Insecticide
Overview
Game Concept
In Insecticide, players assume the role of Montgomery, a meticulous moth mortician with a knack for uncovering hidden truths. While traveling aboard the luxurious but eerie Nightwing Express, Montgomery awakens to the shocking discovery of a fellow passenger's murder. Trapped on the moving train with a colorful cast of insect passengers, he must use his forensic expertise and keen observational skills to solve the mystery before the train reaches its final destination.
As tensions rise and alliances shift, Montgomery partners with a sharp-witted fellow passenger to gather evidence, interrogate suspects, and piece together the series of events leading to the crime. Players explore the train's compartments, examine crime scenes for clues, and interact with quirky insect characters. Using Montgomery’s expertise as a mortician, players analyze evidence such as wounds, body conditions, and environmental factors to reconstruct the murder scenario. The game challenges players to solve environmental puzzles, uncover alibis, and make deductions through dialogue-driven investigations. Every choice and discovery brings them closer to identifying the murderer—or becoming their next target.
Genre: RPG, Mystery, Puzzle, Romance, Horror
Platform: PC, Console (Switch)
Target Audience: Fans of narrative-driven games, puzzle games, murder mysteries, and romance (ages 12+).
Unique Selling Point: A noir-inspired world with anthropomorphic insect characters, time-sensitive puzzles, dynamic character relationships, and romance options.
Story
Plot
Montgomery, a moth mortician, boards the prestigious Nightwing Express, expecting a peaceful journey. However, the trip takes a dark turn when a prominent passenger is found dead. As paranoia and mistrust spread, Montgomery must navigate complex personal relationships and uncover hidden motives. Along the way, he can form deep connections with certain passengers, including potential romantic partners. Balancing personal feelings with professional duties, Montgomery races to solve the case before the train reaches its destination.
Act 1 – Day One: Discovery
Montgomery boards the Nightwing Express and is introduced to the train's grandeur and its diverse passengers. He acquaints himself with a few key characters, forming initial impressions and alliances. The peace is shattered when a scream echoes through the train. The body of a high-profile passenger is discovered. The conductor, Dahlia, asks Montgomery to assist with the investigation due to his expertise as a mortician. Initial evidence is collected, and passengers provide their first testimonies, many of which contain contradictions or half-truths. Clues suggest that the victim's death may be part of a larger plot.
Act 2 – Day Two: Uncovering the Past
Montgomery delves deeper into the mystery by questioning passengers and analyzing new evidence. Relationships with passengers begin to evolve. Players can choose to build trust or cause tension through dialogue choices. Romantic opportunities emerge as Montgomery spends more time with key characters, learning their secrets and personal struggles. The investigation takes a turn when another critical event occurs (e.g., sabotage in the engine room or an attempted attack on a witness). Tensions rise among passengers, with paranoia spreading. Montgomery must manage both social dynamics and time-sensitive events. Clues reveal connections between the passengers and the victim, hinting at motives such as revenge, betrayal, or hidden debts. Puzzles and environmental obstacles block access to crucial evidence in restricted areas like the storage car and engine room.
Act 3 – Day Three: The Truth Revealed
Montgomery gathers all evidence and reconvenes the key passengers for a final confrontation. Players must piece together the clues on their "Clue Board" to correctly accuse the murderer and present a compelling case. Depending on the player’s investigative success and relationship choices, different endings may unfold. Romantic arcs reach their climax, with partners offering support or making sacrifices based on their bond with Montgomery. The killer's full motive and the backstory surrounding the murder are unveiled. Players can choose to arrest, expose, or negotiate with the culprit. The train arrives at its final destination. Passengers reflect on the events, and Montgomery’s choices determine both his legacy and his future relationships.
Setting
The Nightwing Express is a grand train designed with a fusion of art deco and eco-futurism aesthetics. Its interiors feature sleek, geometric lines, warm metallics, and stained glass motifs inspired by nature. The eco-futurist influence is reflected in lush, self-sustaining plant installations that provide both beauty and function, emphasizing harmony between technology and nature. The train is filled with various compartments and locations, including:
Characters
Montgomery (Protagonist): A reserved but sharp-minded moth mortician who gradually learns to open up through his interactions and relationships on the train.
Dahlia (Spider Conductor): The train’s enigmatic and authoritative conductor, whose professional facade hides personal struggles.
Gavin (Grasshopper Engineer): A fast-moving and highly analytical engineer responsible for maintaining the train’s systems. His agility and quick thinking make him invaluable during emergencies.
Gerald (Millipede Head Chef): The commanding head chef, known for his precision and strict standards. He is deeply proud of the train’s culinary reputation.
Flynn (Fly Sous Chef): The lively and energetic sous chef, always multitasking and cracking jokes in the kitchen car. Despite his carefree attitude, he is fiercely loyal to Gerald.
Edwin, Edwin II, Edmund, and Edwina (Beetle Attendant Twins): Four beetle siblings who serve as attendants on the train. Known for their perfect coordination and synchronized behavior, they often add a humorous touch to tense situations.
Victor (Hornet Security Officer): A stern but honorable guardian of the train, who grapples with trust issues and has a personal stake in the investigation.
Beatrice (Bee Entrepreneur): A resourceful and confident businesswoman with a keen sense of observation. Beatrice may hold crucial information but tends to prioritize her own interests. Her sharp wit and charm make her a potential ally or romantic interest for Montgomery.
Regina (Butterfly Socialite): A glamorous yet secretive figure who may become a romantic interest for Montgomery.
Theo (Firefly Assistant): A nervous but kind-hearted passenger who may find courage through his interactions with Montgomery.
Sylvia (Ladybug Historian): A curious and knowledgeable scholar who may help uncover the train's hidden lore and secrets.
