Ghost or Trick

Ghost or Trick is an adventure visual novel with anime/manga art, released in 2021 for Windows. Players navigate a fixed/flip-screen world as a detective solving mysteries through narrative-driven gameplay. The game features multiple endings and a commercial business model, offering a blend of mystery and visual storytelling.

Ghost or Trick: Review

Introduction

In the ever-expanding landscape of interactive storytelling, few gems emerge as quietly as Ghost or Trick. Developed by Soltoria and published by Apollosoft Inc., this 2021 Windows release represents a fascinating, if understated, entry into the detective-adventure genre. While its title invites inevitable comparisons to Capcom’s acclaimed Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Ghost or Trick carves its own niche as a compact, choice-driven mystery. This review delves into the game’s enigmatic world, examining its narrative ambition, mechanical design, and place in the annals of video game history. Despite its obscurity, Ghost or Trick offers a compelling, if imperfect, journey through supernatural deduction, proving that even the smallest spirits can leave an indelible mark.

Development History & Context

Ghost or Trick emerged from Soltoria, a studio with little prior public presence, in partnership with publisher Apollosoft Inc. Released on April 23, 2021, exclusively for Windows, the game arrived during a period dominated by expansive open-world experiences and live-service titles. Its existence stands as a deliberate counterpoint—a return to the focused, narrative-driven traditions of classic point-and-click adventures. The official blurb hints at a “novel adventure game about the mystery of a ghost that appears in a villa,” suggesting a vision rooted in atmospheric tension and player agency.

Technically, the game operates as a straightforward commercial release without the complexities of modern monetization. Its fixed/flip-screen visual novel interface and menu-based systems reflect a deliberate, low-fidelity aesthetic, prioritizing accessibility over graphical prowess. This design choice aligns with the gaming landscape of the time, where smaller studios often embraced retro-inspired aesthetics to stand out amid AAA productions. While the sources provide no direct insight into the development team’s inspirations, the game’s premise of ghostly deception clearly draws from the rich tradition of supernatural detective fiction, filtered through the interactive lens of visual novels.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its core, Ghost or Trick presents a tightly woven mystery set in “a world slightly different from our own.” The narrative centers on a nobleman’s villa where an inexplicable ghostly phenomenon occurs. Players assume the role of Jake or Jessica, a newly minted detective’s assistant assigned to work alongside the enigmatic Arthur—a detective described as “of beauty”—for a mere seven days. The central question—Is it a “real ghost” or the work of a “human”?—drives the entire experience. This binary framing establishes a compelling tension between the supernatural and the mundane, forcing players to scrutinize every clue through dual lenses of skepticism and belief.

The narrative structure is episodic, with the player’s choices directly guiding Arthur’s investigation and the story’s resolution. Multiple endings, as noted in the game’s specifications, ensure replayability, though the sources provide no details on their narrative impact or thematic significance. Characters like the nobleman and the ghost remain tantalizingly undefined in available documentation, suggesting a reliance on player interpretation to fill narrative gaps. Thematically, the game explores deception and perception—ghosts as metaphors for hidden truths and the fragility of human perception. However, without deeper source material, these themes remain underdeveloped, leaving the narrative feeling more like a framework than a fully realized world.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Ghost or Trick operates as a traditional visual novel, emphasizing exploration, dialogue, and choice. Players navigate through static scenes by interacting with hotspots, gathering clues, and conversing with NPCs. The game’s interface relies on menu structures for inventory management and dialogue selection, a functional but unremarkable approach typical of its genre. The core loop involves investigating the villa, uncovering evidence, and making decisions that alter Arthur’s path—though the extent of these branching narratives remains unclear from the provided sources.

A standout feature is the game’s “multiple endings,” which promise significant replay value. This mechanic rewards thorough investigation and careful choice-making, though the sources offer no insight into how choices impact the narrative or character fates. Character progression appears minimal, as the game focuses on episodic storytelling rather than traditional leveling or skill acquisition. Notably, the gameplay avoids the puzzle-heavy mechanics of similarly titled games (e.g., Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective’s time-manipulation puzzles), instead prioritizing narrative discovery. While this simplicity ensures accessibility, it also risks leaving players wanting more interactivity or challenge.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The game’s setting—a “certain city in a certain country” with a villa at its heart—is intentionally vague, inviting players to project their own interpretations onto the world. This ambiguity serves the mystery’s theme of hidden truths, though it results in a lack of concrete world-building details. The art direction leans heavily into anime/manga aesthetics, with character designs and environments adhering to stylized conventions. While visually charming, the fixed/flip-screen presentation limits environmental dynamism, reinforcing the game’s static, story-first approach.

Sound design remains a significant blind spot in the available sources. No details are provided about the game’s audio, including music, voice acting, or ambient effects. This omission is critical, as sound plays a vital role in establishing atmosphere and emotional tone in supernatural narratives. Without this context, the game’s world feels visually defined but aurally underdeveloped, potentially dampening immersion.

Reception & Legacy

Ghost or Trick appears to have flown largely under the radar upon release. The MobyGames entry and Steam community discussions reveal a modest, niche audience, with no mainstream critical reviews cited in the sources. Steam community posts highlight practical concerns, such as translation issues and technical bugs (e.g., word-spacing errors in the log), suggesting a launch that was functional but unpolished. One player notes, “The current English translation is a bit off,” pointing to localization challenges that may have hindered the game’s accessibility.

Commercially, the game has not left a discernible mark, with no sales figures or widespread acclaim recorded. Its legacy thus far is one of obscurity—a footnote in the broader detective-adventure genre. However, its existence as a self-contained, choice-driven mystery offers a glimpse into the potential for smaller studios to explore supernatural themes in interactive formats. While unlikely to achieve cult status like its more famous namesake, Ghost or Trick represents a valiant attempt to innovate within its constraints.

Conclusion

Ghost or Trick is a game of intriguing potential and unfulfilled promise. Its supernatural premise, choice-driven narrative, and anime-inspired aesthetic provide a solid foundation for a compelling mystery, yet its execution suffers from a lack of depth in world-building, mechanical innovation, and polish. The game succeeds in creating a tense, choice-laden atmosphere but falters in translating that atmosphere into a fully engaging experience. As a standalone entry, it stands as a curious artifact—a reminder that even modest projects can offer unique perspectives on interactive storytelling.

While it may never achieve the acclaim of contemporaries or inspire genre-defining innovations, Ghost or Trick deserves recognition for its ambition. It carves a niche as a compact, accessible mystery for fans of visual novels, proving that compelling narratives need not require grand scale. In the pantheon of video game history, it occupies a quiet corner—a testament to the enduring appeal of supernatural deduction and the unyielding allure of a good ghost story. For players seeking a brief, atmospheric dive into the unknown, Ghost or Trick offers a worthwhile, if imperfect, haunting.