Epitaph

What I liked

• Compelling writing. Even the red herrings or "irrelevant" entries with no clues gave us insights into Millhaven, as a community.
• Unique report format. I was so used to the drop-down menus from Golden Idol-esque deduction games that I didn't expect typed responses or multiple-choice questions.
• Automatic connection-matching. It does make things feel easier than other games that require explicitly placing strings on a conspiracy board to match two related pieces of evidence (A Hand With Many Fingers comes to mind). But personally, I like the instant validation that I chose relevant evidence.
• Just the right balance of revelation and implication. There was enough threads to piece it all together, without feeling either spoon-fed or doing blind guesswork.

What could be improved

• Linear, ungrouped evidence board UI. Even with the automatic connection-matching, I would have liked to be able to add color-coded tags to group evidence together. Either that, or to physically drag the evidence cards into a custom order, so I can see the related entries in one place.
• Overwhelming volume of obits. For pacing, I would have preferred starting with maybe 5 obits, then establishing 3 connections unlocks the next 5. But aside from practical considerations, I understand why it doesn't work that way, since the player is meant to be digitizing the physical entries. So there's no in-story reason for the later archives to be 'gatekept' from the very start. It's not like Lost Wiki: Kozlovka or The Ratline where an external client has hired you to do all this sleuthing. 
       Although that *might* be an interesting angle too: someone connected to the conspiracy has hired you to find patterns in the archives that you're digitizing. (One of Gordon Vance's daughters, possibly, contacting you using their married name?)
• Might benefit from a looping piece of background music to set the mood. (But that's just my aesthetic preference, really.)

Great game! The gameplay is very nice and clean, and the story is sadly believable... I had fun figuring it all out!

Doesn't seem to work on android browser