Solve a murder with your buddies (or sabotage them) in PS4’s smart new game, Hidden Agenda

Sony has revealed one of the most intriguing games of E3 2017… during its PS4 E3 press conference pre-show. Hidden Agenda is a murder mystery game which uses a new PS4 feature called Play Link. This is how it seems to work: a classic police murder investigation unfolds on the PS4, and an assembled team of four players - that’s you and your friends - make decisions about what happens via a phone app. You control the characters either by common consensus, or individual actions. Apparently the game is playable solo, but it’s designed for parties of people.

The twist here is that players will have - wait for it - hidden agendas that are sent direct to their phones, and they need to try and influence the game to get their own way. The beauty of Play Link seems to be the ability to present different players with different information on their second-screens (which you can then hide from your shifty-eyed buddies, who are trying to sneak a look). That works perfectly with a murder mystery like Hidden Agenda.

The story for the game itself seems like standard cop fare. You’re tracking down a killer known as ‘The Trapper’, who booby-traps his victims to kill first-responders. Grisly stuff. It’s made by the Until Dawn team, and features loads of possible outcomes, so you’re unlikely to get the same outcome twice. All the characters in it can die, and they can all survive - it’s all down to the choices you make. Interesting stuff. The game is out later in 2017. It might not be a blockbuster, but it’s a neat party title you should definitely keep an eye on.

Make sure you check out our full E3 2017 schedule to stay tuned for all the details as they arrive, and check out our roundup of all the E3 2017 trailers.