Luna (Dragonfly Artist): An eccentric painter with a tendency to observe more than she reveals, providing cryptic but insightful clues through her artwork.
Carlos (Cicada Musician): A melancholic yet charming performer who captivates passengers with his music but carries a tragic past connected to the victim.
Dr. Miranda (Mosquito Doctor): The train’s physician, whose medical expertise is often called upon during crises. Despite her small size, she has a commanding presence and a no-nonsense attitude.
The Termite Family: A lowerclass termite family of five traveling to a reunion. The parents, Martha and Edgar, along with their three mischievous children, provide moments of light-hearted distraction but also hold key knowledge about events in the storage car.
Father Emmanuel (Mantis Priest): A contemplative priest who seems to know more about the passengers’ inner conflicts than he lets on. His calm demeanor hides a sharp intellect.
Augustus (Rhinoceros Beetle Veteran): A dignified veteran with a chivalrous code of honor. He acts as a protector for weaker passengers but struggles with memories of his past battles.
Clara (Damsel Fly Dancer): An elegant performer who travels between cities on the train. She has a talent for sensing subtle tensions among passengers, often overhearing critical information.
Each character has unique dialogue, secrets, and potential romantic arcs.
Gameplay Mechanics
Core Gameplay Loop
Explore train compartments and examine crime scenes, uncovering hidden clues and environmental storytelling elements.
Collect and analyze clues through interactive forensic mini-games, allowing players to reconstruct events and interpret evidence.
Interrogate passengers and manage relationships using a dynamic conversation system with branching dialogue and reputation tracking.
Solve environmental puzzles to access hidden areas, navigate shifting train conditions, and overcome environmental hazards.
Build romantic and platonic connections to unlock unique interactions, additional narrative branches, and secret endings.
Make deductions through a structured evidence board, linking collected clues to form hypotheses and reach conclusions.
React to time-sensitive events, such as sudden sabotage, attacks from hostile creatures, or changing train conditions, which impact progression.
Mechanics
Investigation Mode: Players can switch to a special vision mode to highlight evidence and environmental details.
Dialogue and Relationship System: Branching conversations where players choose responses that influence relationships, unlocking new storylines and romance paths.
Romance Scenes: Special interactive moments where Montgomery can develop deeper emotional connections with key passengers, impacting the investigation’s outcome.
Time-Sensitive Events: Certain puzzles and actions must be completed within a limited timeframe to prevent further murders or relationship damage.
Clue Board: A system where players piece together collected evidence to form theories.
Objectives
Identify the murderer by gathering and interpreting evidence. Save other passengers from potential harm. Build and maintain relationships, including potential romances, to gain trust and critical information.
Level Design
The game is divided into interconnected compartments on the Nightwing Express, each offering unique challenges, mysteries, and interactions. Level design emphasizes exploration, environmental storytelling, and dynamic interactions with the setting. The layout of the train evolves based on story progression, with areas unlocking as new evidence is discovered. Players will have to navigate environmental hazards, puzzle-based obstacles, and branching narrative moments that affect relationships and the mystery’s outcome.
Tutorial Phase: Introduces players to basic mechanics through a minor investigation. The player learns how to explore, interact with objects, analyze clues, and converse with passengers.
Main Investigation: Unlocks new areas as the story progresses, evidence is gathered, and relationships deepen. Puzzles become increasingly complex, requiring logical deductions, object interactions, and time-sensitive choices.
Environmental Challenges: Players must navigate shifting train conditions, such as unstable compartments, power failures, and surprise attacks from hostile insects or larger predators.
Romantic Milestones: Key locations host events where players can trigger special scenes with romantic partners. Choosing the right moment to interact influences the depth of relationships.
Hidden Areas: Secret compartments and storage areas hold key pieces of evidence, but require problem-solving and character interactions to access.
Final Showdown: A climactic confrontation where all evidence is presented, and the murderer is revealed. Relationship outcomes are also resolved, with the player’s choices leading to multiple possible endings.
Art Style
Art Direction
A fusion of solarpunk, eco-futurism, 70s aesthetics, and brutalism, creating a unique visual style. The train and environments feature sleek geometric forms, vibrant organic materials, and sustainable architecture, while incorporating rugged, monolithic structures inspired by brutalism. Romantic scenes use warm, ambient lighting and textured, expressive animations to enhance emotional depth.
Character Design
Anthropomorphic insect characters with exaggerated features that reflect their species and personalities. All characters will have expressive animations similar to Phoenix Wright and Ghost Trick characters, enhancing dialogue, investigation moments, and emotional scenes.
Environment
The lighting dynamically shifts to enhance the atmosphere of mystery, tension, and romance, with eerie shadows forming in underlit corridors, neon accents highlighting key areas, and organic greenery coexisting with harsh metallic structures. Weather and external environmental effects, such as rain pelting against glass ceilings or fog creeping through open-air sections, further amplify immersion and suspense. Each compartment features unique interactive elements, like shifting walls, hidden compartments, and destructible objects that react to player choices.
Sound & Music
Music
A soundtrack blending suspenseful and romantic pieces that shift in intensity based on player progress and relationship development. Additional influences include:
Synthwave and Psychedelic Rock: Enhancing the solarpunk and eco-futurist themes with dreamy, atmospheric, and futuristic tones.
Ambient and Organic Soundscapes: Integrating natural and synthetic elements to reflect the harmony between technology and nature, emphasizing the train’s self-sustaining environment.
Experimental and Minimalist Electronic: Creates a mechanical, structured soundscape for tense investigation and horror sequences.
Sound Effects
Emphasize train ambiance (clattering wheels, distant whistles), environmental interactions, and subtle audio cues for hidden clues.
Voice Acting
Character dialogue could be fully voiced to enhance immersion, with special emphasis on romantic scenes.
Technical Details
Game Engine: Godot