Dry Drowning

I love that the settings and the characters get progressively worst. I think I got the worst/bad ending too. Yippee.
I love that the story touches on realistic and hard topics that usually are glazed/babied on other similar games/media. A lot of times some of the dialogues got me thinking and relate like.. im very sure the writers here have lived under extremely corrupt government as well (I am Indonesian here I have a say at this), and not just the theoriticals that are mostly deployed on western writers. Very surprising since this is developed by an Italian studio.
So either writers have lived under extremely corrupt government that nailed all the realistically political topics, or they did extremely good research.
Although maybe the last scenes of the bad ending might be a little too rushed to my expectation (I was rooting for the villains!! come on, why are you glazing at the important part). it would have been 10/10 but I'll keep this at 8/10.
Reason 8/10 bc other than that final scene; sometimes it gets confusing to navigate and progress the story (its that type of game that you need to click everywhere and make sure you've done everything).
The UI/menu is not convenient (ie. if I open the menu on inventory, then open it back on the inventory, instead i have to navigate the whole bloody thing again) it gets annoying when needed to interrogate and check inventory at the same time, another thing about the menu is also inconvenient how you have to access dialogue history through it (again if you close the menu, you have navigate the whole thing again just to get back to the history part/where you left off). very annoying and time wasting.
Lastly you might have to hold back your yawn and sleepiness when reading because of the whole dark UI and vibe. Even the illustrations and background are all dark with little colour variation. It *is* a noir detective theme after all, but yeah just a heads up.
Time to do the new game+ just to see how far i can make the story worst. I'll probably have a coffee with me when I do it.
Gonna nap now.

I'm not going to insult anyone's intelligence by pointing out that you're buying a game called Dry Drowning. It is NOT a positive or uplifting experience you're going to get from this game, at all. There is no "GOOD ENDING" where everything is hunky-dory and you sail off into the sunset with Nicole having stopped the killer clown bomber.
No, this is a different kind of game. I feel like despite it's sci-fi themes it's equally trying to go for a gritty style of reality where nothing is ever so clean cut and wrapped up with a pretty little pink bow. No matter what you do, you lose. Someone loses. Someone has to lose. If you're looking for a happy ending please go elsewhere, this game WILL depress you. It bummed me out. I knew what I was getting into and it still bothered me anyway.
On my quest to play/replay all of my Point 'n' Click Adventure Games I kinda wish i'd left this one off my list, but here we are.

A well executed, and very dark, detective visual novel. The art is good. The music is good as well, and fits the mood. Took me roughly 8.5 hours to complete, with a new game plus option to replay and see different endings / make different choices along the way. If you like noir, it might be worth a look.

Ran fine, had no issues or crashes.

What a GREAT game! I loved it.

10/10, will come back and get all achievements.

Dry Drowning is a dense, atmospheric investigative visual novel that leans heavily into psychological noir and dystopian cyberpunk, delivering a story-driven experience that prioritizes moral ambiguity and player choice over conventional gameplay systems. Developed by Studio V in collaboration with VLG and published by Leonardo Interactive alongside WhisperGames, the game is unapologetically mature in both theme and tone. It explores a bleak future shaped by fear, prejudice, and political extremism, presenting a narrative that is as much about internal decay as it is about solving crimes.
Set in the oppressive city of Nova Polemos, the game introduces a society on the brink of collapse, where ideological conflict and social unrest dominate everyday life. The worldbuilding is one of Dry Drowning’s strongest elements, conveyed through dialogue, environmental storytelling, and the constant tension between factions. Rather than offering exposition dumps, the game allows players to absorb the setting organically, slowly piecing together how technology, propaganda, and paranoia have reshaped the city. This creates an immersive backdrop that feels hostile and morally compromised, reinforcing the sense that no decision is ever entirely clean or safe.
Players assume the role of Mordred Foley, a disgraced private investigator struggling with guilt, addiction, and a ruined reputation. Mordred is deliberately written as an unreliable and deeply flawed protagonist, and the story frequently forces players to confront the consequences of his past actions. His partnership with Hera adds emotional grounding and contrast, as their dynamic balances cynicism with fragile hope. Rather than positioning the player as a heroic figure, Dry Drowning emphasizes personal failure, compromise, and the cost of survival in a broken system, making its character work feel raw and uncomfortably human.
Narrative choice is central to the experience, with an extensive branching structure that allows decisions to meaningfully shape the story. Dialogue options, investigative conclusions, and moral stances influence character relationships, political outcomes, and the eventual fate of Nova Polemos itself. While the overarching mystery remains focused, the paths toward resolution vary significantly, encouraging multiple playthroughs. Choices are rarely framed as clearly right or wrong, often forcing players to weigh empathy against pragmatism, or truth against stability. This commitment to consequence gives the narrative weight, even when the outcomes are grim.
Gameplay elements are intentionally minimal but thematically integrated. Investigations involve interrogations, evidence examination, and the use of Mordred’s unsettling ability to detect lies, represented through surreal visual distortions and symbolic masks. These moments reinforce the game’s themes of deception and fractured perception, blurring the line between objective truth and personal bias. While these mechanics are simple and occasionally feel secondary to the dialogue, they provide just enough interaction to maintain engagement without undermining the narrative focus.
Artistically, Dry Drowning relies on striking hand-drawn visuals and expressive character portraits rather than animation-heavy presentation. The art style emphasizes mood over detail, using color, lighting, and composition to convey psychological tension. This approach pairs effectively with the game’s strong soundtrack, which subtly shifts in tone to reflect emotional beats and narrative escalation. Sound design and music work together to heighten unease, often making quiet moments feel just as oppressive as overtly dramatic scenes.
The game’s pacing and density can be demanding. Large amounts of text, complex political themes, and frequent moral dilemmas require patience and attention, and the experience may feel overwhelming for players unaccustomed to narrative-heavy visual novels. Some investigative mechanics can interrupt the flow rather than enhance it, and not every branching path leads to dramatically different content. However, these shortcomings are outweighed by the ambition of the writing and the sincerity of its themes.
Ultimately, Dry Drowning is not designed to be comfortable or easily digestible. It is a deliberate, challenging narrative experience that asks players to sit with discomfort, uncertainty, and ethical compromise. Its strength lies in its willingness to explore dark subject matter without simplification, presenting a world where choices matter precisely because none of them are ideal. For players who appreciate noir storytelling, dystopian settings, and choice-driven narratives with emotional and political depth, Dry Drowning offers a haunting and memorable journey that lingers well beyond its final decision.
Rating: 7/10