💎 First Impressions 

『An old and ailing man’s final request

—was to be killed』

Logic- and reasoning-based detective games are always fun to play.

There’s something thrilling about discovering that a tiny, seemingly trivial clue holds a piece of a much bigger truth.

And as those pieces fall into place, revealing unexpected twists, you can’t help but feel like you’ve become the only detective who truly understands what happened.

That feeling—like your sharp mind and keen observation are being put to the test—

might just be the reason we keep coming back to this genre.

But what if...

"

What if something surreal entered the mix?
"

At first glance, the idea of a sudden, unrealistic twist might sound off-putting.

It’s like adding a strange topping to a perfectly baked pizza—such as chocolate syrup or mint jelly.

And yet, once you’ve taken a bite... wait a second—it’s actually good. Not just tolerable—genuinely delicious.

I’m not sure if that metaphor did the game justice, but let’s just say this game was a delightful surprise I didn’t see coming.

A story about an old man longing for the end of his life—and abetrayal that somehow feels welcome, Staffer Reborn.

※ Please note: due to the nature of the game, this review contains some spoilers.

⌚Gameplay 

『From surreal premises

emerge surprisingly grounded stories』

<This is a spinoff made for fans of the original title, Staffer Case>

Staffer Reborn is already a fairly well-known title—not entirely on its own, but largely thanks to the success of the original game, Staffer Case, which earned praise as a well-crafted detective game.

It held its own even against big-name franchises like Capcom’s Ace Attorney series or Level-5’s Professor Layton, and much of that acclaim came from how it handled the supernatural.

In a genre that typically demands realism and internal logic, the inclusion of supernatural powers added a surprisingly flavorful twist.

That said, I didn’t come in with high expectations.

The store page prominently labeled it as a “spinoff,” which made me a bit hesitant.

Spinoffs are usually aimed at fans who already know and love the world of the original series.

Since I hadn’t played Staffer Case yet, I figured I might not be able to fully enjoy what this game had to offer. So, I began the game with a touch of low-key disappointment.

<The story begins as a weary old man meets a mysterious detective—and asks for eternal rest>

The game opens with a monologue from an old man, frail and close to the end of his natural life.

He’s puzzled by the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman, but she offers him a promise: that she can give him the death he’s long been denied.

"

An old man who returns from death,

a world where psychics exist

"

You might be thinking, “Wait... someone who can’t die? But all humans are supposed to die eventually.”

If you thought that, now’s the perfect time to introduce the psychicsthat appear in this game.

In this world, psychics are quite rare—but they do show up from time to time. And the old man who requested the detective’s help today is a psychic with a particularly unusual ability: whenever he dies, he comes back to life.

<It may be a psychic ability, but understanding how it works isn’t easy>

This game belongs to the same genre as the main title—detective games.

As I mentioned in my previous review of Lumine Night, it’s common in this genre not only to follow the story through dialogue, but also to search for clues hidden throughout various locations and through conversations with peopleinvolved.

It can be time-consuming, yes—but thesense of immersion it offers more than makes up for it.

This game proceeds in the same way.

You talk with the people around you to understand the situation, form hypotheses, uncover clues, and then test those hypotheses.

In this regard, it doesn’t differ much from other detective games.

<It’s not easy to investigate someone who comes back to life—only to forget everything every 15 minutes>

But things get more complicated when your client is someone who keeps resurrecting.

The detective accepts the old man's request, but it's not exactly easy to investigate someone who can't stay dead.

And since she’s not some kind of psychic physician, but a detective, she has to solve the case using her own methods.

"

A client who loses all memories

the moment he returns to life

"

No matter how many times she questions him, he loses all his memories every 15 minutes—which means he just gives the same answers to the same questions, over and over again.

Each question or investigative action takes up a bit of time, which naturally pushes the player to find the most accurate choices in order to proceed efficiently.

<For any detective, combining clues and testimony to verify a hypothesis is a core skill>

To collect information through conversations and examine pieces of evidence one by one, you’ll need to keep detailed notes.

The game allows you torecord all this material in an investigation notebook, and when the moment comes, you’ll be able to combine multiple pieces of evidence, clues, and testimonies to piece together what really happened.

At first, I wasn’t sure which clues to combine and made a few mistakes.

Fortunately, you can retry combinations without any penalties—perhaps because this is a spinoff title.

Thanks to that, after a few early trial-and-error moments, I got the hang of it and progressed smoothly from then on.

<If the story gets too difficult, there’s always the hint system to fall back on>

You’ll still need to gather the right clues to get closer to the truth, but don’t worry too much—if you get stuck, a lightbulb-shaped hint icon will appear at the bottom-right of the screen.

Clicking it gives you a decisive clue that brings you closer to the correct answer, so it’s a helpful option when you’re really feeling stuck.

Of course, if you’d prefer to take your time and solve things without hints, you’re free to do that too—the game never forces you to use the hint system.

It’s clear that modern detective games increasingly offer features like this to prevent players from getting bogged down for too long in specific sections.

📌 게임 총평 

『A short but striking experience—

a spinoff that makes you want to dive into the main title』

As I mentioned at the beginning, I didn’t go into this game with high expectations.

The trailer clearly labeled it as a spinoff, and many reviews recommended playing Staffer Case—the main title—first.

There were definitely moments when I felt that if I had played the main game, some parts would probably hit harder.

But having played it, I’d actually say it works quite well as a first taste of the series.

In fact, finishing this game made me want to try the main game even more.

The way it blends supernatural elements within the boundaries of what a detective story can handle, combined with solid logic and twists that catch you off guard at just the right moments, makes its short 90-minute runtime feel like the only real downside.

Still, for the price—just 3,000 KRW (approx. 2~3USD)—it’s easy to forgive.

If you’re looking for a short but thrilling experience, this is an excellent pick.

A detective game about unraveling the story left behind in just 15 minutes—this was Staffer Reborn.

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