Finalblow Co. has launched its social deduction game Deadly Trick, which secured partial funding through Kickstarter last September, onto Steam Early Access on July 31st.
Deadly Trick was initially planned to enter Early Access on July 14th, but the developers had to postpone its release due to complications during Steam’s internal review process. As a gesture of apology for the unforeseen delay, Finalblow is providing a 15% discount on the game’s Early Access edition for the first two weeks post-launch.
Comparable to the widely acclaimed multiplayer mystery Among Us, Deadly Trick is tailored for groups of five to eight players. Each participant focuses on completing tasks to escape the game’s setting, a perilous classroom within an abandoned school. Unlike traditional Werewolf-style games, there is no fixed “killer” role; instead, players have the liberty to either collaborate or betray one another to secure victory. If a player chooses to harm their peers, they are labeled a “Shadow,” contrasting with the innocent “White” players.
When a player assumes the Shadow role and eliminates others, the game transitions to a new phase upon the discovery of a body. All players, including the Shadow, are granted a limited time to investigate the crime scene and collect clues. Once the timer expires, the game shifts to a courtroom scenario resembling Danganronpa’s Class Trial, where players present their findings to identify the culprit. The Shadow can offer misleading testimony and evidence to mislead others. If the wrong player is accused, all innocent participants are eliminated, while the killer remains unscathed.
Adding complexity is the “Mastermind” role, where one non-Shadow player is incentivized to disrupt the innocent players and assist Shadows in evading justice, sharing in their triumph if successful.
While comparisons to Among Us are unavoidable, the developers’ Kickstarter page emphasizes their intent to craft a unique gameplay experience akin to multiplayer adaptations of single-player courtroom mysteries like Danganronpa and Ace Attorney. The Kickstarter page explicitly names Danganronpa as a key influence, with the creators stating their goal was “Could we create a Danganronpa you can actually play yourself?” As the developers suggest, the investigation mechanics are designed to ensure every player can contribute meaningfully and solve puzzles, keeping each round distinct and challenging.
Deadly Trick is now available on Steam via Early Access, with a full release expected later.
Related articles: