Scoring genre clarity...

The Restricted Index capsule

The Restricted Index

You are Britain’s last librarian. Investigate a world of censorship and secrets in this first-person mystery puzzle game. Analyse clues, deduce which books each patron needs, uncover forbidden stories and decide what knowledge survives.

MysteryPuzzleNarrative
Ursa MinusTo be announced

The Restricted Index scores 75/100 — better than 77% of Mystery capsules (n=2,447).

Released To be announced · By Ursa Minus

Explore:Mystery capsulesPuzzle capsulesNarrative capsulesSteam page optimisationCapsule design best practices

Quick text summary

The Restricted Index scored 75/100 on Steam Analyzer — Good for a Mystery capsule. Top priority fix: [uniqueness_polish] Introduce a visual symbol or iconic element (e.g., a forbidden book stamp, burning flame motif, or unique color accent) that distinguishes this from generic library visuals and makes the 'restricted index' concept more immediately apparent.

Capsule scores by dimension

  • Genre Clarity: 7/10 — Mystery puzzle game with library setting clear. The open book, library shelves, and scholarly atmosphere immediately signal an intellectual mystery or puzzle game rather than action or horror. At TINY size, the open book and green-tinted library environment remain recognizable as a knowledge-based game, though the specific 'banned books' mechanic is not visually apparent. The setting effectively communicates indie mystery over other genres.
  • Title Readability: 8/10 — Title legible at all sizes with strong contrast. THE RESTRICTED INDEX uses clean white sans-serif typography centered over a controlled dark region of the library interior, with adequate letter spacing and weight. At TINY size (120x45), the title remains readable as two distinct words, though some letter detail softens slightly. The placement avoids noisy texture and the contrast against the darker background holds well even at smallest viewing.
  • Contrast & Color: 8/10 — Strong warm-cool separation with effective silhouettes. The composition uses a warm golden-yellow lamp and book stack on the left against cool blue-green library shelving and the glowing open book in center, creating clear value separation. At SMALL and TINY sizes, the lit book and lamp remain distinct focal points against the darker library background. Grayscale reading shows solid mid-tone contrast that prevents subject blending into the Steam dark background.
  • Uniqueness & Polish: 7/10 — Thematic and polished with memorable visual hook. The capsule establishes a distinctive identity around forbidden knowledge and literary curation through the glowing book, stacked volumes, and warm library mood lighting. The scene feels intentional and premium rather than asset-assembled, with deliberate color grading and atmospheric depth. However, the librarian-mystery aesthetic, while well-executed, is not entirely unique—similar institutional-mystery visuals appear in other indie titles, preventing a higher score.
  • Brand Consistency: 7/10 — Cohesive library aesthetic with warm-cool palette. The image presents a unified art direction: consistent rendered library interior, coherent warm-cool color scheme (gold lamps against green-blue shelving), and a signature palette of dark wood, brass, and book imagery. The glowing book becomes an iconic visual motif that could anchor future promotional materials. Without access to all 8 store screenshots, internal consistency appears strong, though no character or mascot element breaks the generic library motif for stronger brand identity.
  • Composition: 8/10 — Clear focal hierarchy with balanced layering. The glowing open book anchors the center as primary focus, with supporting lamp (upper right) and book stacks (left) guiding eye movement in a balanced triangle. Depth is effectively layered: shelves in background, foreground elements, and lit midground book creating visual recession. At TINY size, the bright book remains the unmistakable focal point, and all critical elements sit safely away from edge crop zones, supporting safe composition at all Steam sizes.

What works

  • Strong focal point hierarchy. The glowing open book commands attention at all sizes while the lamp and stacks support without competing.
  • Readable title with excellent placement. White sans-serif text positioned over controlled dark region ensures legibility from full header down to tiny thumbnail.
  • Effective atmospheric lighting. Warm gold and cool blue-green palette creates mood and visual interest while maintaining clarity and separation.
  • Safe composition margins. All primary elements positioned away from edges to survive Steam's crop behavior across device sizes.

What hurts the capsule

  • Generic library setting. While thematically appropriate, the bookshelf-and-lamp aesthetic does not strongly differentiate from other mystery-adventure titles in the benchmark list.
  • No character or mascot presence. The capsule lacks a human or iconic figure that could serve as a memorable brand identity anchor.
  • Tagline or subtitle not readable at TINY. Any smaller text elements below the main title would be illegible at 120x45 resolution, missing opportunity for mechanic hint.

Priority fixes

  1. [uniqueness_polish] Introduce a visual symbol or iconic element (e.g., a forbidden book stamp, burning flame motif, or unique color accent) that distinguishes this from generic library visuals and makes the 'restricted index' concept more immediately apparent.
  2. [genre_clarity] Add a subtle UI element or visual cue (e.g., a banning stamp, redacted text overlay, or lock symbol on a book spine) to hint at the game's core mechanic of banning and burning books at TINY size.
  3. [brand_consistency] Ensure character or figure representation appears in promotional materials to anchor a distinctive brand identity beyond the setting alone.

Store copy priority fixes

  1. [feature_communication] Replace the repeated opening with a concrete gameplay example: 'A patron asks for a book about rebellion, but the card catalogue is fragmented. You must piece together clues from partial titles, publication dates, and author names to find the right book—or deliberately recommend the wrong one to serve the resistance.'
  2. [feature_communication] Add a bullet-point or short-paragraph breakdown of core features: how many books are in the catalogue, how patrons' requests scale in difficulty, and what consequences (banning/burning) have on the story.
  3. [hook_strength] Expand the opening of the detailed description with a new sentence that moves beyond repetition and deepens the mystery: 'But your predecessor vanished under suspicious circumstances, and the library holds secrets that powerful forces want buried.'
  4. [uniqueness] Add a sentence that explicitly differentiates the puzzle design or interaction model, e.g., 'Unlike typical detective games, you don't gather evidence—you curate it, and your choices about which books to save or destroy reshape the rebellion's path.'

Related guides

Steam app ID: 4499010 · Tags: Mystery, Puzzle, Narrative, Dystopian, Atmospheric