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Parallel Experiment is available Steam, App Store and Google Play.
What is
Parallel Experiment is a 2-player cooperative puzzle game that separates players on different screens, requiring communication and teamwork to solve challenging puzzles. Players are often separated, each with different clues and items, making collaboration essential for solving the game’s escape-room-style challenges.
Set in a noir-inspired world with a comic book art style, the game follows detectives Old Dog and Ally, who have become targets of the Cryptic Killer and are now unwilling participants in his twisted experiment. The gripping narrative, combined with unique NPC interactions, keeps the stakes high as players work together to stop the killer and escape his dangerous scheme.
Game requirements & details
5+ hours of gameplay
No fillers - every moment has a purpose.
Almost 100 comic book pages
...and over 10,000 in-game words, because a great story needs space to unfold.
Nearly 80 puzzles
Carefully crafted to challenge your skills and keep the fun going.
Game screenshots
About Parallel Experiment
Two-player cooperation
Parallel Experiment is designed specifically for two players that ofter are separated. Each puzzle is a meticulously crafted challenge that demands excellent communication and seamless teamwork. We’re pushing the boundaries of cooperative puzzle design to bring you a diverse array of puzzles that will surprise and delight you with their uniqueness.
Remember, two detectives are better than one!
Puzzles for everybody
In Parallel Experiment, puzzles strike the perfect balance: challenging yet fair. Whether you're a first-time player or a seasoned puzzle enthusiast, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
You’ll face an exciting variety of challenges, from redirecting water flows, finding computer passwords, and unlocking intricate locks, to deciphering cryptic ciphers, soldering electronic components, and even waking up a drunk! Dive into retro-inspired mini-games, master playful darts, and much more. Each puzzle is crafted to keep you engaged, testing your wits and creativity in unexpected ways.
Questioning suspects
In Parallel Experiment, you’ll encounter characters who hold important information you need to obtain. But to get it, you have to steer conversations in meaningful ways. To achieve this, we developed a special cooperative dialogue system. NPCs will react not only to your actions and dialogue but also to your partner’s. By working together, you can achieve more, extract additional information, and receive help that wouldn’t be available if you were alone. Some conversations are puzzles in themselves that you need to solve together!
Hand-drawn environments
Immerse yourself in stunning, hand-drawn environments that feel like they’ve leapt straight off the pages of a comic book. From familiar settings to surprising locations, every scene is meticulously crafted to captivate your imagination.
Each location is distinct, with its own atmosphere and details, making every step of your investigation a new discovery. Who knows what secrets await as you explore the unexpected twists of the story?
A story told in panels
Our love for comic books shines in Parallel Experiment. Every cutscene is presented as a beautifully crafted comic book page, immersing you in a gripping, noir-inspired narrative.
How many pages did we create to tell the story? Almost 100 pages! Even we were surprised by how much it took, but every panel was worth it to deliver a story that keeps you on edge until the very last frame.
A little chaos, anyone?
Not a fan of cooperation? Or maybe you just want to have a little fun by annoying the other player? Parallel Experiment has you covered! You can poke, push, pinch, zap, play annoying sounds, or knock on glass to disrupt their progress in playful ways.
Every level offers creative opportunities to keep your teammate on their toes. But remember, if you choose to use it, that’s entirely on you!
Exploring Krakow
For the first time in our series, Parallel Experiment takes you beyond a single location, allowing you to explore diverse areas across Krakow. Each site is packed with secrets to uncover, adding depth and variety to your investigation.
To help you navigate this sprawling city, we’ve included a detailed in-game map. Whether you’re tracking clues or plotting your next move, the map is your essential guide to solving the mysteries that lie ahead.
Draw on... anything!
As a detective, taking notes is essential. That’s why Parallel Experiment gives you the freedom to draw on anything and everything in the game. Whether it’s jotting down clues, mapping out ideas, or... other creative uses, the in-game pen is always at your disposal.
What you choose to draw first? Well, we have a pretty good guess.
