Confessd
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Ballistics

Links a bullet or a weapon to the shot.

In the game

Ballistics in Confessd links a bullet, a casing or a gun to a shot. When a barrel fires, it leaves fine, unique scratches on the bullet, called striations, and a real examiner places two bullets side by side under a comparison microscope to see if the marks carry over from one to the other. In the game, the target of the analysis is described on the card in the Lab, with no hint of what will come out of it.

The result comes in an impersonal report, three sentences at most, stamped Positive, Negative or Inconclusive. If there is a finding, it goes into your Clues as a fact and opens the way to a confrontation question, or gives strength to one that still seemed weak. Showing that the bullet came from a certain gun doesn't say who was holding it: ballistics brings you closer to the truth, but the final evidence always comes out of the interrogation.

The price falls between 5 and 50 coins and is charged per game. In the same game, the paid report can be opened as many times as you want; in a new attempt after a loss, the analysis is charged again. It doesn't use up a question, so it works as an extra step for anyone who wants to close the case with fewer questions and climb the leaderboard. The report's clock only starts after the minigame: it comes out after a short wait, and you can rush it for 5 coins.

Ballistics

How the minigame works

  1. The microscope lens is split down the middle: on the left, the striations of the reference bullet; on the right, those of the bullet under examination, shifted up or down.

    The microscope lens is split down the middle: on the left, the striations of the reference bullet; on the right, those of the bullet under examination, shifted up or down.

  2. Drag the right half vertically until the light and dark bands run straight across from one side to the other. After 20 seconds without a match, an arrow shows which way to drag and the margin for the fit gets wider.

    Drag the right half vertically until the light and dark bands run straight across from one side to the other. After 20 seconds without a match, an arrow shows which way to drag and the margin for the fit gets wider.

  3. When the striations line up, the lens ring turns green; lift your finger and the two halves lock in place, the discovery sound plays and the ballistics report opens.

    When the striations line up, the lens ring turns green; lift your finger and the two halves lock in place, the discovery sound plays and the ballistics report opens.

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In real history

When a gun that should have held blanks fires a live round, as on the set of the film "Rust", the investigation has to answer where that ammunition came from and who was responsible for the weapon.

The death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust"
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Other forensics

FingerprintsReveals prints on objects and surfaces at the scene.DNA testMatches genetic material from the scene against each suspect.ToxicologyLooks for poisons, medicines and other substances.Search warrantCombs the scene for whatever was left behind.Security camerasReviews camera footage from the time of the crime.Phone recordsPulls the calls and messages of everyone who was there.Digital forensicsUnlocks a seized phone or laptop and recovers deleted messages.Records and platesPulls someone's record or the owner of a license plate.Medical examiner's reportReads the medical examiner's chart for marks the summary left out.Translation or cipherTranslates or decodes a document in another language or in code.Handwriting analysisCompares the writing or signature on a document with a suspect's.Scene photosOpens the folder with the crime scene photos.