The Last Case of Benedict Fox asks a lot of its players, especially early on.

You’re dropped directly into the thick of an unfolding mystery with almost no background, but the more you play this Lovecraftian Metroidvania, the more the game’s otherworldly narrative starts to come into focus.

Packed with the sort of puzzles that may have you putting actual pencil to actual paper, loaded with fantastical settings and unsettling creatures, at its heart, The Last Case of Benedict Fox are the realization of freshly minted developer Plot Twist and its love of weaving a good yarn.

“We are a creative group that really appreciates a good storyline in the games we play,” said Bartłomiej Lesiakowski, Creative Director of Plot Twist. “We’ve gathered so many ideas during our software years; it would just be a shame if they all ended up in a drawer. So when we decided on making a new game, we wanted to try this story-rich approach.”

Plot Twist came to life out of the foundation of Awesome Industries, a Polish studio that focused on mobile games. A few years back, inspired by the early ideas behind Benedict Fox, the group decided to shift its focus and formed Plot Twist.
 

“In some ways, our game tries things that are not that popular inside of the genre,” Lesiakowski said. “Metroidvanias and a focus on storytelling don’t usually go hand in hand, and it has been very freeing that we can try our spin on the genre. Luckily, both partners we’ve teamed up with working on Benedict, our publisher Rogue Games, and Xbox, are extremely supportive in that matter. Our partners constructively advise us without pressure. This allows us to focus on delivering an experience as immersive and as full of atmosphere as we can.”

The idea for the game actually came from a dream Lesiakowski had about the character back in 2015. He said he played around with the idea of creating a comic book, a 2D pixel art game, even a Dungeons & Dragons adventure before settling on its current form.

The team decided to make the game a Metroidvania after spending time trying to create a much more linear game, he said.

“But after we started concepting limbo–the dimension representing human psyche–it became clear to us that it’s so maze-like that a Metroidvania would probably fit the best,” he said.

In The Last Case of Benedict Fox, players take on the role of a demon-possessed detective in the 1920s, trying to unravel a very personal sort of mystery. He quickly finds himself delving into the very psyche of the dead. Soon, players are hopping between a sprawling mansion in the real world looking for clues and seeking help and a Lovecraftian Limbo where you have to battle bizarre demons made of a strange substance nicknamed ink.

The game’s slightly warped, sometimes elongated art is inspired by Tim Burton creations and movies like Coraline, Lesiakowski said.

“This style, in combination with darker, more mature themes and environments, creates a very intriguing mix,” he said. “We love working with such big contrasts; it is always interesting to see this friction between a cartoony style and the gothic dark and grim tone while still being very colorful.”

The music of the game uses an intriguing form of jazz.

“We knew that any kind of generic or modern music would ruin the immersion, and we wanted the players to feel like they are a detective in the 1920s,” Lesiakowski said. “So we started searching for jazzy but also horror-like sounds. It was a long and complicated process. Jazz from 1920 was too cheerful, and modern jazz is a bit too complicated for a game and the story we are aiming for, so we had to balance it out a bit. We feel like, finally, we found a sweet spot.”

And the world in which the game is set feels almost boundless.

“We didn’t exactly plan to create such a world, but the more questions we asked ourselves about motives and background of certain characters, the more details we filled it with,” Lesiakowski said. “We have probably much more written down than we will have a chance to put in the game, but maybe that’s a good thing. “

The game feels fairly evenly split between platforming and combat, and the need to decipher the many puzzles that help to mark the game’s unique story.

To overcome the challenges found inside Limbo, players will end up seeking help from a number of odd folks who take up residence in the mansion that serves as the game’s hub. The Weaponsmith can improve your flare gun and bayonet (the chief physical weapons you’ll rely on in the game. 

There’s also a mysterious Tattooist who refers to you as “her beautiful canvas” who eventually turns the “ink” you collect from the creatures you defeat in Limbo into a sleeve of tattoos on both arms. Each element of the sleeves delivering powerful augmentation to your demon.

Lesiakowski said the idea for the tattoos came out of discussions about the creatures you battle in Limbo.

“We were concepting the demons, and we asked ourselves a question: ‘OK, but what are they made of?’” he said. “One of the concepts suggested a substance that resembled ink. The name stuck, and we doubled down on the idea. So, if the players defeat an enemy and gather ink from them, what could he do with this ink? Tattoos! And since he has a demon inside of him, he could use more of this demonic ink to enhance their connection to gain new skills. Just like with the worldbuilding, we ended up with more than we initially thought we needed.”

Her tattoos deliver a plethora of demon-infused powers, like the ability to triple jump on occasion or grab an enemy with ink-slick tentacles and slam them into the ground.

You can also visit Harry Houdini, who has set up shop in the Library, to purchase upgrades for healing Miracle Water, smoke bombs, and a device that can temporarily turn you into impervious stone. 

“To set the 1920s theme in the world of the game, we decided to add some historical figures,” Lesiakowski said. “At first, we were thinking about making H.P. Lovecraft himself the merchant, but later on found out that he was friends with Harry Houdini. They actually used to work together. We liked the idea that someone who was known for demystifying magicians at night would be an underground merchant of mysterious and powerful artifacts. He had the perfect cover.”

You’ll use these abilities, as well as some decrypting devices, to help make your way through the twisted world of the game’s Limbo and the secret organization that seems to be tapping into it. You’ll also come across a creation that garnered a lot of attention when it was spotted in the game’s trailer: Locks made of a gruesome mix of rancid gums, cracked teeth, and gnarled fingers. 

“The mouth made of fingers and teeth initially was supposed to be an environmental hazard,” Lesiakowski said. “We made great concept art for it, and then it just waited to be used in the game… and it waited… and we kind of forgot about it. Later, when in dire need of ideas for some organic-like materials for the door, we came across this concept again, and it all suddenly made sense. Not in the form of mini-games, but players will find a lot of creepy and unnerving stuff in the game.”

When it all comes together, The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a genuinely different, entertaining romp that manages to seamlessly entwine the non-linearity exploration of a Metroidvania with a narratively-driven puzzle-heavy mystery of a good Lovecraftian tale.

You can pick up The Last Case of Benedict Fox now on Epic Games Store.