Game Design Foundation: Paper Investigation

Applicability

Game only, informed by the direction, access rules and narrative promise.

Actions and state

The loop is inspect an account → question a witness → compare authenticated evidence → choose disclosure → observe consequences. Supported verbs are inspect, question, compare, request certification and disclose. There is no movement, stealth or combat requirement in this paper slice.

State meanings: notice_read, original_seen, authorization_signed, evidence_compared, copy_certified, recollection_heard and disclosure_outcome. Outcomes are unset, public_release or restricted_inquiry. Information flags record discovery, not objective truth.

Conditions and recovery

Inspection of the sealed original requires authorization; the public notice can be inspected without it. Comparison needs notice_read and original_seen. Final disclosure needs evidence_compared and copy_certified; requesting certification follows comparison. Optional recollection never gates progress. Premature decisions return clear missing-evidence feedback and leave state unchanged. Disagreement can be revisited; the slice has no permanent investigative dead end. A committed disclosure ends this local decision sequence.

Check

Each consequential action changes supported state and produces feedback. Never call an impossible or purely cosmetic response an alternative outcome. Implemented usability and balance remain downstream tests.