The Cursed Archives is an episodic murder mystery game created and published by Webb-based Tekeyla Friday Studios. It runs directly in any web browser on a phone, tablet, or computer, with nothing to install. Players examine archival letters, witness statements, police reports, and autopsy files; explore 3D crime scenes; rebuild damaged photographs in tactile jigsaw puzzles; and consult an in-world archivist for spoiler-safe guidance when they get stuck.

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Core concept and gameplay

Players become investigators working through cold-case evidence held in the Cursed Archives. Each day unlocks new material that players must actively analyse:

• Primary-source analysis: autopsy reports, inter-library loan records, coded letters, witness statements, and newspapers.

• 3D crime scenes: explorable 3D rooms where players search for tampering, hidden compartments, and clues.

• Tactile puzzles: damaged photographs reassembled in jigsaw puzzles whose pieces glide and snap into place, revealing details the cinematic scenes do not show.

• Cinematic scenes: short film reconstructions of key moments in the case.

• Ask the Archivist: an in-world archivist offers progressive, spoiler-safe hints without breaking immersion.

Cultural and narrative depth

• October Murder Fest (core case): a gothic prairie library mystery of secrets, family rivalries, and archival cover-ups.

• Halloween Case Files: seasonal standalone mysteries.

• Red River Estate Case Files: prairie history, led by Oonz Lii Zhoornii Si Nipahtakaynaniwun (11 Days of Sleighing), a December Michif murder mystery based on the folklore of the Ghost Cart, introducing Michif language and Métis cultural traditions.

Technical design

• Fast, install-free play: a modern web framework with fast loading on mobile networks.

• 3D engine: real-time 3D rooms and puzzles that run on everyday phones and desktop screens.

• Accessibility: evidence presented as readable, searchable text rather than flat images; high-contrast parchment-and-burgundy design.

• Accounts and payments: secure accounts, saved progress, and integrated online payments.