History VideoGame / ThePainscreekKillings

* TheNineties: At least one half of the notes and diaries are from around 1994. The game itself is set in 1999.

* TheSeventies: At least one half of all the notes and diaries are from around 1975.

* ParentalFavoritism: [[spoiler: Charles Roberts really loves Scott Brooks ''like a son''...]]

* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler: Vivian Richards and Matthew Brooks]]. They did the things they did for all the wrong reasons under the believe that it would be the right thing to do.
** Also [[spoiler: Vivian Richards and Henry Johnson]] about how they are quite heartless in regards to money.
** And [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks, Derrick Tyler and Bernard Hopkin]] who are responsible for the death of another person out of misguided, selfish love.

* LostWillAndTestament: Charles updated his will, but never made it public and thus left it in a safe to rot. [[spoiler: After all, everyone named in there is dead anyway]].

* InfantImmortality: Depends.
** A young boy on a missing poster is later revealed to [[spoiler: have drowned in the river by the playground]].
** A baby survives [[spoiler: the murder of his mother, but gets killed about twenty years later]].

* GoodLawyersGoodClients: Played with. [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks hires one to defend his adoptive son who is indeed innocent. Problem is, the one who hired them '''is''' the killer]].

* ChekhovsGun: The [[spoiler: broken axe closet]] in Bernard Hopkin's house.

* GoMadFromTheIsolation: What probably happened to [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks]].

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Two cases.
** [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks violently kills Vivian Roberts, Henry Johnson and Andrew Reed for having killed Sofia Miller and hidden her body twenty years ago]].
** [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkin decides a VigilanteExecution is the best way to deal with his grief over Vivian's death and stabs Scott Brooks multiple times despite the boy having been let go due to a lack of evidence]].

* IfICantHaveYou: Interestingly, despite both [[spoiler: Derrick Tyler]] and [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkin]] have unrequited feelings for someone else, they never harm that person. [[spoiler: Derrick does end up indirectly killing her though and Bernard goes on a false RoaringRampageOfRevenge against who he believes has killed Vivian]].

** [[spoiler: Andrew Reed is TheAlcoholic cause he feels horribly guilty for being somewhat responsible for Sofia Miller's death and especially for hiding her death all those years]] He regularly breaks out in tears about it and has a mental breakdown when confronted about it twice.

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Some citizens see one around the playground [[spoiler: and Janet/the player see her leading them to safety once they're hunted by the killer. She can also witness the character beforehand in several places]].

* NeverFoundTheBody: Poor [[spoiler: Steve Moss]]...

* ParentalAbandonment: What [[spoiler: Scott Brooks]] thinks to be the case. He's wrong.

* StalkerWithACrush: [[spoiler: Derrick Tyler]] for Trisha Roberts. The only one who knew was Dorothy and she is creeped out by it.

* SurpriseWitness: A late-game letter reveals that [[spoiler: six year old Derrick Tyler had watched the murder of Sofia Miller]].

* YouKilledMyFather: Subverted. [[spoiler: Scott Brooks never harms Vivian Roberts for having murdered his mother, he simply yells at her and then leaves to cry. His adopted father on the other hand..]].

* AdultFear: Have your child missing [[spoiler: and later be revealed to have been drowned in the river]]. Have your child be accused of murder OR your child want to talk to a murderer [[RuleOfThree OR]] observe a murder. Also, specifically for Vivian and Matthew: [[spoiler: have your child potentially end up in a BrotherSisterIncest]].

** Magdalena Roberts [[spoiler: wanted a grandson to continue the family line, pretty much being the catalyst for everything that goes wrong]].

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Two of the most nice and beloved characters [[spoiler: are responsible for the majority of deaths]].

* ChalkOutline: At the hospital, marking the spot where [[spoiler: Trisha Roberts fell to her death]]. Becomes relevant when [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks falls on it in the same way]].

** [[spoiler: Trisha Roberts threw herself off the hospital roof]].

* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Some citizens see one around the playground [[spoiler: and Janet/the player see her leading them to safety once they're hunted by the killer]].

