Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an adventure game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo DS and iOS.Ghost Trick's story centers on the recently deceased protagonist Sissel, and his ghost's struggle to discover who he was when he was alive and who killed him. The player assumes the role of this ghost, who has the ability to perform various Ghost Tricks to solve puzzles and navigate the world around him.
The lead development, writing, and directing were handled by Shu Takumi, creator of the Ace Attorney franchise. During gameplay segments, players can swap at will between the Land of the Living, where time flows naturally, and the Ghost World, in which time is stopped. Objects are represented by blue cores, and in the Land of the Living, Sissel can animate these objects to perform actions, known as "Ghost Tricks", that open new paths or influence the characters around him. For example, moving a tray of donuts will prompt a character to change where he or she is currently seated, as well as giving Sissel access to new areas.
Much of the plot is driven by Sissel's ability to possess corpses. In these four minutes, Sissel can attempt to use his Ghost Tricks to alter the situation, and ultimately change the future by saving the person's life. If the player fails to save the victim in time, he may choose to go back to the beginning of the four minutes, or return to a checkpoint created when the player manages to alter fate a little. Missile's spirit has a longer reach than Sissel, and has the ability to swap the position of two objects that are of the same shape. The majority of Ghost Trick's gameplay segments consist of the puzzles that make up these scenarios.
The game starts with the player coming to consciousness with no memories of his past. Ray also tells Sissel that he can use ghost tricks to go back four minutes before the death of a person and attempt to save their life.
