​Hidden Detective Opens for Playtesting—Can a Republican-Era Mystery Hook You?

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​Hidden Detective, a fully live-action interactive narrative produced by Dayu Kua You, Baina Qiancheng, Zhonghui Pictures, and Huanrui Planet, launched on Steam on August 20 as part of the 2026 Curator New Games Festival, with its first free demo open to all players. A new trailer launched alongside it. Fenglin Studio and Yixiangfeng Interactive Technology jointly published the game, directed by Li Mobai and starring Li Siyang, Chu Xu, Pan Mingyun, An Yongchang, Tian Yifan, Chen Guanying, and Ding Mu, among others.

The demo includes the prologue and part of Chapter One, giving players an early look at its premise and branching structure. Players take the role of agent Hu Yang and enter a Republican-era mystery set in the 1920s. The story begins with Hu Yang suffering from amnesia, giving the opening a clean suspense hook: a missing memory, repeated decisions, and a truth that Hu Yang must piece together. Its investigation structure recalls Japanese mystery games that reveal a case a piece at a time.

The live-action footage is built around player input. Hidden Detective places multiple choices, branching endings, and immersive QTE sequences directly inside its live-action footage. Choices come quickly, asking players to track relationships and anticipate how each decision may redirect the story. Miss a choice, and an important branch may disappear before you can explore it.

That structure will not appeal to everyone. Players accustomed to turn-based combat may find the interaction less immediate than fighting enemies or collecting equipment. But for anyone who enjoys completing every route, the branching design offers a similar incentive to explore every route and ending.

The game also includes two supporting systems: the Republican Era Encyclopedia and the Republican Era Diary. The encyclopedia automatically unlocks historical background information during the story, while the diary contains nearly 100,000 Chinese characters of written material covering Hu Yang's past and emotions. Together, they add context and character detail beyond the main plot, giving players optional material to consult between story scenes.

The demo's main limitation is its narrow scope. Live-action interactive games depend heavily on performances, camera direction, and the transitions between branches, yet this preview only covers the story's early trajectory. Hidden Detective first appeared in August 2021 and has now undergone five years of development. The team also carried out dedicated reshoots for newly added content at the end of 2025. We will have to wait for the full release to see whether that work produces a convincing final result.

The demo should appeal most to players looking for Republican-era suspense, live-action presentation, and multiple endings. It is also a sensible way to decide whether the game's pace of interaction fits your preferences before buying.

Hidden Detective is co-produced by Dayu Kua You, Baina Qiancheng, Zhonghui Pictures, and Huanrui Planet, and jointly published by Fenglin Studio and Yixiangfeng Interactive Technology. Li Mobai directs the game, whose full version is now nearing completion and will launch soon. For now, the demo costs nothing but your time.