Banjiha Games Reveals Word-Search Mystery ADV The Ninth Record
The game's search-based document restoration system, built by a former prosecutor's office employee, shifts mystery ADV gameplay from choosing options to actively guessing keywords, and the studio is positioning Japan as a primary market.
Reporting from 1 source: 4Gamer.net.
Banjiha Games showed The Ninth Record at Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026. Players are investigators in a preservation unit who restore eight burned case files using word searches. The game is a mystery ADV where searching common words only opens the top of documents, forcing players to guess rare terms to reach the core. A Japanese version is planned for release.
The Ninth Record puts players in the role of an investigator in a preservation unit. One night a prosecutor dies in a house fire, and the case records stored there are burned beyond recognition. Using digital forensics, the player restores eight records.
Each record is made of 45 pieces, all blackened at the start. A search box restores up to three pieces containing the searched word, from the top of the document down. Common words hit dozens of pieces, so they only open the upper section. Reaching the bottom, where the core of the case sits, requires guessing words that appear only near specific pieces, like names or item labels.
Players do not need to restore every piece. Reporting to the section chief allows a free-input answer at any time. Correct answers close the case and reveal all remaining pieces.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.