SenAm Games looks set to be a new contender in the gaming industry, but they’re breathing some new life into a classic genre that we all thought was dying out. Founded in 2018 by Senad Hrnjadovic, this small studio based in Munich set out to create an epic visual novel in a more interactive space.

The novel in question is known as Hauma, a story built around Detective Judith Hartmann and her strange adventures. However, SenAm Games went all in with a new story called Hauma – A Detective Noir Story, that released on 11 September. So, get ready, grab a snack, and don’t forget your thinking cap… It’s going to get weird.

Hauma – A Detective Noir Story follows our protagonist, Judith Hartmann, on a new mystery to uncover an ancient secret while trying to keep herself and her brother alive. Granted, this is easier said than done as you’ll need to piece clues together, and down a winding rabbit hole that only becomes perilous as you go. Only you can solve the ancient mystery surrounding the strange case left by Judith’s grandfather, as long as you have some help and know how to use your surroundings.

Right from the start, your adventure begins with a very cryptic dream involving Judith, JB (Her brother), a masked man, and a giant frog. Now, the thing to keep in mind with Hauma – A Detective Noir Story is that the dream alone already gives you a rough idea of just how crazy the mystery at hand becomes. The dream is also a very heavily condensed version of events to come and some that can be prevented, though this is all dependent on the choices you make.

Judith eventually wakes up in her apartments from her bizarre dream, and you get to learn a little more about our protagonist. Her apartment being in disarray, she’s clearly not the most organized person, but she’s also somewhat haunted, possibly by her past. With nothing but alcohol and a bong to ease her stress, it’s only natural that she’s a little lost. Though she’ll at least pull herself together, and this is where you’ll get a quick taste of what Hauma – A Detective Noir Story has to offer.

Starting off simple, you’ll need to locate her phone using clues around her apartment. All the clues and items you collect will be stored in the Mindboard, this is where you can piece clues and thoughts together to form new leads or ideas and progress the story. With that done, you’ll need to explore her apartment, even though it looks like an absolute wreck.

First off, you’ll need to collect all the clues like a broken chair, stacks of bottles and trash, and a crumpled piece of paper. She’ll slowly start to remember the events that led up to what happened and semi-reconstruct everything. From there, you just need to tie everything together, and you’ll have a rough idea of where her phone is.

So, the overall design for Hauma – A Detective Noir Story might be a little oversimplified and seem more like a hidden object game, and it definitely doesn’t play like one. You’ll have to revisit multiple locations and construct your own conclusions as to what happened or where your next lead is.

However, simply finding pieces of clues to put together is great and all, it would be a little dry without some extra flare. This comes in the form of mini-puzzles where the answer can be in Judith’s Grandfather’s journal or in the surrounding area.

Another thing to keep in mind with Hauma – A Detective Noir Story is that it’s, for the most part, a point and click type of game. Again, this only looks boring, but it makes the gameplay really casual while making you think outside the box. The game relies heavily on the story-driven narrative, even though you’ll have to uncover it as you go.

Judith’s case will take you to some of Munich’s more historically known places because the story itself is constructed around those places and the history they have during The Third Reich (Yes, Nazi Germany). So, for those who are somewhat oversensitive with their political views, maybe take this game with a shovel of salt.

A good majority of Hauma – A Detective Noir Story’s story will unfold through old comic book style speech bubbles, though major events will go a bit deeper into the comic book style for that extra dramatic effect and immersion. To go with this, you’ll also get to chat with several NPCs who play a part in your investigation, though it’s also these dialogues that can affect what happens next.

Unfortunately, getting to make mistakes that will affect the next parts of the story is a nice touch, Hauma – A Detective Noir Story leans more towards being linear with its progression because a wrong choice will get Judith killed, which means retrying from the last major milestone.

Hauma – A Detective Noir Story visual style is heavily based on the old superhero comics that we all know and love. However, the color palate leans more towards dark and mute colors for Munich and vibrant colors for conversations. While this is a nice contrast, it can somewhat draw away from what is supposed to be a dark detective atmosphere and instead makes it a bit more friendly.

Each character is uniquely designed and matches their personalities more and more as you talk to them, but they also match the regional culture in an odd sense. Who’d have thought that this much dedication and attention to detail could come from a visual novel? It’s refreshing to see this level of accuracy while not giving into typical stereotypes and instead aiming for a nice blend of Western and German cultures.

One of the biggest highlights you’ll see and what makes Hauma – A Detective Noir Story so great is that the game is mostly voiced, mostly because there are a few lines that seem to be missing voiceovers, though these can easily be forgiven if you take into the account the overall quality of the voice acting.

The other thing that helps build a brilliant atmosphere for the story to unfold is the soundtrack. It doesn’t aim to be overbearing or overcomplicated, it instead just maintains a nice and mysterious feeling. Key scenes take on a more upbeat and intense background music that gets the suspense flowing like there’s no tomorrow.

Overall, Hauma – A Detective Noir Story is a unique and refreshing visual novel that doesn’t follow the normal formula for its genre. With a rich story and a mystery that’ll have you scratching your head, these are perfectly paired with the comic book art style to create a game that you’ll have a hard time putting down. On a more fun note, there might only be one neo-nazi in the game, but you’d be surprised how fun it can be to annoy him to the point of exploding.

Jay Claassen (@R3GR3T_3NVY)
Editor, NoobFeed