3D pixel art top-down action mystery game GUN NOSE announced for PC

Pixel artist and independent game developer Addy Valentine has announced GUN NOSE, a 3D pixel art top-down action mystery game coming to PC. A Kickstarter campaign seeking $35,000 in funding was launched alongside the game’s announcement, which includes $200,000 and $400,000 stretch goals for PlayStation 4 and Switch ports, respectively. A release date was not announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Kickstarter page:

About

GUN NOSE is a top-down action mystery game set in the handcrafted, pixel art city of Ironwood. Play as the titular hero, Gun Nose, a robot detective with a mysterious past and a face that can kill. You’re on a mission to track down your missing creator by investigating a string of violent murders. The culprits? A group of Serial Murder-Bots disguised among the population.

Each case in the main story takes you deeper into the overgrown layers of the city. Cases are semi-procedural, featuring different victims, suspects, clues, and murderers each playthrough. To crack the case, you’ll need to interrogate suspects, analyze evidence, and identify the killer’s unique signature. But this isn’t some cozy walking sim, it’s dangerous! And your suspects won’t go down without a fight.

Combat is real-time and chaotic. As you close in on the truth, suspects may lash out with Psychic Hacks that summon ghost-like electrical projections designed to tear you apart.

Luckily, you’re not alone. With your quirky AI companion, the Jiminy Drive, and a cast of unlikely allies, you’ll set traps, unlock secrets, and confront a growing conspiracy that lies at the heart of the city.

Setting

Don’t let the retro aesthetic fool you, under the hood GUN NOSE is powered by modern design and tech.

As you explore the city of Ironwood, its residents go about their daily lives: shopping, eating, working, sleeping, and remembering what you do. Some may ask you to track down a lost dog. Others might challenge you to a race across town or beg you to deal with the dinosaurs eating trash behind their apartment.

But these aren’t filler NPCs. Every character in GUN NOSE is handcrafted with a unique design, personality, backstory, and schedule. You’ll get to know their habits, routines, and relationships.

Just don’t get too close.

Because in Ironwood, anyone can be a victim. Anyone can be the killer. And once they’re gone… they’re gone for good.

Characters

Within the chaos of this procedural city is a core cast of lively characters you’ll come to rely on to help you solve cases. But they’ve each got secrets of their own, and you’ll uncover them as the story behind your missing creator unfolds

• Dyna Might – The wide-eyed rookie assigned to your murder cases. With her knack for explosives, you’ll get more bang for your buckshot.
• Slack Ballista – An officer with sharp instincts and no patience for robots playing detective. Earn his respect, and he might have your back..
• Virgil – Lead sleuth behind the Bloodsucker’s Detective Agency. He’ll take any case for the right price-then dump it on you, his legally-owned property.
• Commissioner Crane – Tasked with cracking the MurderBot cases, she runs the department with a firm hand…. when she’s not busy looking for a date.
• The Gunsmith – Your enigmatic creator who has vanished without a trace.
• Jimini-Drive – Your wisecracking AI companion, programmed -by the Gunsmith to manage your internal 05 and run your detective systems.

Murder Bots

The Murder Bots are at the heart of every case in GUN NOSE, and no two are exactly alike.

Each one is designed around a specific motive and method, with unique behaviors and visual tells. They come in all shapes and sizes, but they’re always hiding in plain sight.

You’ll need to uncover their identity through interrogation and careful examination of the crime scene. Some leave behind clues. Others leave behind nothing at all. But knowing is only half the battle. Once you’ve pinned one down, you still have to take them down.

We’re planning a wide variety of models to challenge you, and we’ll be showcasing some of their designs and quirks below.

• Gun-Gut
  • Motive: Greed
  • Method: Drains blood with a syringe-like horn, growing in size to fire belly bullets..
• Gun-Eye
  • Motive: Envy
  • Method: Rolls around, taking potshots from a heavily armored shell.
• Gun-Tongue
  • Motive: To Conceal a Secret
  • Method: Propels forward, spinning out gunfire from its propeller head.
• Gun-Heart
  • Motive: Crime of Passion
  • Method: Quickly fires heavy artillery from its massive chest cannon.
• Gun-Lung
  • Motive: Resentment
  • Method: Inhales deeply to float around, to rain air-powered bullets from above.
• Gun-???
  • Motive: ???
  • Method: ???

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer