▶ A supernatural mystery adventure combining document deduction with a ‘story twist system’
▶ Consists of 6 chapters with 30 hours of content… Scale expanded three times compared to the previous title
‘Staffer Retro: A Supernatural Mystery Quest’, a supernatural mystery adventure currently under development by the Korean indie development team Team Tetrapod It will be released simultaneously on the Nintendo Switch and Steam platforms.
This is a mystery adventure game where players utilize supernatural powers to collect clues and piece together documents to uncover contradictions in a case. A key feature is that the flow and atmosphere of the story change depending on the player’s choices and deductions.
Currently, a free demo is available on Steam that allows you to experience the entire first event, along with a second official trailer and a new key visual image.
[Related Article: Team Tetrapod Participates in Steam Mystery Game Festival with ‘Stepper Series’]
Horror seeping into a peaceful daily life… The story of a Sicilian girl named Verita
The protagonist of ‘Stepper Retro: Supernatural Deduction Quest’ is Verita Retro, a girl living in Sicily, Italy. The game is set against the backdrop of an ordinary daily life where she attends school on weekdays and helps out at her father’s retro shop on weekends.
Standing at a crossroads where she must choose her future path as she turns 14 after the summer passes, she one day becomes entangled with a mysterious tool called a ‘Staff’ and encounters dark events in the ‘Staff’ world, where supernatural powers exist. In the released key art, the upside-down space and the image of a falling girl symbolically reveal the anxiety and cracks hidden behind a peaceful daily life.
Introduction of a ‘Retro System’ that turns the story upside down in ‘Document Combination Deduction’
The core of the game is tracking past events related to ‘Mana,’ the source of supernatural powers. Players gather information through conversation and exploration, piecing together clues found on documents to uncover the truth behind the incidents. The key gameplay involves not merely collecting clues, but rather connecting information to logically interpret it.
A new ‘Retro’ system has been introduced in this title. It features a structure where not only the direction of the story but also the atmosphere of the narrative itself reverses depending on the player’s deductions.
Three times the length of the previous title, 6 chapters with 30 hours of content… voice dubbing included
The game consists of a total of six chapters and comprises 30 hours of content, nearly three times the length of its predecessor. In terms of visuals, Spine animation has been applied to all characters, including extras, and it offers rich presentation through over 21 characters and more than 35 types of motions and poses.
In addition, this work will also feature voice dubbing, which is expected to further enhance character immersion. Specific casting information will be revealed later.
Sound production with P’s Lies · Limbs Company collaboration studio EIM
Studio EIM is in charge of the sound. EIM is a music production company that has participated in various games such as ‘The Lies of P’, ‘Rimbus Company’, and ‘Odin’, and in this work as well, they enhance the game’s atmosphere through original music.
The previously released insert song ‘Beautiful My Life’ has demonstrated the direction of the work by musically expressing the anxiety that seeps into a peaceful daily life.
Expanding fan engagement through Japan’s CAMPFIRE crowdfunding and global events
Team Tetrapod is preparing a new funding project in collaboration with the Japanese crowdfunding platform ‘CAMPFIRE’. Through this, they plan to engage more actively in communication with fans awaiting the game.
In addition, we are actively expanding our promotion in overseas markets. We plan to interact with global fans by participating in the indie game event ‘Tokyo Indie Game Summit’ held in Japan and ‘HappyNet Game Festival! 2026,’ where you can experience new titles from major publishers all in one place.
Last September, we participated in the Korea Content Agency’s joint pavilion at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2025, and have been steadily expanding our global recognition by participating in major domestic and international game events, such as Busan Indie Connect (BIC) 2025 on-site experience and operating an exclusive booth at AGF 2025.
Team Tetrapod, a development company started by an idea conceived during military service
Lee Hee-sang, CEO of Team Tetrapod, first conceived the idea for ‘Stepper Case’ while serving in the military, and after his discharge, he implemented it into an actual game, leading to the founding of a company.
Since registering as a business on March 14, 2023, the company has grown into a studio with a total of eight team members, including operations, development, and art. Team Tetrapod defines itself as “a specialized mystery game developer aiming for the best mysteries in Korea,” and has set the establishment of the ‘Stepper’ series IP as its core goal.
The first title, ‘Stepper Case: Supernatural Mystery Adventure,’ released in April 2023, garnered attention by receiving an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam. Furthermore, it was recognized for its artistic merit by winning consecutive awards at major domestic indie game ceremonies, including 1st place at the BIGS 2023 AWARD, Game of the Month for the second half of 2023, and the Burning Beaver 2023 TOP 10.
Following this, the spin-off title ‘Stepper Reborn’ was released in 2024, and the company achieved success in the global market, including being selected as the best game by overseas buyers at PlayX4 B2B. CEO Lee Hee-sang stated, “Our ultimate goal is for Team Tetrapod to establish itself as a leading studio specializing in mystery games,” adding, “We plan to continuously expand our worldview centered around the Stepper series.”
The second numbered title in the series that makes up the Tetrapod Saga
‘Stepper Retro’ is the second numbered title of the ‘Tetrapod Saga’, which shares a worldview where superpowers exist.
The series’ worldview has expanded through various works such as ‘Stepper Case’, ‘Stepper Ribbon’, and ‘Dice Eater’, and subsequently, a spin-off title and the third numbered title ‘Stepper Dilemma’ are also under development with the goal of releasing them in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
More information about the game can be found on the Steam store page (store.steampowered.com/app/3837350) and the official Team Tetrapod website (tetrapod.company).
Staffer Retro: Psychic Deduction Quest Information
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Team Tetrapod |
| Publisher | Gamepia Co., Ltd. (CEO Jong-heon Jeong) |
| Genre | Supernatural Mystery Adventure / Visual Novel |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) / Nintendo Switch (Simultaneous release confirmed) |
| Release date | Global launch target for 2026 |
| background | Sicily, Italy, where supernatural powers (steppers) exist as a phenomenon |
| core system | Document Combination Deduction + Story Twist ‘Retro System’ |
| Chapter Structure | Total 6 chapters / Approximately 30 hours |
| voice dubbing | Scheduled for inclusion (Casting to be announced later) |
| music | Studio EIM (P’s Falsehood · Rimbus Company Collaboration History) |
| Trial version | Currently being distributed for free on Steam (including the entire first case) |
| crowdfunding | Japan CAMPFIRE platform in preparation |
| Participation Event | Tokyo Indie Game Summit / Happinet Game Festival 2026 |
| Previous work | Stepper Case: Supernatural Mystery Adventure |
| Steam Page | store.steampowered.com/app/3837350 |
