Set in an alternate reality Victorian era in which time travel is a way of life and the upper crust gallivant across the skies in elaborate ships, a mysterious benefactor known only as Mr. X has prepared a Machiavellian new cat-and-mouse game for the ages.

As the name so deftly implies, murder is the name of the game here, but it’s just as much about the tense moments of planning, strategy and panic-ridden, on-the-fly adjustments, as it is the execution itself.

Developed by the team behind The Ship: Remasted, experience the giddy joy of subterfuge like never before. Surrounded by scores of innocent AI party-goers and patrolling guards, up to 8 passengers (humans or bots) must compete for the favour of Mr. X as they plot their gloriously violent acts, all while hiding in plain sight. That means identifying their assigned quarry in a crowd and plotting their demise, all while keeping a low profile and an eye out for suspicious individuals who could be their very own hunter.

Not content to make would-be assassins wait until April, Blazing Griffin is kicking off the first Murderous Pursuits Closed Beta on Friday, March 23rd at noon Eastern Time, and keeping things going until Sunday, March 25 at noon Eastern Time. Those looking to get access to the first Closed Beta have three options: Join the official Discord and keep an eye out for codes, sign up for the mailing list, or follow the game on Twitter. There’ll be a ton of opportunities to get in, so keep an eye out!

Murderous Pursuits will retail for $19.99 USD at launch, and will be joined by a deluxe edition of the game ($29.99 USD) that will feature a digital art book, additional character skins and more.

Plus, if you’ll be attending PAX East, do be sure to keep an eye out for the Blazing Griffin team at Booth #15043, where they’ll be on-hand to demo Murderous Pursuits and walk you through the finer points of Victorian assassination.

Luckily, players have a wide range of tools at their disposal for such occasions. Chief among them are vignettes - special locations that allow nearby characters to participate in a variety of highbrow activities, like appreciating art and discussing foreign economics, which will surely dissolve suspicion. Since no two murders are the same, players can also bring a range of equippable boons to the table, ranging from temporary disguises and flash grenades, to the ability to counter another player’s dastardly deed.

All this to say, players would do well to make sure their assassinations are discreet and anything but run-of-the-mill. Mr. X expects only the most exquisite of murderous acts. Whether it’s by seeking out high value death-dealing implements across the game’s lavish maps, or dancing over your quarry’s lifeless body, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a well-executed execution.

Key Features:

• Thrill of the Hunt: Identify your quarry, plan their extravagant murder and set it into motion, all before another player wises up and does the same to you
• Think like an AI: Use busy, reactive environments to your advantage, as you hide in plain sight and mimic the actions of surrounding AI party-goers to get the jump on your quarry
• The best laid plans: Outmaneuver your adversaries and react to changing plans on the fly with a variety of abilities including disguises, flash bombs, and counters
• Murder with excellence: Be discrete, commandeer a high-value weapon, and dance over your quarry’s lifeless body to earn Mr. X’s favour
• Human after all: Play solo or online multiplayer with other players, featuring support for custom game options and wickedly intelligent bots
• An alternate reality: Step aboard the HMCS Britannic, a state-of-the-art, colonial time ship built at the height of the British Empire’s lavish Victorian era. It also just so happens to fly

Murderous Pursuits sets its cunning plans into motion on PC on April 26th, 2018 for $19.99, bringing this PvP murder mystery to life. Get ready to fall into this atmospheric, steampunk take on the Victorian era, as you experience the darker side of high society.