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Gray Matter is a 2010 point-and-click adventure game designed by Jane Jensen (most famous for her work on the Gabriel Knight trilogy), developed by Wizarbox, and published by DTP Entertainment.

After taking a wrong turn on her way to London, Samantha "Sam" Everett comes across an old mansion called Dread Hill House, a lonesome building occupied by a reclusive and mysterious neurobiologist, Professor David Styles. With her motorcycle broken down and soaking wet, she poses as an Oxford student and responds to his request to hire an assistant for his researches.

Soon afterwards, strange events start to unfold on the Oxford campus, forcing Sam to investigate, learning about David's past, his paranormal researches, other students and an obscure but prestigious magic club called The Daedalus Club that Sam wishes to join.


Gray Matter provides examples of the following tropes:

  • Alas, Poor Villain: Angela is an Antivillain, who really comes out as a very unfortunate Blessed with Suck individual who doesn't know the extent of her powers nor is able to tell anyone about it without coming off as crazy. Her father's death, Dr. Styles' rejection and her psychic powers just seemed to have taken a large toll on her.
  • Artistic License – Physics: Every single detail of MRI research is portrayed wrong. For starters, you must be inside of the tube for it to produce any image.
  • Chick Magnet: David. Angela is pretty much obsessed with him and Sam is heavily implied to have feelings for him too. He even managed to charm a little girl, who was initially scared of his mask, with his juggling skills. Also Charles.
  • Cloud Cuckoolander: Aside from being quiet and quite detached from the rest of the world, Angela also muses about fairies a lot. She also seems to speak of her abilities as "fairies" and how she can't control them.
  • Dead Person Impersonation: Angela impersonated David's deceased wife due to Love Makes You Crazy, with him actually believing she was a ghost trying to communicate with him. Only half true, as a ghost Laura did try to warn David of the imposter.
  • Doing in the Scientist: For most of the game you are led to believe that there must be a magician doing a Grand Game against David Styles. It turns out it's actually psychic powers.
  • The Dreaded: David Styles is so feared that ordinary people flee at the thought of participating in one of his experiments.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Sam has no qualms about deceiving people with her magic tricks or taking some small things, but she refuses to steal valuables since it's not what magicians do.
  • For Science!: Malik is a believer in science, hence why he contacted David Styles directly to participate in his experiments. He also finds it unfortunate that David's work output has slowed after the tragedy.
  • Haunted House: Dread Hill House, apparently. Even the owner, David Styles, distrusts its darker corners.
  • The Insomniac: It is stated that David doesn't sleep much at night since the accident, and therefore sleeps late during the day.
  • I See Dead People: In the game's ending after being found out, Angela sees an apparition of her father's spirit floating in the air and tries to touch him, only to fall off a balcony.
  • Kill It with Water: How Angela is rendered incapable of using her powers in the last part of the game.
  • Limited Wardrobe: Nobody ever changes their clothes, except for Sam in the last part of the game; and David, who wears a black overcoat when going outdoors.
  • Lonely Piano Piece: Appropriately named "David's Theme" which sometimes plays in the menu and while playing as him.
  • The Lost Lenore: Laura, David's wife who died in a car crash. Most of his actions are about trying to keep a fresh memory of her and talk with her ghost whom he believes has stayed in the real world. On few occasions, she does drop vague hints about what may have happened...
  • Lovable Alpha Bitch: Helena seems to be an Alpha Bitch at first, caring for nothing except for partying, drinking, and taking Charles's virginity. However, she's much nicer than one would expect. She supports Sam, at least.
  • Magicians Are Wizards: Angela's father was a stage magician who really could perform magic.
  • Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: David, while a bit of a jerk and rather eccentric, is not evil or crazy as he is believed to be by many of the people at Oxford, but became a recluse because of his grief over losing his wife and his shame at his disfigurement.
  • Scenery Porn: The backgrounds of Oxford, David's house and many more. The Daedalus Club is pretty wacky too.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Implied and possibly unintentional, but Angela.
    Angela: "I used to love fairies. But they hurt my daddy. They were very bad!"
  • Stage Magician: Sam wants to become one. Some puzzles can be only advanced by using her talent. To get into Daedalus Club, she first needs to prove her worth by solving their riddles.
  • Stage Names: Magicians in general use stage names whenever they perform and seemingly avoid giving anyone their real name, such as the case with Mephistopheles. Sam also has one; Lady Byron.
  • Stopped Clock: Strange and seemingly supernatural events happen around the Oxford University campus, and each time the clock stops at the time of the event.
  • Strapped to an Operating Table: The Lambs' Club, but willingly, especially those for an extra buck. Nothing bad really happens to them.
  • Super-Stoic Shopkeeper: Mephistopheles, the owner of a small magic shop The Black Wand. He's glad to help Sam, but he comes off as pretty aloof and creepy. He's actually a nice guy too.
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome: David. Lampshaded by Helena who called him "Doctor tall, dark and deadly".
  • Trauma-Induced Amnesia: David doesn't remember much of the accident or the night before... until he's willingly hypnotized.
  • Upper-Class Twit: Sam seems to be of the opinion that most rich people are this, and David calls her out on this at one point.
  • White Mask of Doom: David wears a white mask that only covers one side of his burned face a la The Phantom. Subverted since he isn't evil per se... just a Jerkass.
  • Yandere: Angela. Not only she caused Laura's death but she also impersonated her in order to get close to David.
  • You Have to Believe Me!:
    • After the show that Sam prepares for The Daedalus Club, David confronts her and accuses her of setting up the events at Oxford, as much she tries to convince him that it wasn't her.
    • Another example happens before the game: Angela visits Dr. Styles before the accident, trying to convince him about her powers. He doesn't believe her since he thinks is a joke.

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