Paper Perjury is a Laid Back Detective Visual Novel Perfect for Beginners

It always sucks being the work newbie. You’ve got to learn the ropes, memorize new names and faces, not to mention prove yourself to everyone. Thankfully, for Paper Perjury’s protagonist, it doesn’t take long for her to prove that she’s good at her job. 

In Paper Perjury from Paper Cat Games, you play as Justina, the newly hired clerk at the Azure City Police Department who is happily filing paperwork when she discovers a discrepancy in a case. Despite her disinterest in getting involved, she is soon roped into helping two police detectives with what unexpectedly becomes a murder investigation. 

Players familiar with the mechanics of detective visual novels like Ace Attorney will feel very much at home in Paper Perjury. Each case will have different sections where you'll investigate, gather evidence, take witness statements, dispute and more. After you pull together enough evidence, you’ll be able to question suspects in order to help bolster previously gathered evidence. Once you’ve worked through everything in the investigation, you’ll make an accusation and move the story forward. 

While the game clearly takes inspiration from Ace Attorney it is significantly more laid back in terms of difficulty. There isn’t really any kind of punishment for getting something wrong, so you’re free to make blind guesses if that’s what it takes to get the information that you need. And because of this, you’re unlikely to find yourself getting stuck again and again making this a great entry point for players wanting to get into the genre.  

Paper Perjury has a stunning art style with beautiful characters that make its story come to life. The game offers five interconnected cases that will help expose even bigger mysteries as you solve them. Explore Azure City’s largest investment firm and expose the many crimes being committed there. The game also features a fantastic soundtrack to help get players in the mood for some exciting twists and turns. 

Paper Perjury is available on PC right now. If you’d like to try it out before taking the plunge, its first case is available completely for free on Steam right now.

by Becca Smith