The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker

About The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker

The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker is an FMV game by D'Avekki Studios, released on Steam in May 2017 and brought to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch by Wales Interactive in 2018. It holds a Guinness World Record for the most full-motion video in a video game, with more than 1,600 full-screen responses.

You are a psychiatrist who takes over the unusual patients of the recently deceased Doctor Dekker, and you are trying to solve his murder at the same time. Instead of picking from a list, you type any question, phrase or keyword, and the patients answer in video from the same green leather couch. They have questions for you too, and you must be careful what you say. Six main suspects and five side stories are played by actors, and the murderer is chosen at random at the start of each game, so the answer cannot be spoiled.

Each patient has a bizarre problem of their own, from time manipulation and re-animated loved ones to horrors under the sea, and the makers describe a shadow reality of paranormal strangeness and horrors that go bump in your head, where all you have to rely on is your own mind. There are no point-and-click puzzles, only questions and evidence, and the game has multiple endings for you and your patients.

The store warns of mature themes and psychological horror including sexual themes, violence and suicide, and recommends it for adults only. It suits players who like story-driven FMV such as Harvester or Simulacra and slow, talky mysteries with a cosmic edge.

How to play The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker

1. Buy it on Steam or GOG for PC, Mac or Linux, or on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch.
2. Start a new game; the murderer is chosen at random.
3. Type a question, phrase or keyword to the patient on the couch, or pick a suggested question.
4. Watch their video answers, check the evidence and make notes.
5. Work through each patient's story and the murder, and choose your words carefully: they decide the ending.

Tips

• Try short keywords taken from what patients say; they often unlock new answers.
• Use the notes and question history to keep track of leads.
• Replay to see a different murderer and other endings.
• On Switch the touch screen makes typing easier; on PS4 and Xbox you can use the companion app.

Questions