Crime Podcast: 1976

Crime Podcast: 1976 is an entry in the Crime Podcast series of psychological horror games, each of which is based on real accounts of people who committed wrongdoing, were harmed by it, or ended up in difficult circumstances. This instalment is described by the developer as being based on a real story.

Players take the role of Thomas Hayes, a 63-year-old FBI Special Agent returning home after his last day of service before retirement. His task for the evening is to prepare documents kept at his house for handover to the Bureau. Among these materials is evidence he chose to conceal many years earlier, and its rediscovery sets the events of the game in motion.

The game is a first-person narrative walking simulator built around exploration, completing work-related tasks and engaging in dialogue. The developer states that the character’s survival depends on the choices the player makes, and highlights the sound design and the use of environmental detail as the main means of establishing atmosphere and immersion.