“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.” – Agatha Christie
Who is HitherYon Games?
HitherYon Games is the studio name for indie developer Matthew Myers. A self-professed life-long murder mystery fan, he is the creator of the fantastic Murder is Game Over series of whodunnits.
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Games by HitherYon Games
Murder is Game Over – Review HERE
Murder is Game Over: Streaming Death – Review HERE
Murder is Game Over: Deal Killer – Review HERE
Murder is Game Over: The Blackinton Curse – Review HERE
Murder is Game Over: Murder Otaku – Review HERE
Paladin Dream
An Interview with HitherYon Games
How did you get into game development, and how long have you been doing it?
Before I was a game developer, I worked in the video game industry in other roles as a service provider, most notably as a music composer for a number of years. I designed several small-scale browser games around 2008 and 2010, but never really became a developer until during the pandemic in 2020. I had also previously taken some beginner to intermediate level programming classes, and I was interested in RPG Maker as a storytelling platform. My first game was a small fantasy RPG that still has some things I like about it, but a lot of aspects are very beginner-oriented and easy to criticize.
“I imagined using RPG Maker to tell a murder mystery story in the vein of Agatha Christie and Scooby-Doo.”
After realizing how difficult it was to make a fantasy RPG, I imagined using RPG Maker to tell a murder mystery story in the vein of Agatha Christie and Scooby-Doo. In particular, I wanted to use the exploration features from RPG Maker to create a spooky atmosphere for exploring a country manor house and estate grounds, interviewing suspects, finding clues, discovering secret passages, and all those fun classic mystery elements. At the time, mystery was an underserved digital game genre, and the original Murder Is Game Over blew through my (very modest) expectations.
After five Murder is Game Over games, it’s clear you have a lot of love for the series. What was the initial inspiration for Detective Guy and Cleo and their murder mystery adventures?
I didn’t want the detective character to be really quirky and have his personality take up much of the player’s attention. The dog character started as a way to give the detective a personality without making the focus on the detective, and the gameplay concept of switching between them was inspired by Banjo-Kazooie. The name “Guy” came from my fondness for French-Canadian culture, and the play on words that he’s just an ordinary guy without too much idiosyncrasy. I picked the name “Cleo” because it sounds like the word “clue.” The way the dynamic between them has evolved, he is overworked and would probably rather be at home playing video games than solving another case, and she knows almost everything that happens but has no way of communicating since she’s a dog.
You’re becoming quite prolific and seem to manage to release quality games at a pretty quick pace. How do you manage this, and what is the biggest challenge?
In my past experiences around game developers and publishers, I’ve seen many projects fail because of mismanaged scope. (Even when some of them had ridiculous production budgets, by my standards!) So my approach has been to keep the focus on a small number of features instead of trying to be all things. It lends itself well to the murder mystery genre because there are a finite number of characters and map locations compared to a fantasy RPG. I also benefit from being able to reuse and build upon technical features from earlier games. I don’t have to re-invent something like the dialog system every time, so I can focus my attention on new ideas or making existing features more smooth.
The biggest challenge is probably trying to convince people (myself included) that my little games are important and worth the effort. With 50+ games being released on Steam every day in 2025, as well as mystery burgeoning as a digital game genre, it’s getting harder to engage with new players all the time. I don’t expect to set any launch day records, but my hope is that fans get hooked on the series after playing one Murder Is Game Over game and elect to play more or all of them.
What do you find are the biggest pros and cons of working as a solo developer?
The biggest pro to being a solo developer is not having to be dependent on somebody else to get a project finished. I don’t have to worry about “breaking up the band” due to artistic differences. I’ve seen lots of volunteer teams on the internet attempt to collaborate, and more often than not those projects never come to fruition. This way, if I want something done I do it myself. I have complete creative control.
The biggest con is the limitation of my own abilities as a developer. I’m not an upper-level programmer, and I can’t create visual art that’s commercially acceptable. Fortunately, I’m able to license assets and pay freelancers to help me with my production needs. But there’s definitely a difference between what I can do compared to what an incredibly skilled artist or programmer can do. I can’t compete with dazzling visual art or on technical depth of features compared to games made by larger and more skilled teams.
All of the Murder is Game Over games offer brand new, engaging stories. What is your process for creating such fresh narratives whilst maintaining consistency with the main characters and the genre?
I spend a lot of time slowly gathering ideas and drafting an outline document. I have a wonderful creative writing mentor who I’ve learned a huge amount from since 2020. In the first 2 games, I think the mysteries are less complicated because I felt like being too easy was relatively less bad than being too confusing, and I wanted to make sure that players could follow my plot. Once I felt more comfortable with my ability to write coherently, I started challenging myself to write more complex mysteries. I also spend time hunting locations that I find inspiring to make my stories more believable. I’m especially interested in visiting historic mansions and ghost towns. The spooky castle in Vermont, the isolated Italian Alpine chalet, and other settings where the stories take place are all based on actual places I’ve been.
“The spooky castle in Vermont, the isolated Italian Alpine chalet, and other settings where the stories take place are all based on actual places I’ve been.”
I also focus on new technical features each time. With the first game, I kept the focus on switching between Guy and Cleo, meeting suspects, finding clues, and answering questions. The second game introduced the idea of being chased by a ghost, and had some additional experiments like the metal detector mini-game and the timed level. The third game had the disguise mechanic, and a “dark and stormy night” weather system. The fourth game improved the ghost chase to feel more surprising and customizable. The fifth game modularized storytelling features like flashbacks to be more flexible and easier to replicate. I make an effort to read reviews and watch streamers to dictate how I can improve the gameplay after each project.
