Methods: The Illusion Murders

A detective visual novel about murders based on optical illusions

LockedOn Games · Published by Erabit · Released Apr 21, 2024

Reviews: Very Positive; 85% of 116
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 0; daily peak, Oct 28, 2026
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update on Steam: 4 months ago; Jun 20, 2026
Minimum PC: 1 GB RAM · 1 GB disk; Full requirements

What is Methods: The Illusion Murders?

This free mystery visual novel takes place in the world of Methods: The Detective Competition. You read dialogue and examine evidence through a short interactive puzzle as celebrity detective Red July investigates a serial killer after her usual crime-solving method stops working.

For you if...

+you enjoy short mysteries without a long time commitment

Not for you if...

−you want a mystery to solve cooperatively with friends

What players say

85% of 116 reviews are positive

Players praise the central mystery, but a recurring complaint is the lack of meaningful detective work. Critics say the case largely resolves itself rather than requiring the player to deduce the solution.

Screenshots and trailer

Methods: The Illusion Murders screenshot 1

Methods: The Illusion Murders system requirements

Minimum: 1 GB RAM, 1 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Methods: The Illusion Murders?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

OS: Windows 7
Processor: 1 GHz
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 1 GB available space

Does Methods: The Illusion Murders have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Single-player

Does Methods: The Illusion Murders run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Keyboard and mouse
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements: 5
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages: Text only: English, Simplified Chinese.

Does Methods: The Illusion Murders use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam