AdventureFit check
Is The New California worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Players who prefer story-led adventure games over combat-focused action
- Fans of literary adaptations who want a Brazilian historical setting
- Players interested in mysteries built around dialogue, discovery, and stealth
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking a combat-heavy action game with weapons or battles
- Players looking for open-ended systems rather than a directed, story-based investigation
- Players who prefer realistic crime mysteries without bizarre or supernatural-leaning elements
Our take on The New California
The premise foregrounds a striking bone-theft mystery, but the playable scope is narrower: dialogue, discovery, and sneaking into tombs support a directed literary story. The listing gives little sense of how extensive the investigation or interaction systems are beyond those central scenes.
What is The New California?
Set in Tubiacanga, a small Rio de Janeiro city in 1910, the game follows Bastos, a well-known apothecary investigating the theft of human bones from tombs.
The mystery involves a newly arrived foreigner, possible coin forgery, and an unexplained pact. Gameplay combines action and adventure with conversations that test characters’ sincerity, exploration, and moments of discovery. Players can use a pickaxe to break into tombs and take bones without being seen. The story also follows an unusual attempt to confront greed and is adapted from work by Brazilian author Lima Barreto.
How The New California plays
- 01Bone theft investigation
- Bastos examines the disappearance of human remains from graves in a 1910 Brazilian town.
- 02Dialogue deception
- Conversations involve maintaining composure while provoking reactions and judging sincerity.
- 03Covert tomb raids
- A pickaxe can be used to enter tombs and remove bones while avoiding detection.
- 04Lima Barreto adaptation
- The story draws from the work of Brazilian writer Lima Barreto.
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The New California: platforms & release
Is The New California worth it?
It is worth it if: players who prefer story-led adventure games over combat-focused action. Skip it if: players seeking a combat-heavy action game with weapons or battles.
Where can I download The New California?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens The New California's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is The New California on?
Windows only.
