Howard's apartment with a photo corner - apart from being a detective, he also has professional training in photography. from mobygames.com
Inside The Bite club. You first see Renee here, without yet knowing that she would be important to the plot development. from mobygames.com
Title screen from mobygames.com
Bar inside The Bite. Howard will be asked to leave anyway, Clarissa is good at recognising unwanted guests. (I anyway believe that customer selection should be illegal.) from mobygames.com
There are two ways to get back inside the club: through the back door... from mobygames.com
...or up on the roof. The first route is more interesting... from mobygames.com
...(it includes a very clever puzzle with figuring out a password based on today's headlines)... from mobygames.com
...however, only the rooftop route allows you to go through this amazing room, the back door route bypasses it completely. from mobygames.com
A puma celebrity with a tail... just wrong. It looks like it would either grow somewhere near her ankles, or be over as long as herself, to drop down from under her skirt and still loop like this. from mobygames.com
Corridor on the upper floor of the club. This part is not about jazz and alcohol, it's much worse. from mobygames.com
Anyway, the light effects are beautiful and the pictures on the wall are redrawings of real known artworks with animals instead of human women. ;) from mobygames.com
Another redrawing of a known nude picture. ;) More to the point, some objects in the room match description of Jeremy Greene's clothing - he must have been here! from mobygames.com
Notice the refrigerator. Traditionally carnivorous species in this animal society have restricted themselves to eating fish, at least some birds (geese) have been trained as couriers... from mobygames.com
...and consumption of mammal meat is strongly taboo - after all, "People don't eat people!". from mobygames.com
Move everything on this locker door to figure out a code. An interesting and quite tricky puzzle. from mobygames.com
You are discovered in the park by Renee. from mobygames.com
A stylish cut-scene from mobygames.com
Notice an interesting little uncorrected mistake: some of the trams... are mirrored, including this one. from mobygames.com
Strict gender division is something I'm embarassed about, but I can't help wondering about the gender of these two lions... That said, both maneless males and maned females exist. from mobygames.com
Start of the second act from mobygames.com
This lady is clearly flirting with Howard... A nice fact: Howard is "canonically" bisexual, we'll learn that a male raccoon he meets is his ex. from mobygames.com
A new location is introduced. from mobygames.com
Inside the ape apartment. The conspiracy will get yet more complicated now... from mobygames.com
The game is interspersed with cutscenes in mostly black, blue and yellow. from mobygames.com
The working class district. Anyway, the amount of detail in these sceneries is breathtaking... from mobygames.com
...We can see that everywhere in the game world people are living their lives, with their own stories hidden from our view... from mobygames.com
This screenshot was openly inspired by Russian staircases and corridors. The game is set in Vancouver, but - having a mostly Russian team - draws a fair bit from Russia as well. from mobygames.com
We have met this rabbit before, in the alley behind The Bite. Now Howard has found her at the factory and she invited him, wanting to know what could have happened to her daughter. from mobygames.com
Looking up files on a computer terminal. from mobygames.com
Rosie's room. Beautiful, but a little cramped, I guess I'll have to replay the game in higher resolution. from mobygames.com
Renee has her own investigation map as well and it gets updated when Howard discovers new things. from mobygames.com
Howard takes a guided tour through Science City, hoping to be able to sneak inside real laboratories... from mobygames.com
...The bathroom break presents a good opportunity. from mobygames.com
Many residents of Science City are decent people... but completely unaware of life of the lower classes. from mobygames.com
Yes - Howard manages to find the scientist working on the secret project... from mobygames.com
...And now I'm unsure what to do: omit so many beautiful screenshots? Continue, despite entering spoiler territory? from mobygames.com
Something (spoiler censorship) is causing Howard to hallucinate. I like such scenes due to my interest in psychedelic drugs... from mobygames.com
...but I have to say that I don't like the direction the game takes at this point. Just plain sad... and too weakly tied to the conspiracy which Howard discovers. from mobygames.com
Social outcasts have formed their own community here... from mobygames.com
Talking to one of the members of the outcast community. from mobygames.com
The game is infused with "fantastic racism". The rabbit is ruthless to Howard... but she's also one of very few lower-class animals who have had a chance at a career in science. from mobygames.com
Conversations have multiple paths through dialogue choices. from mobygames.com
There is a Detective mode where you can keep track of objectives. from mobygames.com
In the epilogue, the final chapter, you get to control Clarissa Bloodworth briefly for another perspective. from mobygames.com
There are fail states, but none of them are permanent with unlimited number of retries. from mobygames.com
Harold walking beyond the wall, alone. from mobygames.com
Backbone is a noir roleplaying detective adventure. You are raccoon private eye Howard Lotor, a second-class citizen of dystopian Vancouver, BC inhabited by animals. Interrogate a diverse cast of characters, collect evidence, and choose which leads to follow.
