---
key: mechanic/detective--family-01
type: mechanic
id: detective--family-01
lang: en
title: Crime-scene observation
summary: >-
  The player selects significant environmental details and separates observed
  facts from possible explanations.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-01/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-01.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-01.md
aliases: []
tags:
  - Detective games
  - Finding and examining evidence
sourceIds:
  - source-d44fa1b4a4c747d6
  - source-3674ef77efed76d0
  - source-5826b1f3d00cd60a
sources:
  - id: source-d44fa1b4a4c747d6
    title: The Case of the Golden Idol
    url: 'https://www.thegoldenidol.com/the-case-of-the-golden-idol/'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-3674ef77efed76d0
    title: 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies'
    url: >-
      https://www.nintendo.com/hk/3ds/aceattorney_dualdestinies/pdf/Ace_Attorney_5_OPSeet_en_R15.pdf
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-5826b1f3d00cd60a
    title: Shadows of Doubt
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: detective
    id: family-01
    title: Detective games
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-01'
    categoryIds:
      - evidence
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Crime-scene observation
    description: >-
      The player selects significant environmental details and separates
      observed facts from possible explanations.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/narrative-shadows-doubt-08.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: Shadows of Doubt
      sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/986130/ss_ec0da802062c35b2ba31229f3855bd9aabd05652.1920x1080.jpg?t=1787842717
      credit: ColePowered Games / Fireshine Games
      rights: © ColePowered Games / Fireshine Games. All rights reserved.
      caption: Examining a body and its surroundings
      alt: Examining a body and its surroundings
      markers:
        - x: 45
          'y': 71
          label: The body and object positions provide observable facts
    tips:
      - Distinguish a discovered detail from an explanation of how it appeared.
    examples:
      - title: Shadows of Doubt
        url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/'
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
---
# Crime-scene observation

id: detective--family-01
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/detective--family-01
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-01/

The player selects significant environmental details and separates observed facts from possible explanations.

## At a glance

![Examining a body and its surroundings](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/narrative-shadows-doubt-08.webp)

[Shadows of Doubt](https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/) · © ColePowered Games / Fireshine Games. All rights reserved.

1. The body and object positions provide observable facts

- Distinguish a discovered detail from an explanation of how it appeared.

- [Shadows of Doubt](https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/)

## How it works

The player selects significant environmental details and separates observed facts from possible explanations.

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="family-01-branch-1"></a>

- Anomaly search: notice an object or trace that does not fit the location’s usual state. <a id="family-01-variant-1"></a>
- State comparison: compare the scene before and after an event to isolate meaningful changes. <a id="family-01-variant-2"></a>
- Viewpoint selection: move around a scene or inspect a detail to expose an obscured feature. <a id="family-01-variant-3"></a>

## Design example

A window is broken, but the glass lies outside. The player records its position before choosing an explanation.

## Context and limits

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.

## Connected materials


## Sources and 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.

- [The Case of the Golden Idol](https://www.thegoldenidol.com/the-case-of-the-golden-idol/) (id: source-d44fa1b4a4c747d6)
- [Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies](https://www.nintendo.com/hk/3ds/aceattorney_dualdestinies/pdf/Ace_Attorney_5_OPSeet_en_R15.pdf) (id: source-3674ef77efed76d0)
- [Shadows of Doubt](https://store.steampowered.com/app/986130/) (id: source-5826b1f3d00cd60a)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors