Among the more surprisingly well-represented subgenres out in the eShop, I’d say that mystery games are a real contender. Fitting best under the banner of Adventure, they simply have a flavor of their own, but it has also been surprising to see how many variations there have been over the past generation plus. Aside from the obvious titles that have detectives from classic literature attached, including the likes of Holmes and Poirot, there have been all sorts of unassociated ones as well. 

Pretty well immediately setting itself apart between its classic noir visual style and its time-looping gameplay, The Posthumous Investigation’s premise is a fun one. You’ve been tasked with solving the murder of a well-known local businessman by the victim himself. As odd as this may be, especially when you’ll spend a fair amount of time discussing the case with the deceased, it absolutely makes for a very different style of detective work. Sure, you’ll still need to search for clues, and talk to different associates of his, but since every day plays out in real time you’ll also need to track down what people were busy doing the day after the murder, and try to eavesdrop on conversations they’re trying to have away from prying ears.

One unfortunate weakness with this format though is the game’s pretty strictly-controlled order that certain things need to be done in. It isn’t unusual to feel like you’re ahead of the curve while investigating some of the suspects, but without having some key conversation or finding some bit of evidence first, you’ll have no option to advance any theories, and this can be aggravating or feel like you’re wasting your time a bit, having to do everything on the game’s internal schedule for everything. The fact that some revelations may feel a bit telegraphed only serves to exacerbate that issue, but I suppose that’s dependent on the player so it may not be something everyone will bump into. Regardless of some shortcomings, it’s among the more unique mystery titles on the system, and well worth a look for fans of the subgenre.