Dry Drowning

Lore & Background

The game is set in the fictional totalitarian city Nova Polemos in Europe in 2066. Players control private investigator Mordred Foley, who, along with partner Hera Kairis, previously sent serial killers Jennifer Kingston and Robert Herrington to the electric chair. After their agency was investigated for falsifying evidence, the pair seeks to restart their careers while confronting past traumas. Mordred becomes involved in cases suggesting the return of a serial killer named Pandora, all while a racist political party threatens refugees in the city.

Reader's Guide

Dry Drowning received mixed or average reviews on PC and generally favorable reviews on Nintendo Switch according to Metacritic. OpenCritic reported fair approval, with 55% of critics recommending it. Reviewers praised its stylish noir thriller story and layered character relationships but noted mechanical limitations and a lack of genuine shock compared to top-tier visual novels. The game won Best of EGS 2019 and Best of JOIN 2019 awards, received an honorable mention at GAMEROME, and was nominated for Best Italian Debut Game at the Italian Video Game Awards 2020. Its significance lies in its ambitious branching narrative—over 150 story branches and three endings—and its integration of point-and-click clue-finding and interrogation mechanics, inspired by titles like L.A. Noire and Ace Attorney.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally written in Italian and translated into English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and German.
• The soundtrack was composed, written, and performed by Giorgio Maioli, with piano pieces by Alessandro Masi.
• The developers cited L.A. Noire, Ace Attorney, Blade Runner, and Heavy Rain as inspirations.