Become an investigator in Keyword, a narrative thriller where you’ll depend on skills of logical deduction, hacking, and social engineering to solve challenging puzzles as the only means of finding your missing daughter.
The game's core gameplay tasks players with taking on the role of a private investigator searching for their missing daughter. Instead of traditional adventure game mechanics, the developers have implemented a unique set of investigative tools and techniques. Players must hack into social media accounts, emails, and other digital information sources to uncover leads. Furthermore, the game extensively utilizes binoculars, enabling players to spy on the apartments and lives of the characters to gather additional clues and context. This blend of digital sleuthing and physical observation creates an engaging, immersive detective experience.
Players widely praise the game's puzzles as being logical, challenging, and satisfying to solve. The puzzles do not rely on "moon logic" or unrealistic solutions; instead, they require players to use deductive reasoning, careful observation, and creative thinking to piece together the necessary information. Many reviews highlight the rewarding feeling of progress as players advance through the investigation by cracking these cleverly designed puzzles.
To assist players who may get stuck, the game features a robust hint system that provides varying levels of guidance. Players can choose to receive gentle nudges in the right direction or more explicit solutions, allowing them to customize the level of challenge to their preference. Reviewers appreciate this flexibility, as it enables them to maintain a sense of accomplishment while still progressing the story.
An important gameplay mechanic is the in-game note-taking system, which allows players to jot down observations, clues, and other relevant information. Reviewers highlight this feature as an intuitive and immersive way to engage with the game, further reinforcing the player's role as a detective.
Many players praise the game's ability to encourage creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Rather than following linear puzzle solutions, the game allows players to experiment with different approaches, often rewarding them for unexpected actions. Reviewers express a sense of satisfaction when their intuitive problem-solving leads to unexpected, yet satisfying, breakthroughs in the investigation.