When cognitive disorders can distort crime scenes and twist testimony, even truth itself is impossible to trust
BEIJING — 15 September 2026 — Psycho-Sleuth, a psychological mystery visual novel from developer PHOSEPO and publishers Thermite Games and Smilegate STOVE, will launch on Thursday, 5 November 2026 on Steam and STOVE.
A mysterious cult known as Li has seized control of a gothic cathedral, and thirteen “Afflicted Ones” have been summoned into its trial: kill without getting caught, and ascend to godhood.
Each Afflicted carries a rare cognitive disorder, and each capable of bending reality in a different way. One participant’s OCD makes lying physically impossible for anyone near them. Another’s spatial neglect erases evidence from an entire side of a room. A third’s prosopagnosia blurs every face into anonymity, witness and killer alike.
Beyond defining each character, these Disease Abilities directly alter what players see and how they experience the investigation, distorting crime scenes and casting doubt on every testimony. Cut through the noise in Debate Mode, judging statements on the fly and striking back with the right clue at the right moment. Since its unveiling, Psycho-Sleuth’s demo has drawn strong praise at international showcases including Busan Indie Connect Festival and gamescom 2026, and will return to the show floor at the Smilegate STOVE booth during Tokyo Game Show 2026.
Key Features
- Solve a Mystery Shaped by Perception: Cognitive disorders can distort investigations in real time, turning perception itself into a variable players can never fully trust.
- Cross Paths with 13 Afflicted Characters: Each with a unique ability tied to their condition, from erased evidence to faces no one can recognize.
- Enter a World of Murder and Suspense: Every trial ends in a punishment shaped by the culprit’s own twisted mind.
- Immerse in High Production Values, From Story to Sound: Over 500,000 characters of script, fully voiced key scenes, 40+ CGs, dozens of 3D backgrounds, expressive Live2D animation, and more than 50 original compositions bring the investigation to life.
“I’ve always loved mystery games like Danganronpa and Ace Attorney, and I always wanted to make one of our own,” says Xiaolu, Producer, PHOSEPO. “But with Psycho-Sleuth, we didn’t want to simply follow the traditional formula, so we built cognitive disorder directly into the mystery itself. Players aren’t just asking who’s lying anymore. They have to ask whether anything they’ve seen or heard can be trusted at all.”Psycho-Sleuth will launch on 5 November with support for English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages. For more information, visit the Steam Store Page and follow @PHOSEPO_INC on X. Wishlist it now, and get ready to enter a world where perception itself is the murder weapon.
About PHOSEPO
PHOSEPO is a five-person independent development team behind Rail of Möbius. Psycho-Sleuth is their latest title, continuing their focus on richly performed narrative and character-driven mystery.
About Smilegate STOVE
Smilegate is a global game development and publishing company headquartered in South Korea with regional offices in the United States, Canada, China, and Europe. Its flagship franchise ‘CROSSFIRE’ is one of the largest and most successful franchises in gaming history with more than 1 billion registered PC and mobile users to-date and over 8 million concurrent players and 20 million monthly active users across 80 countries. Learn more by visiting Smilegate.com.
About Thermite Games
Thermite Games is a publishing company behind hit titles such as Tales of the Neon Sea, LONESTAR, House of Legacy and more. Founded in 2020, Thermite Games consists of young, passionate gamers and industry professionals.
