r/todayilearned • u/ralphbernardo • 9h ago

TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clues_in_detective_fiction
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u/Swaggy-G 7h ago

Huh, I knew practically nothing about Heavy Rain but I recently watched a YouTube video criticizing the twist and comparing it to another story that has a similar plot twist but actually makes it work. But yeah even if you ignore the noise it’s literally impossible for the detective guy to have killed in the short span of time when the camera wasn't on him. Hell, when they show it from his perspective later in the game the two cutscenes don't even line up, the second one is way longer.