AI: The Somnium Files

In near-future Tokyo, detective Kaname Date investigates a series of murders with help from Aiba, an AI partner. His search takes him from crime scenes and conversations with people connected to the case into the dreams of witnesses and suspects.

Investigation sections combine dialogue with point-and-click searches of locations and objects. In Somnium sequences, Date explores a person's dream and interacts with objects to uncover clues, working against a time limit.

The story unfolds across branching routes and endings, with a flowchart for revisiting points in the case. Information gathered on different paths helps complete the investigation and reveal how the events fit together.

Players who enjoy the game often praise its unfolding murder mystery, accumulating clues and reveals, and memorable cast, especially the dynamic between Date and Aiba. Many appreciate how the routes contribute information to the larger story, and some enjoy the mix of comedy and serious drama. That humor is divisive: a recurring criticism is that crude jokes can interrupt tense scenes. Reviews also differ on the dream puzzles, which some find inventive and others find unclear or reliant on trial and error under the time limit.