{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/detective--family-29","type":"mechanic","id":"detective--family-29","lang":"en","title":"Time, schedules and repetition","summary":"A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and reading can have different costs in game time.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-29/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-29.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-29.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Detective games","Investigation structure"],"sourceIds":["source-ce786c639336367e","source-20507e7aa4895c2c","source-89e82de58b603dcb"],"sources":[{"id":"source-ce786c639336367e","title":"Shadows of Doubt","url":"https://fireshinegames.co.uk/games/shadows-of-doubt/","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-20507e7aa4895c2c","title":"Outer Wilds","url":"https://www.mobiusdigitalgames.com/outer-wilds.html","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-89e82de58b603dcb","title":"Unheard - Voices of Crime","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and reading can have different costs in game time."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"family-29-branch-1\"></a>\n\n- Event window: choose a visit time while a person or required location state is available. <a id=\"family-29-variant-1\"></a>\n- Case deadline: allocate actions before a deadline while knowing which actions advance game time. <a id=\"family-29-variant-2\"></a>\n- Time loop: investigate events again while retaining knowledge from earlier observations. <a id=\"family-29-variant-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"In one loop the player learns a meeting time; in the next they choose another vantage point and check a participant."},{"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-29","title":"Detective games","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-29","categoryIds":["structure"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Time, schedules and repetition","description":"A changing world sets conditions for obtaining information. Observation and reading can have different costs in game time.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/narrative-unheard-05.webp","width":1440,"height":811,"game":"Unheard - Voices of Crime","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/942970/ss_c790252692cd5dc81e7ffdc2850264b25f54fc29.1920x1080.jpg?t=1728551840","credit":"NEXT Studios / NEXT Studios / 505 Games","rights":"© NEXT Studios / NEXT Studios / 505 Games. All rights reserved.","caption":"Voices are linked to people, rooms and time","alt":"Voices are linked to people, rooms and time","markers":[{"x":49,"y":61,"label":"The Mac sound source occupies a specific room"},{"x":22,"y":90,"label":"The recording can be played from a chosen point"}]},"tips":["Distinguish world time, recording time and time spent studying it."],"examples":[{"title":"Unheard - Voices of Crime","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/942970/"}]}},"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"}}