Scrutinized

Scrutinized is a hybrid horror and investigation game that places the player in the role of a freelance data analyst working from home. Each night, you must review cases, cross-reference online databases, and determine whether suspicious individuals are threats. But as the nights go on, your home becomes less safe, and your job becomes a matter of life and death.

Balancing Data and Danger

The primary mechanic of Scrutinized involves analyzing digital reports, criminal records, and image evidence. You receive batches of suspect files. Each one contains fragments—addresses, backgrounds, images. You must investigate each and determine: should this individual be reported as a threat?

Key investigation tasks include:

• Searching license databases: Confirm if names and plate numbers match criminal histories.
• Analyzing photos: Spot weapons, suspicious items, or encoded signals.
• Identifying fake data: Detect falsified records meant to hide threats.

Home Becomes Hostile

While focusing on your laptop, threats slowly emerge in your home. Intruders may enter through windows, hide in closets, or move silently behind you. Players must periodically stand up, check doors, and reset power to survive. Failure to monitor your surroundings can lead to fatal attacks even if your reports are accurate.

Survival routines include:

• Window checks: Certain stalkers only approach when your view is blocked.
• Sound identification: Use headphones to hear faint breathing, distant footsteps, or turning locks.
• Interruptions: Fake files or decoy alerts can distract you at key moments.

Endgame and Moral Consequences

Each report you submit can lead to someone being arrested—or escaping. At the end of each night, your accuracy is reviewed, and new threats are introduced depending on how careful or reckless you’ve been. By the final nights, the game forces players to question every decision, as false positives may bring unwanted consequences to innocent people—or cost you your own life.

Scrutinized is a deeply unsettling blend of logic, vigilance, and creeping fear. The game demands mental focus and sharp instincts while gradually dissolving your sense of safety, both in the digital space and the physical world you’re meant to protect.