Update 0.9.3 – Facial Expressions and Body Language

Hi detectives,

Update 0.9.3 is now live.

This update introduces a new facial animation and body language system, making interrogations and conversations with NPCs more expressive, immersive, and reactive.

More Expressive Suspects

During interrogations, suspects now blink, breathe, shift their weight, move their heads, maintain or avoid eye contact, and animate their mouths naturally while speaking.

Their faces also react to the conversation. Questions, hesitation, raised voices, surprise, and emphasis can produce subtle changes in their expressions and posture.

Personality Through Body Language

Each suspect’s personality influences how they behave.

A nervous suspect may blink more frequently, breathe faster, move more, and struggle to maintain eye contact. A hostile suspect may lean forward and confront you directly, while an arrogant suspect may remain composed with their chin raised. Reserved, emotional, defensive, and cooperative personalities also have their own distinctive behaviors.

Learning a suspect’s normal behavior can help you recognize when something begins to change.

Pressure and Confessions

As the true culprit gets closer to confessing, their composure may gradually begin to break.

The first signs are intentionally subtle, but increasing pressure can affect their breathing, blinking, gaze, expressions, and posture. When a confession finally happens, the suspect physically gives in, lowering their head and struggling to maintain eye contact afterward.

Body language is an investigative clue, not automatic proof of guilt. Innocent suspects may also appear nervous, angry, or uncomfortable, so look for patterns and combine them with statements, alibis, contradictions, and physical evidence.

The in-game guide has also been updated with more information about reading facial expressions and body language during interrogations.

Additional Fixes and Improvements

• Fixed a rare issue where an NPC standing still for a long time could slowly drift backward.

• Fixed an issue where, after loading a save, a suspect already seated in the interrogation room could be called again, causing them to re-enter with the wrong animation.

• Fixed an issue where saving and loading after selecting a suspect, but before entering the interrogation room, could incorrectly restore them as not yet called.

• Additional minor bug fixes and improvements.

Final Notes

Interrogations are now about more than listening to what a suspect says.

Watch their face, follow their gaze, and pay attention to how their behavior changes as the conversation develops. Sometimes, the smallest reaction can tell you where to look next.

Thanks again for playing and for following the development!

Pigi the Wizard and the Feral Yellow Sheep