The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a masterclass in the 'Full Motion Video' (FMV) genre. Most FMV games feel like low-budget movies with a few choices, but Square Enix has elevated this into a high-production cinematic experience. The acting is top-tier, featuring famous Japanese actors, and the plot—a century-spanning murder mystery involving an immortal fruit—is genuinely gripping.
The 'Deduction' phase is the game's best feature. It’s not just about picking a dialogue option; you actually have to map out your thoughts in a mental space, connecting clues to create hypotheses. It makes you feel like a real detective rather than just a passive viewer. If you enjoyed games like 'Her Story' or 'Return of the Obra Dinn,' this is a high-budget evolution of that investigative gameplay. It is easily one of the best narrative games on the App Store.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.0.1Thu Jun 01 2023
Store Information Update.
The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a new unique mystery-adventure game.
Directed by Koichiro Ito (Metal Gear Solid V), and with Yasuhito Tachibana, producer of Netflix's 'The Naked Director' serving as the Cinematographer and Scenario Director, beautiful yet thrilling live-action footage intertwines with mysteries to solve, creating highly immersive gameplay.
The player follows a chain of murders which take place over the span of a century. Four murders have been committed in three different time periods - 1922, 1972, and 2022.
Each episode is comprised of three parts, the Incident phase, the Reasoning phase, and the Solution phase, inviting the player to seamlessly enter into this world of mystery.
Explore these time periods, collect multiple clues, and solve a 100-year mystery.
■Story
The Shijima family have suffered a chain of inexplicable deaths over the past century.
When Haruka Kagami, a mystery novelist, visits the Shiijmas, she finds herself taking on four different murder cases - occurring at different points in time.
The red camellia and the Fruit of Youth, which invite only death.
And the truth behind it all, waiting to be uncovered...
■ Gameplay
Haruka Kagami, the main character, is an up-and-coming mystery writer.
Play as Haruka Kagami and pit your wits against the murder cases.
Each murder case comprises of three parts.
The Incident phase: See the entire murder as it unfolds, from start to end. The keys needed to solve the mysteries surrounding the murder can always be found in the video itself.
The Reasoning phase: Put together the [Clues] and [Mysteries] found during the Incident phase and create a hypothesis in your cognitive space. You can create multiple hypotheses, but not all of them will be correct. Some things you uncover may lead you down the wrong path.
The Solution phase: Pin down the killer based on the hypothesis you created in the Reasoning phase. Select the correct hypothesis to determine the killer. When facing a trickier culprit, they may attempt to refute your claims, so strike back with your reasoning!
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a new unique mystery-adventure game.
Directed by Koichiro Ito (Metal Gear Solid V), and with Yasuhito Tachibana, producer of Netflix's 'The Naked Director' serving as the Cinematographer and Scenario Director, beautiful yet thrilling live-action footage intertwines with mysteries to solve, creating highly immersive gameplay.
The player follows a chain of murders which take place over the span of a century. Four murders have been committed in three different time periods - 1922, 1972, and 2022.
Each episode is comprised of three parts, the Incident phase, the Reasoning phase, and the Solution phase, inviting the player to seamlessly enter into this world of mystery.
Explore these time periods, collect multiple clues, and solve a 100-year mystery.
■Story
The Shijima family have suffered a chain of inexplicable deaths over the past century.
When Haruka Kagami, a mystery novelist, visits the Shiijmas, she finds herself taking on four different murder cases - occurring at different points in time.
The red camellia and the Fruit of Youth, which invite only death.
And the truth behind it all, waiting to be uncovered...
■ Gameplay
Haruka Kagami, the main character, is an up-and-coming mystery writer.
Play as Haruka Kagami and pit your wits against the murder cases.
Each murder case comprises of three parts.
The Incident phase: See the entire murder as it unfolds, from start to end. The keys needed to solve the mysteries surrounding the murder can always be found in the video itself.
The Reasoning phase: Put together the [Clues] and [Mysteries] found during the Incident phase and create a hypothesis in your cognitive space. You can create multiple hypotheses, but not all of them will be correct. Some things you uncover may lead you down the wrong path.
The Solution phase: Pin down the killer based on the hypothesis you created in the Reasoning phase. Select the correct hypothesis to determine the killer. When facing a trickier culprit, they may attempt to refute your claims, so strike back with your reasoning!








The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a unique live-action mystery-adventure game. Directed by Koichiro Ito (428: Shibuya Scramble), players investigate a series of murders that took place in 1922, 1972, and 2022. Collect clues in the 'Incident Phase' and piece them together in the 'Deduction Phase' to reveal the truth. This is a truly cinematic experience that blends high-quality FMV with deep detective gameplay.
Stunning 4K live-action cinematography
Deep investigative deduction system
Multi-generational narrative
Star-studded Japanese cast
During the live-action scenes, keep an eye out for flickering icons. These are your opportunities to gather clues. You don't need to tap them perfectly—the game is quite forgiving—but missing them will make the deduction phase much harder.
'The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story' iOS Review – The Best Portable Version of an FMV Masterpiece ... TouchArcade Rating: Square Enix's The...
TouchArcade - Tue Apr 29 2025
Square Enix will release live-action mystery adventure game The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story for iOS via App Store and Android via...
Gematsu - Sat Mar 29 2025
Case in point, Square Enix has been doing a fantastic job of uploading plenty of their long-standing quality titles to the platforms...
Hey Poor Player - Thu May 29 2025
... Square Enix. Publisher(s). Square Enix; Square Enix; Square Enix. Go to Game Overview. I am a sucker for mysteries in my fiction...
RPGFan - Wed May 29 2024
Square Enix, h.a.n.d., and Nemeton have produced a live-action video game like no other with The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story.
Escapist Magazine - Mon Apr 29 2024
The last time Square Enix brought us a full-motion video game, it was, frankly, an unmitigated disaster. So it's a brave move for them to get...
The Washington Post - Mon Apr 29 2024
Square Enix has announced The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, a new FMV launching on May 12 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4,...
GameSpot - Mon Jan 29 2024
... Final Fantasy Origin, Chrono Chross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, Live a Live, Various Daylife, Voice...
Eurogamer - Sat Mar 01 2025
Square Enix. Developer h.a.n.d.. Release May 12, 2022. Rating Teen. What if there was a way to stop the aging process and only your family knew...
Game Informer - Mon Apr 29 2024
... The Centennial Case to name a few. Square Enix also released two Voice of Cards games in 2022 following the series debut back in late 2021...
TouchArcade - Sat Mar 29 2025
In the deduction phase, you connect 'Clues' to 'Mysteries' on a hexagonal grid. Don't be afraid to create 'incorrect' hypotheses; seeing why a theory doesn't work often provides the insight needed to find the real solution.
Yes, the game features full Japanese voice acting and high-quality subtitles in multiple languages.