How Great It Is to Have a Game About Machado de Assis! “A Posthumous Investigation”, a Review

Pedro Zambarda is excited about A Posthumous Investigation, a Brazilian indie game developed by Mother Gaia Studio and based on Machado de Assis’s 1880 novel, Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas. Available on Steam for approximately $15 USD, the game was released by Criticalleap and Infini Fun, with support from Brazil’s Audiovisual Sector Fund. A Posthumous Investigation has garnered significant recognition, including Best Visuals at SBGames 2024 and Best Narrative. It was also a finalist at major festivals such as Gamescom Latin America and the London Games Festival 2024. Former IGN journalist Barbara Gutierrez mentored the team, lending her expertise to the project.

A Posthumous Investigation offers a clever reinterpretation of literary classics. Players take on the role of a Black investigator in noir Rio, delving into the elite past and untimely death of Bras Cubas. The core gameplay revolves around solving mysteries by interrogating characters such as Cubas’s sister Sabine, politician Lobo Neves, Cubas’s wife, a local pharmacist, and police officers. Players must determine if Cubas was murdered, uncover Capitu’s presence at another party hosted by Machado, identify the contents of a mysterious drink, and find overlooked clues.

The game unfolds over 24 in-game hours. If the player fails to solve the crime within this time, the game restarts without any of the previously acquired items, though all information and clues remain. Players must then consider new doubts, suspicions, and conclusions, while avoiding the temptation to solve the case too easily by providing incorrect items or compromising the challenge. The game also allows players to explore areas beyond Rio’s city center, including the Cubas and Braz mansions, and even ventures into the elite Caribbean.

A Posthumous Game Journey: Bras Cubas’ Noir Mysteries in Modern Times

A Posthumous Investigation deserves a place in Brazilian schools alongside Machado de Assis’s original novel. Rodrigo Lombardi’s performance as Bras Cubas brings the classic story to life. Mother Gaia Studio has achieved a significant milestone by reimagining the 146-year-old text as a video game. While it earns a high rating within the Brazilian gaming scene, its monetization strategies for YouTubers could be improved. In short, A Posthumous Investigation, available on Steam for R$45, reimagines Machado de Assis’s novel, immersing players in a noir setting to solve mysteries within a 24-hour timeframe.

In Case You Missed It

In the spirit of our recent dive into narrative-rich games, we’re excited to spotlight an upcoming indie gem that’s sure to capture your attention. “The Posthumous Investigation,” slated for release on March 31, 2026, is a Brazilian-developed title penned by Sophie Laurent and published through Criticalleap. Set against the vibrant backdrop of ’30s Rio de Janeiro, this game immerses you in a temporal loop mystery where you’ll don your detective hat to solve the murder of your employer, Brás Cubas himself. But be prepared for a story dripping with irony and sarcasm, filled with nods to Brazilian literary legend Machado de Assis. Mark your calendars and add it to your Steam wishlist – this promising title has already gathered over 20k supporters! The Posthumous Investigation”: An Indie Brazilian Game Arrives on March 31, 2026 for PC