Howard's apartment with a photo corner - apart from being a detective, he also has professional training in photography.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Inside The Bite club. You first see Renee here, without yet knowing that she would be important to the plot development.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Title screen
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Bar inside The Bite. Howard will be asked to leave anyway, Clarissa is good at recognising unwanted guests. (I anyway believe that customer selection should be illegal.)
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
There are two ways to get back inside the club: through the back door...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...or up on the roof. The first route is more interesting...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...(it includes a very clever puzzle with figuring out a password based on today's headlines)...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...however, only the rooftop route allows you to go through this amazing room, the back door route bypasses it completely.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
A puma celebrity with a tail... just wrong. It looks like it would either grow somewhere near her ankles, or be over as long as herself, to drop down from under her skirt and still loop like this.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Corridor on the upper floor of the club. This part is not about jazz and alcohol, it's much worse.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Anyway, the light effects are beautiful and the pictures on the wall are redrawings of real known artworks with animals instead of human women. ;)
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Another redrawing of a known nude picture. ;) More to the point, some objects in the room match description of Jeremy Greene's clothing - he must have been here!
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Notice the refrigerator. Traditionally carnivorous species in this animal society have restricted themselves to eating fish, at least some birds (geese) have been trained as couriers...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...and consumption of mammal meat is strongly taboo - after all, "People don't eat people!".
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Move everything on this locker door to figure out a code. An interesting and quite tricky puzzle.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
You are discovered in the park by Renee.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
A stylish cut-scene
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Notice an interesting little uncorrected mistake: some of the trams... are mirrored, including this one.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Strict gender division is something I'm embarassed about, but I can't help wondering about the gender of these two lions... That said, both maneless males and maned females exist.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Start of the second act
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
This lady is clearly flirting with Howard... A nice fact: Howard is "canonically" bisexual, we'll learn that a male raccoon he meets is his ex.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
A new location is introduced.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Inside the ape apartment. The conspiracy will get yet more complicated now...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
The game is interspersed with cutscenes in mostly black, blue and yellow.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
The working class district. Anyway, the amount of detail in these sceneries is breathtaking...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...We can see that everywhere in the game world people are living their lives, with their own stories hidden from our view...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
This screenshot was openly inspired by Russian staircases and corridors. The game is set in Vancouver, but - having a mostly Russian team - draws a fair bit from Russia as well.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
We have met this rabbit before, in the alley behind The Bite. Now Howard has found her at the factory and she invited him, wanting to know what could have happened to her daughter.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Looking up files on a computer terminal.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Rosie's room. Beautiful, but a little cramped, I guess I'll have to replay the game in higher resolution.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Renee has her own investigation map as well and it gets updated when Howard discovers new things.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Howard takes a guided tour through Science City, hoping to be able to sneak inside real laboratories...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...The bathroom break presents a good opportunity.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Many residents of Science City are decent people... but completely unaware of life of the lower classes.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Yes - Howard manages to find the scientist working on the secret project...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...And now I'm unsure what to do: omit so many beautiful screenshots? Continue, despite entering spoiler territory?
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Something (spoiler censorship) is causing Howard to hallucinate. I like such scenes due to my interest in psychedelic drugs...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
...but I have to say that I don't like the direction the game takes at this point. Just plain sad... and too weakly tied to the conspiracy which Howard discovers.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Social outcasts have formed their own community here...
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Talking to one of the members of the outcast community.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
The game is infused with "fantastic racism". The rabbit is ruthless to Howard... but she's also one of very few lower-class animals who have had a chance at a career in science.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Conversations have multiple paths through dialogue choices.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
There is a Detective mode where you can keep track of objectives.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
In the epilogue, the final chapter, you get to control Clarissa Bloodworth briefly for another perspective.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
There are fail states, but none of them are permanent with unlimited number of retries.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
Harold walking beyond the wall, alone.
(Windows)
from mobygames.com
