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Danganronpa sickos like me will never stop asking for a new one, even if we understand why that's unlikely to actually happen. Which is why I have to applaud Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter, which has a Steam Next Fest demo, for carrying the torch forward. Developed by Mango Factory, the opening of this killing game murder mystery feels like playing a Danganronpa fan game, and I seriously mean that with love. Our Steam Next Fest guide details everything you need to know about this season's demos.
It's great to see a take on the Danganronpa-flavored killing game format from a fresh perspective with new creatives. After all, while some thought The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, from some of the Danganronpa creators, was veering too close to that series at first, post-launch it became clear it was actually a very different thing. As great as that game is (with plenty of nods towards killing games), it does mean some fans are left wondering where they can get another game like Danganronpa. This dev studio's answer was to make its own!
Spark Joy Chaos
Let's start with the massive similarities to Danganronpa, a murder mystery killing game that sees a group of students – each an 'Ultimate' in some field (such as Ultimate Programmer) – trapped in Hope's Peak Academy and forced to play a killing game to escape. In Kumitantei, a group of 'Absolutes' are trapped in the elite Janus Institute and forced to play a killing game. Even the presentation, how you explore, UI, and character designs nods towards Danganronpa an awful lot.
Yet, there's also plenty that sets Kumitantei apart from its inspiration. While some of the characters feel like they're riffing on Danganronpa character type mainstays, there are some real fun and unique characterizations here. There's the upper class Shigure Ogasawara, the Absolute Meteorologist, who's always clutching an umbrella. There's Benjiro Minesuga, the tiny Absolute Beekeeper always surrounded by his hive.
I also love that our main character, Himari Sanada, is the Absolute Barista – it already feels like it gives her a unique perspective. In the best way, it's like a game made up of everyone's unique Danganronpa OCs. I also find the little watercolor portraits for each character in their bond menu quite charming.
Crucially, Kumitantei is set in the 1980s, and at the moment the historical setting seems to be adding plenty of color to the atmosphere. The Janus Institute they're trapped in appears to be even older, and clues tease important plot threads that in turn link back to the 1950s. I really like this generational approach, and even though this demo just gives us access to the very opening of the game I'm pretty curious about where it will go.
Which means I've also not seen any murder mysteries play out, or any of the retro mini-games mentioned on the store page. I have tried the Battle Mode demo, a taster of a card-based persuasion game about playing winning suits and scoring higher than your opponent to gain an advantage on a sliding health scale. Maybe I'm not used to it, but I didn't find this part nearly as compelling as the storytelling, and I hope class trials won't involve this too heavily. I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds. Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter is set to have its first episode release into early access Q3 2025.
