Indie developer Finalblow has announced that 'Deadly Trick', their social deduction game, will be participating in the Steam Next Fest June Edition, kicking off on June 15th.

Deadly Trick is a social deduction game designed for 5 to 8 players in multiplayer. It boasts a unique gameplay structure where players investigate crime scenes to gather evidence and deduce, or, depending on the situation, take on the role of the culprit. During the event, you'll be able to experience Deadly Trick's core systems without restriction through the provided demo build on Steam.

In the game, all players start as 'Whites' and must complete 'Classroom Activities' within a time limit. If the time runs out, all players lose, making it crucial to divide roles and cooperate to extend survival time. While the time attack format increases the limit as Classroom Activities are completed, teamwork can crumble if the hidden 'Mastermind' disrupts proceedings, diminishing the chances of collective survival.

When collective victory becomes uncertain, Whites are presented with the option of betrayal. If a White acquires a murder weapon, their role shifts to 'Black'. A Black player wins solo if they can eliminate other players and are not identified as the culprit during the trial. Consequently, players face the pressure of choosing whether to cooperate until the very end within the time limit, or to betray and survive alone.

Beyond the Black role, Deadly Trick also features a 'Mastermind'. The Mastermind's objective is to prevent the Whites from escaping. They hide among the Whites, disrupting Classroom Activities and, if necessary, can even facilitate the conversion of a specific player into a Black by passing them a murder weapon. The Mastermind acts as a playmaker, sowing chaos and creating cracks in the cooperative structure.

When an incident occurs, the game transitions to the 'Classroom Trial' phase to identify the culprit. Unlike typical social deduction games, Deadly Trick's rule is that if the culprit is not precisely identified, all Whites lose. As a single trial can determine survival or defeat, players must meticulously analyse clues and engage in heated discussion to deduce the culprit.

Following an incident, players enter the investigation phase, directly exploring the scene and surrounding areas to collect clues. These clues contain specific information such as when, where, and what actions a particular player took. Due to the limited investigation time, it's difficult for one player to examine all clues. Therefore, players must share their findings and cross-reference them with clues presented by others to approach the truth of the incident. Conversely, Black and Mastermind players can provide false information or create confusion to conceal their actions.

During the Classroom Trial, collected clues can be presented as 'Propositions' and shared with other players. Propositions are treated as established facts during the trial and serve as key evidence that influences the flow of discussion. This ensures Deadly Trick's trials revolve around deduction based on evidence and logic. Players must synthesise the clues they've gathered with propositions from others to find the true culprit amidst limited information. Each character possesses unique special abilities, which can be strategically employed in both cooperative and betrayal scenarios. Players will experience the fun of manipulating the game to their advantage by utilising these abilities appropriately.