Apple Crumble, a new interactive mystery thriller from Happy Broccoli Games, will launch for PC through Steam on December 2, 2026. The developer is known for the Duck Detective series, and its next game shifts from that detective-led world toward a confined, family-focused mystery built around a milestone birthday that is unlikely to remain a simple celebration.
Described as a fully voiced experience with inspiration drawn from Knives Out, Apple Crumble places players in the middle of their grandmother's 84th birthday gathering. Family members, old tensions, and an unfolding investigation provide the ingredients for a small-scale whodunit. Rather than promising a huge open-ended adventure, the game is being positioned as a concise mystery intended to be completed in around an hour and a half.
The game will be priced at $10, with a 10% launch discount
A Birthday Party With a Mystery at Its Center
Apple Crumble's premise puts the focus squarely on family. An 84th birthday is usually an opportunity to gather relatives, share food, revisit memories, and perhaps endure the occasional awkward conversation. In a mystery story, however, those same conditions can become the perfect setting for suspicion. Everyone knows everyone else--or believes they do--and the relationships beneath a polite celebration can be far more complicated than they first appear.
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That domestic setup distinguishes Apple Crumble from detective stories built around police stations, crime scenes, or globe-trotting conspiracies. The intrigue is rooted in a family event and the people attending it. That can make every conversation, detail, and apparent disagreement more meaningful, particularly in a shorter game where there is little room for distractions that do not feed into the central investigation.
The stated inspiration from Knives Out also gives a useful indication of the intended flavor without confirming any direct narrative parallels. Audiences familiar with that kind of ensemble mystery may expect clashing personalities, carefully guarded motives, and a story that invites them to reconsider what they have learned. Apple Crumble's own premise remains centered on its grandmother's birthday and the family members caught up in the resulting investigation.
A Fully Voiced Interactive Thriller
Happy Broccoli Games describes Apple Crumble as fully voiced, an important detail for a character-driven mystery. Voice performances can do a great deal of work in stories about relatives who may be hiding feelings, resentments, or important information. A pause before an answer, a defensive tone, or an overly eager attempt to redirect a conversation can all matter when players are trying to work out what is happening.
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For an interactive mystery, a voiced cast can also help establish the atmosphere quickly. Apple Crumble has a deliberately compact projected runtime, so the game will need to introduce its cast and establish its tension efficiently. Dialogue is likely to be central to that effort, whether players are learning about family history, identifying contradictions, or simply getting a sense of how the gathering changes once the mystery takes hold.
The term "interactive thriller" suggests a story designed around active participation rather than passive viewing. However, details on the game's specific mechanics, branching paths, puzzle structure, decision systems, and possible outcomes have not been announced. Players should therefore treat the currently confirmed information as a broad view of the experience: a fully voiced, family-centered mystery with an interactive format and a short intended duration.
A Short Runtime Can Suit the Genre
Apple Crumble is expected to take roughly 1.5 hours
That length may make Apple Crumble a natural choice for players seeking a complete evening game rather than a long-term commitment. A roughly 90-minute runtime can fit comfortably into one sitting, which is especially appealing for a thriller where the momentum of the plot is part of the experience. Following the clues and conversations without extended gaps may help players keep track of details and theories as the investigation progresses.
A shorter format also gives Happy Broccoli Games room to deliver a distinct project alongside its work associated with Duck Detective. The studio's previous detective work makes a mystery thriller a logical genre space, while Apple Crumble's birthday-party premise and contained scope give it its own identity. It is not being presented as an enormous procedural investigation; it is a concentrated story with a particular setting, a particular group of people, and a particular occasion gone wrong.
Price and Launch Discount Details
At launch, Apple Crumble will carry a listed price of $10. A 10% discount will be available as part of the game's launch promotion. No end date for that discount has been specified, so players who are interested in picking it up at the reduced introductory price will want to check the Steam listing around release.
The price and runtime align with the game's compact design. Apple Crumble is not being marketed as a sprawling mystery epic, but as a concise, self-contained narrative. For players who value completion, that approach may be particularly appealing: the game is expected to tell a full mystery in one short session rather than requiring a lengthy campaign before its core questions are answered.
Happy Broccoli Games has also indicated that game codes will be made available soon. Further information about the launch, including any additional materials or hands-on impressions once codes are distributed, may provide a clearer look at how Apple Crumble's interactive investigation is structured.
Apple Crumble Release Date and Platform
- Game: Apple Crumble
- Developer: Happy Broccoli Games
- Release date: December 2, 2026
- Platform: PC via Steam
- Genre: Fully voiced interactive mystery thriller
- Premise: An investigation unfolds during your grandmother's 84th birthday celebration among family members.
- Expected length: Approximately 1.5 hours
- Price: $10
- Launch offer: 10% discount
A Small Mystery With Plenty of Room for Suspicion
Apple Crumble arrives with a clear pitch: bring together a family for an important birthday, add an investigation, and let players dig into the relationships surrounding the event. The setting is modest by design, but that can be an advantage for a whodunit. In a close-knit group, every person can have history, every offhand remark can carry weight, and every apparent explanation can be worth questioning.
With its full voice cast, interactive framing, and estimated 90-minute length, the game looks set to offer an accessible mystery experience for PC players who want a concentrated dose of suspense. The December 2 release date places it just ahead of the previously announced December 3 schedule, giving Steam users one day less to wait before the birthday celebration--and whatever secrets it contains--begins.
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