Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club demo launches in August
Image via Nintendo

Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club demo stalks the Switch next week

Try out becoming an assistant private investigator for three chapters.

The Emio Famicom Detective Club demo will creep into the Nintendo eShop on August 19, with additional free chapters to follow until August 27. Those disappointed with the initial reveal of Emio being a part of the Famicom Detective Club can give it try before its August 29 release.

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Strangely, the Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club demo will be released in installments. You’ll be treated to the Prologue and Chapter 1 on August 19, Chapter 2 on August 22, and then Chapter 3 on August 27. All three sections of the free demo will launch at 6 pm Pacific Time (9 pm Eastern). As you may expect, your progress from the first three chapters will progress into the full game when it launches later this month.

The Emio Famicom Detective Club demo will carry on your progress to the full game.
Image via Nintendo

Nintendo has released a trailer, showing new footage of this murder mystery. It shows the strange criminal approaching a victim and saying, “I can give you a smile that will last forever.” After killing them, they then place a paperbag with a drawn grin on it. Creepy!

Throughout the adventure, you’ll play as a prior character featured in the series Ayumi Tachibana for the first time during sections of the story. For most of it, you’ll be an assistant private investigator, solving a crime that repeats the actions of a disturbing string of murders 18 years ago.

Nintendo teases that this will be an “intense story of suspicion, isolation and fragility” as you dive deeper into the narrative. We’ll discover if this Detective Club can be successful when the game launches on August 29 for the Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order it for $49.99. It will be one of very few times that Nintendo releases a Mature-rated title.


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Chris Penwell
Chris is a writer for multiple outlets, including Destructoid! He loves narrative games like Kingdom Hearts, Life is Strange, and Beyond Good & Evil. However, he does enjoy Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from time to time.