{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/detective--family-27","type":"mechanic","id":"detective--family-27","lang":"en","title":"Feedback and hints","summary":"These systems support reasoning. Their design affects whether players seek explanations or probe answers through interface feedback.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-27/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-27.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-27.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Detective games","Conclusions, argument and assistance"],"sourceIds":["source-2125d8b330e8c020"],"sources":[{"id":"source-2125d8b330e8c020","title":"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"These systems support reasoning. Their design affects whether players seek explanations or probe answers through interface feedback."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-27-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Graduated hint: move from a line of thought to a specific connection when requested. <a id=\"family-27-variant-1\"></a>\n- Batch validation: confirm a group of conclusions together to reduce the usefulness of probing one field. <a id=\"family-27-variant-2\"></a>\n- Error explanation: reveal a missed constraint after an attempt while allowing the player to revise the hypothesis. <a id=\"family-27-variant-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"The first hint recalls a timing conflict, the second points to a timetable, and the third explains the required comparison."},{"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":[{"type":"explains","direction":"incoming","label":"Understand the principle","key":"lesson/teaching-a-mechanic","title":"Teaching one mechanic through a level","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/lessons/teaching-a-mechanic/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/lesson/teaching-a-mechanic.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/lesson/teaching-a-mechanic.md"}],"placements":[{"catalogId":"detective","id":"family-27","title":"Detective games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-27","categoryIds":["conclusions"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Feedback and hints","description":"These systems support reasoning. Their design affects whether players seek explanations or probe answers through interface feedback.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/dialogue-ace-attorney-trilogy-01.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/787480/04cc6bd6f7fb90e9e94925b6d716896a549d0ca9/ss_04cc6bd6f7fb90e9e94925b6d716896a549d0ca9.1920x1080.jpg?t=1768866317","credit":"CAPCOM Co., Ltd.","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Witness testimony and the court record","alt":"Witness testimony and the court record","markers":[{"x":40,"y":75,"label":"The witness makes a statement that can be checked"},{"x":79,"y":94,"label":"The court record remains available during testimony"}]},"tips":["A hint should guide testing a theory while preserving player reasoning."],"examples":[{"title":"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/"}]}},"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"}}