* TheAlcoholic: Andrew Reed. [[spoiler: Heavy guilt and being haunted by a literal ghost can do that to you]].

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: Henry Johnson and - to a degree - Vivian Roberts and Matthew Brooks]].

* TragicMonster: Nothing can excuse the murders, but [[spoiler: having the love of his life murdered over money]] at least somewhat explains the motivation. And later [[spoiler: having his adopted son murdered for his own crimes]] probably were the nails in the coffin.

* ActionGirl: Averted. [[spoiler: When confronted with the killer, the only thing Janet can do is run into the sewers]].

* AbandonedArea: The entire town is deserted [[spoiler: or so it seems]].

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The game is a calm, if scary, walking simulator. Once the player listened to the audio tape [[spoiler: in the church attic]] though, the game changes to [[spoiler: being chased by the killer and having to follow a ghost along a very specific route to escape]]. Needless to say, some players regard this as a case of DisappointingLastLevel.

* [[spoiler: AloneWithThePsycho]]: As we find out by the end.

* TheAlcoholic: Andrew Reeds. [[spoiler: Heavy guilt and being haunted by a literal ghost can do that to you]].

** Matthew Brooks [[spoiler: wanted to find out what had happened to his love Sofia Mills, leading to the death of five people]].

* ChekhovsGunman: The one who send both PI Steven Moss and a journalist to Painscreek was [[spoiler: Dorothy Patterson]].

** [[spoiler: Scott Brook got stabbed multiple times]].
** [[spoiler: Sofia Mills had her head crash against a well, breaking her neck]].

** [[spoiler: Matthew Brook accidentally ran off the hospital roof]].
** It can also be assumed that [[spoiler: Steven Moss died of "axe to face"]].
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: It definitely killed [[spoiler: Scott Brooks and Steven Moss. Also potentially Janet]].

** [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins when he not only believes Vivian Roberts to cheat on Charles, but then finds her murdered without her potential killer being persecuted for it]].
** [[spoiler: Matthew Brook when he finds out about what had happened to Sofia Mills]].

** [[spoiler: Sofia Mills got thrown into the well that killed her, though her son later found her by accident and buried her properly on the cemetery]].

** [[spoiler: By the end of the game, it is still unclear what happened to Steven Moss]].

* DrugsAreBad: The game goes into quite some detail on how Andre Reeds alcoholism effectively destroyed his entire life and personality.

** It is possible to find quite early: [[spoiler: the confession of Derrick, the knife of Bernard, the notes of Steven Moss and some revealing letters and diaries of Scott Brook]].

** When knowing that [[spoiler: Vivian got killed via axe]], then seeing [[spoiler: the broken axe closet]] in Bernard Hopkins house shows that he [[spoiler: is only a RedHerring]].

* FrameUp: The reason why so many clues point to [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] as the killer? Cause [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks]] wants people to believe that, most likely due to that person's role in [[spoiler: Scott Brooks murder]].

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: While still relevant until the end, chances are the player will stop being curious about who had killed Vivian Roberts about halfway through and instead be obsessed with [[spoiler: the story around Sofia Mills and Scott Brooks]].
* HeKnowsTooMuch: [[spoiler: Steven Moss]].
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: If [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks]] hadn't tried to actively make [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] look like the killer, both Janet and Steven Moss might have never figured everything out.

* IDidntMeanToKillHim: [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks claims this in regards to Andrew Reeds]].
** [[spoiler: Andrew Reeds is TheAlcoholic cause he feels horribly guilty for being somewhat responsible for Sofia Mills death and especially for hiding her death all those years]] He regularly breaks out in tears about it and has a mental breakdown when confronted about it twice.
* IfICantHaveYou: Interestingly, despite both [[spoiler: Derrick Tyler]] and [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] have unrequited feelings for someone else, they never harm that person. [[spoiler: Derrick does end up indirectly killing her though and Bernard goes on a false RoaringRampageOfRevenge against who he believes has killed Vivian]].

