Scapegoat & Rational

Story overview: A string of mysterious child disappearances grips a small town. Four children vanish without a trace, and a distress call leads to the former lord’s lakeside mansion, a place three days on foot with no route recorded. The mansion, long rumored to be cursed, has claimed lives of anyone who entered a decade ago. Investigator Reacher and his assistant Cielle join a rescue team that includes the town’s mayor, a town official, a sheriff, a Pastor, a scholar obsessed with the supernatural, and a renowned diviner. As the search unfolds, a team member is murdered without any sign of entry or escape from the mansion. Is the curse real—or is the killer hidden among them? While solving the mansion’s puzzles and racing to rescue the children, Reacher uncovers a buried tragedy beneath the dark legacy lingering in the halls.

What you do: Scapegoat & Rational blends mystery storytelling with evidence gathering and escape-style puzzles. You’ll investigate, collect clues, and piece together the truth behind the disappearances and the mansion’s haunting history.

Two play modes:

• Key Evidence Mode (designed by Lester): Mark important clues and suspicions as key evidence during the investigation. Gather enough to unlock the full truth.
• Story Mode: All key evidence is highlighted automatically. Before the ending, you must match each question to the correct evidence to reveal the truth.

Puzzle count and pacing: Solve 19 intricate puzzles scattered throughout the mansion. This title emphasizes puzzle-driven progression, with a built-in system to help you stay oriented.

Puzzle support: Each puzzle includes a hint system. You can check for missing clues, view hints after collecting all clues, and access full solutions if needed to ensure smooth progression.

Accessibility and language: The game supports Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English. Language can be switched in the Options menu. Note: the English version has some UI elements localized to Chinese, and one puzzle uses an English acrostic interpretation that is provided directly in English.

Experience notes: There are no chase sequences, only mild scare elements. Expect 3–8 hours of playtime depending on puzzle difficulty and reading pace. A built-in objective tracker and story recap help you stay on course.

Additional information: If the game becomes unresponsive, simply close and restart to resolve the issue. Streaming is fully allowed; streamers are encouraged to share playthroughs, and fan works are welcome with advance permission. An official English walkthrough is in production.