Lady Thalia and the Case of Clephan

The Lady Thalia series is, among many other wonderful things, an indulgently lovingly crafted piece of queer IF. The series debuted at Spring Thing 2021, winning Best NPCs at the 2021 XYZZY Awards. Since then, it has been exclusively a beloved Spring Thing series until this year's IFComp.

I hadn't played the previous games, so I decided to play them before trying this newest entry. The first title made me smile, the second amused me, and the third left me intrigued to see what would come next. The games were easy to go through since they're lighthearted fun. The quips are memorable, the interactivity engaging, and the historical setting always a pleasure to escape into.

Despite having only played this for the past two weeks, the Lady Thalia series has become my comfort food. I chose to spend my limited free time from Japanese language classes playing these games, and I could feel the stress and pressure dissipate. If I played these games at an earlier date, I wondered if I would feel such a strong attachment to these characters -- perhaps, I might have found the fantasy of being a dashing lesbian Arsene Lupin with a detective girlfriend a bit alienating.

I was in the right mood to look forward to playing The Case of Clephan. However, what I got was more than I asked for.

The last time we saw Thalia, she had agreed to work with Mel at her new detective agency following their surprisingly successful collaboration. However, by the time the game begins, that fantasy of solving interesting cases has eroded away. Thalia is now a secretary, a job her late mother wanted her to choose over her prestigious acting career.

She only starts to feel alive when someone posing as Lady Thalia begins stealing artwork. Thalia and Mel must solve the case of the copycat perpetrator.

Anyone who has played the previous games will be familiar with the core gameplay: you talk to people who may have clues, and with the right responses, you can coax them into telling the truth. If a leading question doesn't work, the game may suggest a different approach (perhaps, a friendlier one). The first time I played a Lady Thalia game, I struggled to read the cues. But with having played the three games prior, I knew what to do and solved these cases rather quickly. Mel can also participate, which gives you two options for the same type of response. While I think the game is too easy, it feels nice to pretend to be a master thief for a few minutes.

Other adventure game mechanics also return. For example, you can solve a puzzle by referencing materials and mapping out an area for a later heist. I'm not fond of these mechanics, but they're simple enough that I don't find them tedious.

All in all, the game is another polished and refined entry of the Lady Thalia series. The gameplay feels smoother than ever, and the writing is witty. It's certainly the best Lady Thalia game to date.

But this entry goes beyond what's expected of the series and what I wanted from it. It tackles something that I think is scary for anyone seeking a long-term relationship: settling down.

By this point in the series, Thalia has strong feelings for Mel, enough to tolerate the drudgery of her secretarial job. However, this also means sacrificing her freedom. She and Mel now depend on each other and must work through their differences.

Although there are scenes that play on their homoerotic tension, I'm reminded that they're working together to secure a better future. The exciting premise of uncovering the identity of the fake Lady Thalia is overshadowed by the possibility that someone knows the identity of the real Lady Thalia and could use that information to jeopardize their current lives.

To me, this colors the game as melancholic, almost like grasping what it means to settle down after years of romantic escapades. Clearly, the couple's current relationship isn't what they had hoped for. However, they don't want to lose it because they care about each other. I see it as them trying to adjust to this new life, difficult it may be.

It was a shock to me. A welcome one at least, but I still wondered how these characters could continue to love each other. I think there's something to this dynamism, this uncertainty that captures how long-lasting relationships work in real life. They're not in full harmony, but they're in constant negotiation and a tug-of-war of desires and needs that don't 100% match.

And it's bitter medicine for someone who was subconsciously seeking an escapist fantasy. I understood these characters as people struggling with the same issues I and others face. It's not an understatement to say that this has been a humbling experience for me.

So, I would understand if people don't feel as strongly about this Lady Thalia entry as I do. But like the previous entries, this game came at the right time, just as I was about to leave Japan for home. Now, I can think about other things besides learning Japanese — for example, how should I care for the people I love? Thalia and Mel can't answer that question based on their gameplay mechanics. I look forward to seeing them grow as a couple and think together about what it means to settle down in a new life.