The Forgotten City hides a murder mystery beneath The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

Image credit: Nick Pearce / TheModernStoryteller, via Nexus Mods.

Skyrim has no shortage of people who want you to kill something. Bandits, dragons, vampires, the occasional lunatic hiding in a cave... honestly, it's a wonder the Dragonborn ever gets a moment to sit down. But what happens when swinging a sword isn't necessarily the best way to solve a problem?

Nick Pearce's The Forgotten City sends players into an underground settlement where a murder mystery, time travel, and some rather uncomfortable moral decisions take center stage. Instead of simply clearing another dungeon, you're investigating what happened, talking to people, piecing together clues, and making choices that can lead to different endings. The creator estimates roughly six to eight hours of gameplay, with more than 1,200 lines of dialogue performed by 18 actors and an original orchestral score.

It's one of those projects that reminds us just how far Skyrim modding can wander from the game's usual formula. The adventure is designed for characters level five and above, and the creator recommends leaving your followers behind. Probably for the best... sometimes solving a mystery requires a little more subtlety than Lydia standing in a doorway.