Optional challenges for completionists
For those who love a challenge, Parallel Experiment offers optional puzzles designed to test your skills to the limit. As the story progresses, you’ll collect special coins that unlock unique challenges in the bar - perfect for blowing off steam or proving your puzzle-solving prowess.
But that’s not all. Hidden within the bar lies a secret puzzle crafted by one of our amazing fans. Will you uncover it? And who knows what completing all the challenges might lead to?
Frequently asked questions
Do both players need to buy the game?
Yes, each player needs their own copy of Unboxing the Cryptic Killer or Parallel Experiment. That's why we keep the price lower: two copies cost about as much as one full-price co-op game with a free "friend's pass" for the second player. Unsolved Case is free, so both of you can simply download it.
Before releasing Unboxing the Cryptic Killer, we asked our community which model they prefer: one full-price copy with a friend's pass, or two copies at half the price. It was close, but most players chose two copies, because:
- it's easier to split the cost: each player simply buys their own copy
- it's easier to play with someone you've just met, for example a partner from our Discord server
- there's no confusion between a full and a free version of the game
Many co-op puzzle games work the same way, for example the We Were Here series and The Past Within.
Thanks to cross-play, each of you can get the game on the platform you prefer: Steam, iOS or Android.
Is there a single-player mode?
No. Unsolved Case, Unboxing the Cryptic Killer and Parallel Experiment are designed as co-op experiences, so it is not possible to play them in single-player mode. Playing with friends, family or colleagues allows for diverse problem-solving puzzles, and pushes our players to communicate well together and think outside the box.
We believe that the co-op experience is a trade-off worth making for an even more enjoyable and challenging puzzle experience!
Are the games cross-platform? What platforms are they available on?
Yes. Unsolved Case, Unboxing the Cryptic Killer and Parallel Experiment are available on Steam, iOS and Android, and are fully cross-play enabled: you can play together no matter which of these platforms each of you uses. You'll find the links to each store in Where can I buy your games?, and the supported devices, controllers and Steam Deck in Which devices can I play on?
Our games are also coming to the Epic Games Store.
We're stuck on a puzzle. How do hints work?
Every puzzle has built-in hints. Open the puzzle close-up and select Hint in the top right corner. The first hints give you a nudge in the right direction, so you can still solve the puzzle yourselves, and the last one usually shows the solution.
Before you reach for a hint, talk it through with your partner: the missing piece is often on their screen, not yours.
Still stuck? Ask other players on our Discord server, or watch the Parallel Experiment walkthrough on YouTube.
Do I need an active internet connection to play?
Yes, an internet connection is required at all times to play our games. They are online co-op games, so you and your partner stay connected to each other while you play. Achievements and updates need an internet connection too.
Having trouble connecting? See our connection issues guide.
What's the difference between Parallel Experiment and Parallel Lab?
These are two different games. Parallel Lab is an online escape room game from 2022, played in a web browser in teams. Parallel Experiment is a new, much bigger game for two players on PC, iOS and Android.
The names get mixed up because Parallel Experiment was first announced on Steam under the name Parallel Lab, and was renamed before its release. Read more in Parallel Lab is no more! It's Parallel Experiment now!
Game Journalists & Streamers
Covering our game? We’ve prepared a comprehensive Press Kit to make your job easier. If you have any questions or would like to discuss collaboration opportunities, feel free to reach out at [email protected]
Thank you for your support!
Latest news
Parallel Experiment is now Steam Deck Verified!
Parallel Experiment is now Steam Deck Verified! Get it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2012320/Parallel_Experiment/ Unsolved…
Parallel Experiment - Patch 2.0.3
Bug fixes and improvements: Fixed an issue allowing horizontal movement on a raised platform while holding the prism Fixed levitation after…
Sales in Russia suspended due to connection issues
Detectives, Due to ongoing technical issues affecting connections to our servers, we’ve decided to suspend sales of our games in Russia. We…
