found glasses that could belong to a poet or driver and male fingerprints. Who did it?"

Except in Noir Syndrome you have to ask around for the suspects' names, find the evidence that gives you clues and work it all out from there.

Games themselves are fairly short, ranging from 30-45 minutes, and have infinite replayability, with the suspects/clues completely changing each time. There are three modes to gameplay, Normal, Hard and Impossible. In the Hard and Impossible modes there are actual antagonists who will try to shoot at you. There is a simple, if clunky, gun that comes in handy. Or you could go around killing NPCs for fun. That too.

There is an in-game badge system that encourages you to explore more elements of the game, like "Buy information from the mob"/"Kill 20 people in 1 game"/"Have a long conversation with Jasper".

When the regular game gets dull there is a "Dinner Party" option, which is set in one location, a mansion, and has you exploring for clues, whilst avoiding dinner guests that go in and out of gun-toting madness.

Despite not having the type of "mysterious" quality that Nancy Drew or other myster games have, I ended up liking Noir Syndrome for its simplicity and replayability. When I don't have time to get into a long, drawn-out game, I go to Noir Syndrome.

Its a fun casual game. Basically you look around for clues aswell as suspects to figure out who the killer is. Additionally there fun little challenges and places to explore. making each play through different.

Cool game, i'm enjoying it, this game gets you thinking alot!

This game has a great concept, but it unfortunately really falls short, almost feeling unfinished. The game has huge potential in its mechanics and the idea of procedurally generated mystery in general, but it needs the story element (the mystery genre's strength) to be interesting.

The atmosphere is enjoyable (the soundtrack and art style are very nice), but the gameplay totally took me out of the mood. At first, I completely didn't understand what I was supposed to be doing. It is not intuitive, and there isn't a very good introduction/explanation of the controls. You have to focus so much on figuring out how the game works that it's impossible to get immersed in it.

The story elements don't link up at all with the gameplay, which is a big part of why it's so confusing to figure out. For example, you're no more likely to find a clue at the crime scene than in ANY other place in the game. A lot of things feel very luck based, and it's frustrating to realize a lot of things you were trying to do were just a waste of time and resources. The game does give you a lot of freedom in what you can do, but there aren't logical consequences for every type of action.

Everything you do in the game is done the same way (selectively spamming the interact button until you have enough data) and then solving a simple Guess Who logic puzzle. Before you understand how it works, it's confusing and jarring, and once you do, it's overly easy. There are a lot of interesting elements (like hunger meter and managing resources, factions, etc.) but without narrative to contextualize them, they feel empty. It seems like the game is mostly figuring out how the game works, instead of actually playing the game.

The Dinner Party mode is a condensed version (1 night in a house vs. a week in the whole city), which I actually found a lot more enjoyable. There's more of a real-time pressure, and it's easier to get immersed because the investigative style makes more sense on this scale. The "madness" mechanic (essentially, the other characters will sometimes want to shoot you) makes you stay in the moment and keep moving throughout the house. However, again, once you figure out how it works, it gets old quick.

If I'm a little harsh on this game, it's because it has such fantastic potential and concept that got me really excited, and it simply doesn't deliver. I wish the devs kept it gestating a little longer, and spent as much time on integrating story as they did with coming up with (frankly really interesting) game mechanics. Yes, you can play over and over. Unfortunately, it doesn't really make you /want/ to.

Better than the reviews say. It's a very fun game and is pretty fun to replay as well. Eventhough there are no other cases to tackle, besides the Dinner Party, it is still some pretty good fun. And solving a case is pretty rewarding, and bonuses are given after doing/completing certain things.

Addicting and brilliant!