What are your plans for Detective Guy and Cleo in the future? Will we be seeing more of them?
At this point, it feels like Murder Is Game Over has a small but loyal fan following. Each of these projects represents at least 6 months of my spare time and dedication. My enthusiasm for making more always ebbs and flows based on player responses and product sales. After the first game, I received a (small money) advance from my (then) publisher to make the second one, which made me feel like somebody else believed in what I did. When I finished that project, they then encouraged me to start the third game. Seeing the first 3 games be selected for port to consoles motivated me to work on number 4. Winning an award for “excellence in narrative” at a festival motivated me to do number 5. It all comes down to feedback.
I try to stay locked in on my current project before daydreaming about what might be cool to do next. I think it makes sense to pause and let the dust settle after a release before evaluating what technical and creative features to focus on. Without going into too much detail, I think there is an opportunity to exploit the treasure hunt theme each of my games uses in some variation, and I’ve spent time researching real-life treasure hunts. I’m also thinking about the scope of the mysteries. Will players continue to enjoy my relatively long and complex mysteries, or should I experiment with lesser scope and increased quantity of mysteries? I’m also thinking about how to be more gimmicky and attract attention on social media, since other games get a million Steam wishlists and mine get about 8.
Memorable ghost design spectacles seem like a possible way to make that happen. I don’t have all the answers yet, but one way or another, the responses over time will make it clearer what I need to do next.
What sort of games do you enjoy playing, and are there any games that inspired you when making the Murder is Game Over series?
As a mystery genre fan, I tend to read books more than I play games. I don’t have time for 100-hour visual novels or patience for irrelevant narrative-breaking mini-games. If I’m making games in this genre, then it’s because I believe I can offer something different or better than what other games are offering. My tastes as a mystery reader and fan probably shine through in what I write about. I love the supernatural mystery sub-genre and I love exploring spooky locations. I want my mysteries to be fair and solvable, but to have enough misdirection that they don’t feel too basic. I don’t care for lengthy backstories about the detective’s past, or for magical elements that offend my sense of logic.
“If I’m making games in this genre, then it’s because I believe I can offer something different or better than what other games are offering.”
As a game developer, I feel most inspired by Dragon Quest. I love the elegance and simplicity that once you’ve played any Dragon Quest game you’ve played them all, but the comfort and the storytelling keep fans coming back for more. If I can provide Murder Is Game Over fans with the same sense of trust that each game is going to deliver a familiar but new experience then I’m doing my job. (On a side note, I play a lot of chess and I’m ranked as high as the top 0.1% of all internet chess players.)
All of your games are a lot of fun, but is there one that you would consider to be your favourite or that holds a special place for you?
Each game has aspects that I adore and elements that I think I could have done better. The first game has a powerful opening scene and an elegantly spaced map, but the writing and gameplay feel a bit primitive compared to what I’m capable of now. The second game has my favorite ending scene featuring an intense showdown with a formidable adversary, but the map is very linear, and some of the new features are a bit crudely implemented. The third game does a good job making the player feel trapped and isolated, but the amount of dialog (especially in the ending scene) can be a bit much to muscle through. The fourth game overhauled the ghost chase system and feels most like a classic mystery-genre novel, but some of the characterizations and exploration spaces might feel a little underdeveloped. The most recent game has some of my favorite characterizations, but a story about the theme of anime fandom may not be universally appealing to everyone.
What has been the biggest learning curve for you while developing and publishing games? Do you have any tips for aspiring or new game developers?
As a developer, the biggest learning curve is how to finish and polish a game. I’ve improved tremendously since 2020, but I still have a lot to learn. Often as the developer, you don’t realize when a feature is implemented badly unless somebody tells you, or you watch players get tripped up. The best tip I can give is to “make the smallest project you can make that you think is amazing.”
When I started, I was happy to work with an experienced publisher because there are so many pitfalls in launching a game, especially with the obstinate contraptions of Steamworks. Earning 100% of $0 royalties isn’t much income, and the guidance of an experienced hand allowed me to focus on the creative aspects while avoiding gross business blunders. A good publisher makes you feel like somebody besides you cares about your creative idea, and it was awesome to have that experience. Publishing my games today, I feel like I’m still learning which promotional efforts are valuable and which are not. It’s a moving target, it’s wildly different depending on the type of game, and there are more and more games being pumped out every day!
If you were to branch out from the Murder is Game Over series and create something entirely different, what genre of game do you think you’d most likely create?
I’ve thought about remaking my first RPG effort (from 2020) with all the knowledge I’ve gained since then.
Summary
It has been an absolute pleasure to interview Matthew Myers of HitherYon Games and learn more about his experiences as a developer and about the games that he creates. The passion and hard work that go into all of his work are easily apparent to anyone who plays the games. The Murder is Game Over series is particularly fun, offering fresh, intriguing narratives that will keep players on their toes, fun characters, charming pixel art, and captivating settings, as well as casual but engaging gameplay. I highly recommend them to fans of murder mysteries and detective games, or to anyone looking for a short adventure to enjoy. I look forward to playing more titles by HitherYon Games in the future and wish Matthew all the best with his work going forward.