- Two-person developer ‘Narrow Deep’ releases free trial version with Japanese voice acting
- A mystery thriller leading to conversation, evidence gathering, interrogation, and judgment
A demo version of the mystery thriller visual novel ‘Inquisitor Shepherd,’ currently under development by K-indie game developer Narrowdeep, will be released on Steam on November 11.
The demo version being released this time has evolved a step further from the existing build, with the addition of new Japanese voice acting. It is expected that players will be able to enjoy the unique, dark, and suspenseful world of this mystery thriller even more deeply through the immersive performances of the voice actors.
‘Inquisitor Shepard’ is a new visual novel featuring an original narrative and intricate mystery elements. Developer Narrow Deep plans to improve the game’s quality by actively incorporating feedback from global users through this Steam demo.
Ominous Rumors in a Remote Village, Chasing the Truth of Heresy
The player takes on the role of Shepard, an Adjutant of the Bukrium, and heads to a remote village shrouded in ominous rumors. The core mission is to investigate a growing heresy there.
As the investigation deepens, the lies the villagers have concealed and the desperate truth hidden behind them are gradually revealed. In particular, amidst the extreme situation where their faith is crumbling, they must also find a way to survive on their own.
The choices made by the player during this process directly affect the ending, leading to various multi-endings depending on the users’ decisions.
The investigative structure leading to dialogue, evidence collection, interrogation, and judgment
At the center of the story are 15 characters, each with their own secrets and backstories. Among them are allies who actively cooperate with the investigation, but conversely, there are also hostile characters who pose a direct threat to the player, adding to the tension.
Players must gather clues by conversing with various characters, searching suspicious locations, and closely examining objects. In addition to continuing the investigation by solving puzzles hidden throughout, players can also uncover hidden information by utilizing Shepard’s unique ability, ‘Sin Powder’.
During the process of interrogating a suspect based on collected information and evidence, one must distinguish lies and deception through intense psychological warfare. At times, situations arise where one must clear the name of an innocent person wrongly accused and uncover the real culprit.
The final verdict of ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ changes not only the fate of the character but also the entire flow of the story.
Enjoy half of Chapter 1 ‘Judgment’ for free and Japanese voice added
This trial version is provided for free. According to the overseas media outlet Automaton, the trial version contains about half of Chapter 1, ‘Judgment’.
According to a development log released by the developer to the official community, this demo has been rebuilt based on the existing version. It newly adds Japanese voice acting and incorporates a method that intuitively shows how the player’s choices affect Shepard’s future.
The developer is currently working on Chapter 2, and is also in the process of localizing for Japanese and Chinese, as well as producing a new trailer and key visual. Meanwhile, warnings regarding psychological horror, extreme violence and gore, and criminal activity are displayed on the Steam store page.
Narrow Deep, a two-person development studio aiming for narrow and deep games
Narrow Deep is a two-person indie game development company founded on a partnership that has been working on various projects together since 2016.
The developer explains that the company name reflects their intention to create “narrow and deep games” rather than “broad and shallow games.” Their goal is to deeply explore a single concept and world until the player is fully immersed.
In addition, the developer also operates ‘Olive Nara,’ a secondary animation channel with approximately 60,000 subscribers. Narrow Deep has experience successfully delivering stories to a wide audience through this channel, and plans to fully incorporate this storytelling capability into this new work.
A highly anticipated title that made a name for itself at a global indie event
‘Inquisitor Shepard’ was selected for the Top 5 at the PlayX4 Indie Awards during the development process. It was also named to ‘Tiny Teams 2026,’ a Steam online festival hosted by Yogscast Games.
The developer announced that it participated in BitSummit held in Kyoto, Japan, to introduce the game to local users, and that participation in BilibiliWorld is also scheduled.
Narrow Deep plans to expand its reach to overseas users with a demo version featuring Japanese voice acting. You can see for yourself how judgments rendered amidst faith and fear change the characters’ destinies and stories in the demo, which will be released on November 11.
Information regarding ‘Inquisitor Shepherd’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Narrowdeep |
| Publisher | Neverland Entertainment (Overseas Publishing Cooperation) |
| Genre | Mystery thriller visual novel |
| platform | PC (Steam) |
| Demo release date | November 11, 2026 |
| Official release date | Scheduled for 2027 |
| language | Demo version includes Japanese voice acting (Please check the Steam page for supported languages including Korean) |
| Reactions/Evaluations | 22 Steam user reviews for the demo, overall positive |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
