CHASE: Unsolved Cases Collection

Welcome to the Unsolved Cases Collection! If you’re a fan of mystery, noir and stories that dig deep into human nature, then the Kyle Hyde trilogy is a must play, it includes Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Last Window: The Secret of Cape West and CHASE: Cold Case Investigations. These games are all about atmosphere, sharp writing and puzzles that make you feel like a real detective. They’re not your typical action packed adventures; instead, they’re slow burns that reward patience and attention to detail. Let’s break ‘em down one by one.  

CHASE: Unsolved Cases Collection

Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 kicks things off with Kyle Hyde, a former NYPD cop turned salesman for a sketchy company called Red Crown. When he checks into the rundown Hotel Dusk, he’s not just there to sell merch: he’s looking for answers about his old partner, Brian Bradley, who supposedly betrayed him before vanishing. What follows is a night full of mysteries, lies, and emotional gut punches.

The game’s art style is gorgeous: rotoscoped characters that look like they jumped out of a gritty ‘70s crime novel, and the way you hold the DS sideways like a book is a neat touch. The gameplay is mostly dialogue driven, with some light puzzles and inventory shenanigans, but the real star is the writing. Every guest at Hotel Dusk has a story, and peeling back their layers feels incredibly satisfying. Some twists hit hard, especially when you realize how everything connects to Kyle’s past. The only downside? The pacing can drag a bit, and some puzzles are obnoxiously cryptic. Still, it’s a cult classic for a reason.   

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West

Last Window picks up a year after Hotel Dusk, with Kyle now working a dead end job and living in the Cape West apartment complex, which is about to be demolished. Of course, nothing’s ever simple: soon, he’s pulled into another web of mysteries involving missing people, hidden treasures, and more of his own unresolved trauma.

This game refines everything that made Hotel Dusk great. The writing is tighter, the pacing is better, and the new cast of characters is just as memorable, shoutout to Betty. The puzzles are more intuitive this time, tho still challenging enough to make you feel smart when you solve ‘em. The atmosphere is thick, Cape West feels like a place with history and the looming demolition adds a sense of urgency. The ending wraps up Kyle’s arc beautifully, but it’s also a shame we never got another game after this. CING (the devs) went under not long after, making Last Window a bittersweet farewell to Kyle’s story.   

CHASE: Cold Case Investigations ~Dystant Memories~

Now, CHASE is a bit of an odd duck. It’s a spiritual successor to the Kyle Hyde games, but instead of playing as him, you’re a pair of detectives revisiting a cold case: a suspicious explosion that might’ve been arson. The game’s structure is similar: interrogations, evidence analysis and lots of reading, but it’s way shorter, like, 3 or 4 hours.   

The biggest strength here is the vibe. It feels like a Hotel Dusk spinoff with moody music and a focus on character drama. The two leads, Shounosuke and Koto, have great chemistry, and the mystery unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing. But man, the length hurts it. Just when things get interesting, it ends on a cliffhanger, and since we never got a sequel, the story feels incomplete. Still, if you’re craving more of that Cing-style mystery, it’s worth a play, just don’t expect a full meal.

 

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