Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗Wild East: The Straw Man
David Zacik · Published by David Zacik · Official site ↗
Content notice: This game contains mature themes related to crime, fraud, corruption, death, and references to alcohol or tobacco. Violence is presented in a non-graphic investigative context.
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
1993, just after Czechoslovakia split in two. Play as reporter Marek and investigate the death of a company director in name only. In Prague, journalist Eva pursues a case of her own. Explore locations, read documents, and uncover where their cases meet in a classic 2D point-and-click mystery.
Free
Adventure, Indie · 2026 · More free games
About this game
On paper, he owned companies. In reality, only the debts were his.
Bratislava, 1993. Shortly after Czechoslovakia split in two, young reporter Marek Varga is handed what looks like a routine story: the death of Jozef “Jožo” Baláž, director of a company implicated in fraud. The official version seems straightforward. But Baláž never truly ran the company. He was a straw man—a director in name only, whose name and signature kept the people actually in control off the paperwork.
A damaged recording on Marek’s answering machine gives him reason to doubt the official story. Across the new border, Prague journalist Eva Svobodová finds the same pattern in an investigation of her own. When they compare notes, their separate investigations begin to reveal a single cross-border scheme.
Investigate Like a Reporter
As Marek, explore 2D locations, examine objects, read documents, talk to people, and use your inventory to follow the evidence.
What you know matters as much as what you carry. New discoveries unlock questions, change how people respond, and open new places to investigate. The right item can move the case forward—but so can the right question at the right time.
What to Expect
- Classic 2D point-and-click gameplay with inventory-based puzzles.
- A cross-border investigation spanning real locations in Bratislava and Prague in 1993.
- Documents, signatures, and contradictions that reward close attention.
- Conversations that respond to what Marek has already uncovered.
- A measured, human-scale mystery with dry local humor.
The game features real locations, but its characters, companies, and criminal case are fictional and do not depict any specific real people or cases.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
Minimum:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD equivalent
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible GPU
- Storage: 3000 MB available space
Recommended
Recommended:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Supported Languages
English*, Czech*, Slovak*
*languages with full audio support
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
The Investigation Continues — Major Demo Update
The Wild East: The Straw Man demo has received a major update with a substantial new playable continuation. Previously, Kábel’s refusal brought this path through the investigation to an early end. It is no longer a dead end. Marek can now recover from the setback, pursue a different lead and continue through an extensive new sequence all the way to the current demo ending. New playable content A substantial new continuation after Kábel refuses to cooperate A complete alternative investigation and recovery route New scenes, conversations, clues and character interactions New story transitions and animated sequences New Slovak, Czech and English voice performances A complete route to the current demo ending Improvements across the demo Refined dialogue and improved English localization More natural movement when examining objects, speaking to characters and using exits Smoother character turns and animation transitions Improved subtitle timing and story presentation Better inventory behaviour during conversations and scripted scenes Numerous fixes across rooms, interactions and investigation routes A failed approach no longer means the investigation is over. Follow the new trail, find another way forward and discover how much further Marek’s case now goes. Thank you to everyone who has played the demo, shared feedback or added Wild East: The Straw Man to their wishlist.Read full article on Community Announcements (dejvo01)Patch NotesOfficial
The Demo Just Got a Major Update
Our biggest demo update so far is here We have released a major update for the Wild East: The Straw Man demo. It touches nearly every part of the experience—from voices and character animation to controls, scale, room artwork, and overall polish. The investigation remains familiar, but the way it looks, sounds, and plays has changed significantly. Voice acting and language options Extensive voice acting has been added throughout the demo. You can play with the original Slovak and Czech performances or switch to the English dub. Interface language, character voices, and subtitles can now be selected independently. Slovak, Czech, and English interface languages remain available. Rebuilt character animations Character animation has received a broad visual overhaul across the demo. Walking, idle, talking, turning, and interaction animations have been rebuilt or refined. Transitions between movement, dialogue, and character actions are smoother and more consistent. Character proportions, foot placement, and visual continuity have been improved throughout the game. Faster and clearer point-and-click controls Hold Space to reveal the currently available interaction points in the room. Double-click a usable exit to skip the walk and move directly to the next location. Locked exits and required story moments still behave normally and cannot be bypassed. Fixed a bug that could make Marek continue walking after entering another room. Character scale and room polish Corrected character size and perspective across multiple locations. Characters now enter rooms at the intended scale and facing direction without visible size jumps. Furniture, props, and environmental details have been resized and adjusted to better match the characters. Several rooms received cleaner artwork, improved placement, and visual consistency fixes. And more This update also includes improved dialogue and interaction recovery, cleaner story transitions, localized readable artwork, audio refinements, save ...Read full article on Community Announcements (dejvo01)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update – July 21, 2026
A new update for the Wild East: The Straw Man demo is now available.• Improved left- and right-click interactions and hotspot reliability• Added footsteps synchronized with character walking animations• Added soft contact shadows to better ground characters in the environment• Additional interaction and stability fixesThank you for playing!Read full article on Community Announcements (dejvo01)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update - July 16, 2026
Today's update improves the presentation and behavior of the Wild East: The Straw Man Demo. - Smoother horizontal camera movement in wide locations - Improved fullscreen scaling across different display aspect ratios - Black letterboxing where required - Additional minor stability and presentation improvements Existing save files remain compatible. \]Play the demo on Steam\Read full article on Community Announcements (dejvo01)
