TGS2026: RD Remote Deduction Brings Realistic Desktop Sleuthing
The Tokyo Game Show 2026 is being held from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, with September 17 and 18 serving as business days. During the second day’s “KONAMI TGS2026 LIVE STREAM【DAY2】” broadcast on September 18, developer ZakuZaku Games introduced its new mystery title, RD Remote Deduction (『RDの遠隔推理』), and showcased live gameplay. The segment featured original author Abiko Takemaru, producer Manmaru, and director Tsuruta Koichi, who discussed the project’s design philosophy and demonstrated how its unconventional investigation system works in practice.
Described as a “desktop suspense” fully supervised by Abiko Takemaru, RD Remote Deduction casts the player as an older brother searching for his missing sister in Nagano Prefecture, using a computer to uncover the truth. The project originally began as a game designed to be made together with students, and the adventure genre was chosen for its accessibility. The developers also voiced a desire to promote Nagano. Abiko noted that one reason he was approached was that the pension featured in Kamaitachi no Yoru was modeled after an inn in Nagano’s Hakuba Village. He reportedly said he would not want to make it “if it were a normal game,” proposing the system that shaped the scenario.
Players never visit crime scenes directly. Instead, they search for information online and reason from what they gather. Progress revolves around collecting “D Words” (Detective Words) highlighted in blue; entering them into a search field leads to new articles that yield further D Words. Collecting blindly is not enough, however, as players must judge which terms connect to key information, though seemingly unrelated words can sometimes become unexpected clues. Time is limited in each session, reinforcing the realistic concept, while familiar-looking search engines and authentic-seeming news pages help sell the illusion of being online.
RD Remote Deduction appeared in demo form at TGS 2025, and the current version has been adjusted based on that feedback. Surveys were largely positive, with younger players praising its immersion, though some found the difficulty too strict, prompting time adjustments and scenario supplements by Abiko to aid deduction. Voice actor messages for five cast members were revealed. The title is exhibited at the indie corner of the Konami booth, where visitors can try it and receive stickers. It is planned for release within the year on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms. For fans of dialogue-driven detective games, this one is worth keeping on the radar.
