The Painscreek Killings
Released Sep 2017
Investigate an infamous cold case in the eerie, abandoned town of Painscreek. Search for evidence, connect the dots and uncover who killed Vivian Roberts. Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?
90% positive · 6,441 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Where to buy
Steam $19.99
Can't confirm — worth a look
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Evaluation
The Painscreek Killings launched on September 27, 2017 as a self-contained murder mystery story game. The store description and all available evidence confirm it was designed and shipped as a complete, standalone narrative experience — there are no DLC listings, no season pass, no expansion content, and no announcements of future story content for this game. The developer has never signaled any intention to add new story content or gameplay modes beyond what shipped at launch.
Post-launch activity has consisted entirely of quality-of-life and maintenance updates: performance optimizations, controller support, resolution options, additional language translations, and bug fixes. The most recent patch, in November 2024, adjusted lock mechanics and item rotation behavior — a small gameplay refinement, not new content.
A June 2024 post references EQ Studios reflecting on what they learned from The Painscreek Killings to inform their future projects (notably, a separate game called Scene Investigators, announced in 2019 and 2020). This confirms the studio remains active, but it also frames The Painscreek Killings as a completed work from which lessons were drawn — not a product still receiving content investment.
The game launched as a finished, story-complete product and has been maintained in that state ever since.
Evidence
EQ Studios describes The Painscreek Killings as a learning experience informing their future mystery games, framing it as a completed project
EQ Studios announced a separate new game, Scene Investigators, confirming studio attention has shifted to a new project rather than continued content for TPK
Content
1 of 1 released · no outstanding content
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
EQ Studios
Achievements
33
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player
About this game
The Painscreek Killings is a story-rich, murder mystery investigation game.
As Janet, a young and upcoming journalist, you have been asked by your editor to investigate the mysterious abandonment of a once lively town. Based on the information released by the media about the deaths of the townspeople, you set foot into the town thinking you would find an interesting story to publish, only to uncover secrets that were meant to stay hidden forever.
Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?
As Janet, a young and upcoming journalist, you have been asked by your editor to investigate the mysterious abandonment of a once lively town. Based on the information released by the media about the deaths of the townspeople, you set foot into the town thinking you would find an interesting story to publish, only to uncover secrets that were meant to stay hidden forever.
Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?
GAMEPLAY
The Painscreek Killings borrows mechanics from a walking simulator but goes beyond it by making the players think. It mimics real world investigations with logical puzzles that do not hold your hand, allow you to explore wherever your investigation lead, and a captivating story waiting to be discovered. The game encourages you to explore the surroundings carefully, collect clues and hints to help your investigation, and find evidence to expose the truth about the killings. There are no quest markers or hint systems to aid in your journey. You will be forced to think, to connect the dots and to piece things together, making you feel like a real investigator.KEY FEATURES
- Free-Roaming, Semi-Open World:
Explore wherever you want based on the clues and hints gathered during your investigation.
- Mimics Real World Investigation:
Take notes and photograph important clues. No handholding, and no quest marker or hint system is provided.
- Logical Puzzles:
Use your powers of observation and deduction to solve all that stands in your way.
- Rich and Captivating Storyline:
Uncover the conspiracies, heartaches, jealousy and hidden secrets that were meant to be buried with the abandoned town.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 17, 2026
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