* InterruptedSuicide: Andrew Reeds got saved from ''three'' suicides. [[spoiler: Sadly, no one saved him from being murdered]].

** [[spoiler: While not thinking it is ONLY his fault, Andrew Reeks is definitely feeling extremely guilty for both Sofia Mills death and covering up her disappearance]].

* KarmaHoudini: It is never mentioned, if [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] suffered for what he did.

* TheKillerWasLeftHanded: Used interestingly to [[spoiler: make [[RedHerring Bernard Hopkins]] quickly highly suspicious. In the end, the actual killer is never revealed anywhere to be this, though it can be assumed he is]].

* MotiveRant: Both [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] final diary and the audio recording [[spoiler: in the church attic]] have one.

* NeverFoundTheBody: Poor [[spoiler: Steven Moss]]...
** If it weren't for [[spoiler: Scott Brooks]], then this would have been [[spoiler: Sofia Mills]] fate as well.

* NeverTheObviousSuspect: Chances are, the player will think that [[spoiler: Charles Roberts, Bernard Hopkins, Scott Brooks or Derrick Tyler]] was the killer. They will be very wrong with that.

** And [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks, Derrick Tyler and Bernard Hopkins]] who are responsible for the death of another person out of misguided, selfish love.

** Both [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks and Sofia Mills]] were orphans.

* PlotTriggeringDeath: [[spoiler: The murder of Sofia Mills]].

* RedHerring: Everything points at [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins]] being the killer.

** [[spoiler: Matthew Brooks violently kills Vivian Roberts, Henry Johnson and Andrew Reeds for having killed Sofia Mills and then hidden her body twenty years ago]].
** [[spoiler: Bernard Hopkins decides a VigilanteExecution is the best way to deal with his grief over Vivian's death and stabs Scott Brooks multiple times despite the boy having been let go due to a lack of evidence]].

* SerialKiller: [[spoiler: There are - in a way - two: Matthew Brook and Vivian Roberts]].

* SurpriseWitness: A late-game letter reveals that [[spoiler: six year old Derrick Tyler had watched the murder of Sofia Mills]].

* YourCheatingHeart: Charles Roberts [[spoiler: had a fling with a maid, Sofia Mills]]. Also, [[spoiler: Bernard believes Vivian Roberts to cheat with a banker, but that is proven to be a misunderstanding]].

* YourCheatingHeart: Charles Roberts [[spoiler: had a fling with a maid, Sofia Mills]]. Also, [[spoiler: Bernard believes Vivian Roberts to also cheat with a banker, but that is proven to be a misunderstanding]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: All those that didn't die, left Painscreek at one point or another with most not even mentioning to where or what. The only ones that give some kind of closure are Charles, Dorothy and Oliver.

* StalkerWithoutACrush: Scott Brooks.

* SequenceBreaking: It is possible to just guess the killer and weapon literally at the beginning of the game. It will consider it properly solved when at least 50% of all clues have been found, which leaves most stories unresolved.

** Derrick [[spoiler: could have given Scott the perfect alibi but didn't, leading to his death]].
** Bernard [[spoiler: having a crush on Vivian and killed Scott]].
** Sofia [[spoiler: having been murdered and the biological mother of Scott]].
** Matthew [[spoiler: being the Painscreek killer]].

* PoliceAreUseless: A private detective finds out more about the deaths and potential killer(s) in a few days than the police in multiple months.

* TheKillerWasLeftHanded: Used interestingly to [[spoiler: both make [[RedHerring Bernard Hopkins]] quickly highly suspicious. In the end, the actual killer is never revealed anywhere to be this, though it can be assumed he is]].

* KidsAreCruel: Both Derrick Tyler and Scott Brooks got badly bullied in school.

* YourCheatingHeart: Charles Roberts [[spoiler: had a fling with a maid, Sofia Mills]]. Also, [[spoiler: Bernard believes Vivian Roberts to also cheat with a banker, but that is proven to be a misunderstanding]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: All those that didn't die, left Painscreek at one point or another with most not even mentioning to where or what. The only ones that give some kind of closure are Charles, Dorothy and Oliver.