Developer and publisher Rogueside has announced Best Served Cold, a narrative-driven murder mystery adventure game in which you play a bartender in a city inspired by 1920s Bucharest.
The game is set in a fictional city called Bukovie, and you’ll play as the owner of a speakeasy joint called the Nightcap, where you’ll learn your customers’ deepest, darkest secrets while pouring them the drinks they most desire.
If Best Served Cold is reminding you of games like VA-11 Hall-A and The Red Strings Club, rest assured you’re not alone, but the historical setting and more down-to-earth vibe of this one could well set it apart.
You’re getting away with running your speakeasy because a local detective has recruited you to help solve cases in return for the police looking the other way, so if you were wondering how you’re getting away with it, now you’ve got your answer.
Rogueside is promising a “fascinating cast of intriguing characters” with their own backstories and agendas in Best Served Cold, as well as a “richly crafted world inspired by the cultural and artistic revival of 1920s Bucharest”.
As you tend your bar, you’ll gather clues about the crimes you’re investigating. Best Served Cold will offer five cases, akin to a typical Ace Attorney game, so it should give you plenty of bang for your investigative buck.
You can check out the announcement teaser trailer for Best Served Cold, which shows off the game’s art style (but doesn’t give too much away about its gameplay mechanics or plot), right here.
Best Served Cold will feature writing from Cloudpunk‘s Thomas Welsh, alongside Joshua Aldred, and its cases will “serve as a lens” to learn about the city’s political and economic background, according to Rogueside.
We don’t have a release date for Best Served Cold yet, but it’s landing on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch when it does arrive. Stay tuned for more, and in the meantime, you can wishlist the game on Steam here.
