fourtoedsoftware.com

What It Is

City of Secrets is a browser-based AI interactive murder mystery game from Four Toed Software. Players enter the city of Ashford and investigate the death of wealthy businessman Victor Ashford over 26 days, speaking with suspects, detectives, bartenders, witnesses, and other characters before ultimately influencing the trial verdict. The page highlights “Free to play,” “No download,” and “No account,” making it very easy to try.

Core AI Capabilities

Its main selling point is a “custom AI backbone”: rather than a fixed script or traditional dialogue tree, players can type anything, and each NPC remembers previous conversations and decides whether to reveal information based on secrets and changing levels of trust. The game also supports interactions such as texting, phone calls, late-night contact, following characters, and forming romantic relationships. In terms of setting, it features 27 characters and more than 60 locations, creating a walkable urban narrative space to explore.

Pricing and Ease of Use

The main text clearly states that the game is free to play, with no download or account required, making it suitable for immediate hands-on testing. The page includes a Patreon link, but it does not disclose sponsorship tiers, paid benefits, or whether any premium features exist, so the business model remains unclear. As a web game, it appears easy to access, but the page provides no information about loading speed, stability, or the mobile experience.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are a high degree of interactive freedom, with AI memory, shifting relationships, and a trial countdown giving the investigation a clearer objective. Mechanics such as phone calls, text messages, and the city map also improve immersion. The downsides are that it does not disclose the specific AI model used, its data privacy policy, how conversations are stored, Chinese-language support, or content safety mechanisms. Common risks in AI narrative products—such as consistency drift, character hallucinations, and broken clue logic—are also not addressed on the page.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is well suited to users who enjoy detective mysteries, AI role-playing, interactive fiction, and open-ended text adventures, as well as those interested in AI NPC narrative design who want a reference point. The source text does not provide enough information to assess access from China. For payments, only a Patreon link is visible, with no other methods specified. If access or language support is limited, alternatives to consider include AI Dungeon, Character.AI role-playing, Inworld AI experiences, or traditional interactive mystery games.