{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/detective--family-04","type":"mechanic","id":"detective--family-04","lang":"en","title":"Trace and sample comparison","summary":"The player checks similarities and differences between a trace and candidate samples. A matching property alone does not establish guilt.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-04/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-04.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-04.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Detective games","Finding and examining evidence"],"sourceIds":["source-090ee83445744667"],"sources":[{"id":"source-090ee83445744667","title":"The Operator","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771980/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The player checks similarities and differences between a trace and candidate samples. A matching property alone does not establish guilt."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-04-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Shape matching: compare an impression, tear or fragment with possible sources. <a id=\"family-04-variant-1\"></a>\n- Composition matching: combine fictional analysis results for a material, liquid or coating. <a id=\"family-04-variant-2\"></a>\n- Inference limits: determine whom a match excludes and which alternatives remain open. <a id=\"family-04-variant-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A sole pattern matches three characters’ work shoes. Stride length narrows the field but still needs verification."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A working map of detective design: 32 families and 96 variants. The core loop is to find information, form a hypothesis, test it and explain a conclusion. Answer formats, hints and investigation structure are treated separately. Families overlap, design examples are hypothetical, and released-game examples cite primary sources without revealing case solutions."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"detective","id":"family-04","title":"Detective games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-04","categoryIds":["evidence"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Trace and sample comparison","description":"The player checks similarities and differences between a trace and candidate samples. A matching property alone does not establish guilt.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/narrative-the-operator-08.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"The Operator","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771980/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1771980/ss_53cdfb9a020be84bd244dba7817656b1c37a176f.1920x1080.jpg?t=1778485297","credit":"Bureau 81 / Bureau 81 / indienova","rights":"© Bureau 81 / Bureau 81 / indienova. All rights reserved.","caption":"Chemical analysis of a sample beside the fire report","alt":"Chemical analysis of a sample beside the fire report","markers":[{"x":56,"y":69,"label":"The sample’s composition can be compared with the report’s claims"}]},"tips":["Show inference limits: a sample match alone does not prove guilt."],"examples":[{"title":"The Operator","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771980/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-19. Primary developer and publisher sources support specific released-game examples, not the whole classification; design examples are hypothetical.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/detective"}}