Scrutinized

Scrutinized is a survival horror/simulator game by indie developer Reflect Studios. It was released on Steam August 5th, 2020.

Story and Gameplay
The player controls a criminal analyst named Luna Youngman as she files suspicious person's reports in search of the identity of the Blueblood Killer, the murderer of her cousin Sarah. Like previous Reflect Studios title Welcome to the Game, the gameplay revolves around searching the internet on your computer in your home. Meanwhile, Luna must also keep her house safe from home invaders. Luna's house is full of extremely faulty appliances. She has several loose wires her electrician has neglected to fix, so her lights and breaker are constantly going out and need to be reactivated. Her windows constantly unlock themselves and her internet is constantly going out, requiring her router to be reset. Be sure to keep all windows locked and all lights on by constantly checking them, or else the Kidnapper and Tanner will attack Luna. There are a total of seven windows and six lights to keep an eye on. Also consistently check all three cameras. The more productive you are with report filing, the more active threats become. Once all reports are filed, Luna goes to bed, beginning a new night. If you go to bed with any of the lights off, the Kidnapper will attack you in your sleep.

For a more detailed article on the gameplay, go to to Scrutinized Walkthrough

Apps

 * The SecCams app displays live surveillance footage of Luna's frontyard and backyard, where she can spot Tanner and flash him with the camera light to scare him off.
 * The Report Desk app pulls up the suspect's initial suspicious person report.
 * The DMV Database app pulls up the suspect's driver's license, which must be added to the report.
 * The Debit Database app pulls up the suspect's receipts on their recent purchases.
 * The Social Spy app lets the player access the suspect's social media, usually by searching up their online alias.
 * The Police Records app gives the player access to previous cases involving the suspect.
 * The SIM Database app pulls up the suspect's IMEI number.
 * The Upgrades app lets the player purchase upgrades.
 * The RootKit app is a hacking software that cracks the suspect's phone. The hacking minigame is simple: before time runs out, drag the dot(s) along the slider(s) until a "ding" is heard. On the suspect's phone, Luna can access their search history results, personal photo gallery, and text chatlogs. These points of interest can be dragged to the suspicious person report as potentially incriminating evidence. Once all evidence is gathered, Luna can either discard the suspect as harmless or fax them as dangerous. The red/blue icons in the top right hand corner notifies the player if they filed correctly or not.

Difficulties
There's four difficulty settings:


 * Detective, newly added in the 1.1.0 patch. No threats are active, don't have to worry about the lights or windows. No jump scares, nothing outside the crime solving mechanic. Simply a purist crime-solving mode.
 * Casual, which has No Perma Death, 5 Nights Total, the player can only get 4 reports wrong before game-over. Its "ending" is simply an intentionally disappointing congratulation screen encouraging the player to try Normal.
 * Normal, 10 Nights Total, and the player can only get 2 reports wrong before game-over. In its ending, Tanner kidnaps Luna and takes her to his hideout, where he gives her a file containing the identity of the Blueblood Killer. It stops short on a cliffhanger.
 * Nightmare, which is only unlocked after beating Normal, has Perma Death, 14 Nights Total, No Saving, and the player isn't allowed to get a single report wrong. The ending is the same as on Normal difficulty.

Achievements
See: Scrutinized Achievements

Development
Scrutinized was first announced on May 1, 2020 on the Reflect Studios Twitter as a side-project to Welcome to the Game, with several teasers being released throughout the summer. Its Steam page was launched on July 14th, with a planned release date of July 31st. However, due to an error by a Steam employee, Scrutinized was deemed too inappropriate for the store and banned from being distributed. Thankfully, Steam corrected its mistake after enough public outcry and restored the page. The game was delayed by this setback, finally releasing on August 5th.