Look, let's be honest: mystery fans have been waiting for something fresh. Gamepia has announced that Stepper Retro: Mystery Investigation, developed by Team Tetrapod, will be featured at the upcoming Steam Next Fest ahead of its July 23 release. This title drops you into a world where superpowers are a mundane reality, following the exploits of a young girl named Verita Retro as she digs into the hidden truths behind various cases.

The team has clearly put in the hours, boasting high-quality illustrations brought to life with Spine animation technology. They're promising a hefty 30-plus hours of gameplay and over 100 clues to piece together. To sharpen the immersion, they've even added full Japanese voiceovers. If you’re keen to see it in action, the Steam Next Fest runs from June 15 to June 22, Pacific Time.

The developers are offering a cheeky slice of the game during the event: limited early access to Act 2. It’s a solid choice if you want to get a feel for the core mechanics and narrative depth before the full launch. Plus, for the content creators out there, the studio is offering promotional image assets via email for your videos—just reach out to them.

Team Tetrapod noted, 'The limited Act 2 preview during Steam Next Fest is the perfect chance to sample the main appeal of Stepper Retro.' They added a fair nudge to players, stating, 'If you’re itching to get your hands on the game before the official launch, you really shouldn't miss this opportunity.'

The game has already generated some serious buzz, with crowdfunding campaigns active in both Korea and Japan. At the moment, they’ve pulled in roughly 79,900,000 KRW on Tumblbug and about 6,370,000 JPY (approximately 60,000,000 KRW) on the Japanese platform CAMPFIRE.