# TR-49 — Narrative puzzle & audio drama > Narrative deduction puzzle game with interactive audio drama elements. (iPhone/iPad app by inkle.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tr-49/id6754027574 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [inkle](https://appshunter.io/developer/576695514) - Category: Games, Adventure, Puzzle - Price: $6.99 - Rating: 4.50/5 from 37 App Store ratings · 24 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 14.0 · 527 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-01-21 - Data updated: 2026-08-28 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tr-49/id6754027574/reviews.md ## What is TR? A voice is saying your name. A WWII-era machine, long hidden in a church basement, whirs to life. Through a crackling speaker a man asks you to find a stolen book. He only knows the title. Time is running out. The machine, created by Bletchley Park engineers Cecil Caulderly and Beatrice Dooler, contains a vast archive of obscure books, letters, and journals fed in over the span of fifty years in an attempt to crack the code of reality. As their lives fell apart, the machine kept working. Navigate the computer’s archive. Link its obscure texts and uncover its creators’ secrets. Communicate with the man behind the speaker to figure out your role in this mystery. Destroy the book at the core of the machine — before it’s too late. NARRATIVE DEDUCTION - Deduce links through the archive to locate hidden sources. - Unravel the stories and unearth the secrets of the books’ authors and the machine's creators. - Map the archive and find the book that will rewrite the world. INTERACTIVE AUDIO DRAMA - Talk with your handler at any time, creating a dynamic audio drama that responds as you explore. - Featuring the voices of Rebekah McLoughlin (The SCP Archives, Eternal Threads), Paul Warren (A Highland Song, Viewfinder, The Séance of Blake Manor) and Phillipe Bosher (Baldur's Gate 3, Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). - Original soundtrack by Laurence Chapman (A Highland Song, Heaven's Vault, The Mask of the Rose). INSPIRATIONS TR-49 takes inspiration from narrative deduction games like The Roottrees are Dead and The Return of the Obra Dinn, and from audio dramas like The Magnus Archives and ars PARADOXICA. Written and created by the award-winning team behind 80 Days, Heaven's Vault, Overboard!, and A Highland Song. ## Key features - Narrative deduction gameplay - Interactive audio drama - Archive exploration - Link obscure texts - Uncover creator secrets - Dynamic dialogue system ## Chart rankings - #142 in Top Paid · Puzzle (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 24) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tr-49/id6754027574/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Diamond in the rough! *2026-08-13, version 1.1.0* A immediately curiosity-driven “found narrative story, with immersive sound design, beautiful graphic simplicity, with rich, contemporary thematic underpinnings. It’s a book-lovers’ joy of a game! ### 5/5 — Wonderful piece of art *2026-08-02, version 1.1.0* A game that a team truly cared about, hint woven in so naturally to support you along without being intrusive, highly recommend ### 5/5 — An intriguing challenge *2026-06-13, version 1.1.0* Really enjoyed this, struggled at first to understand it but read some reviews - stick with it and it falls into place very quickly what you should be doing. From then on I was hooked! Love the story too. One for the codebreakers. ### 5/5 — Intuitive and enjoyable *2026-06-10, version 1.1.0* Somewhat slow start until I understood the mechanics and the coding that began to take on more clarity as I found more clues..The multiple endings threw me since I thought I had found the solution that benefitted the scenario but then found it was a fail? wasnt a hard fix but it did confuse and frustrate me at first.. Only criticism I have is the AMOUNT of books, much of it seemed useless or at the most a distraction. The tension was there at times and the situation of the timeline/identity reveal was hinted at in several locations but still had an added twist..A very refreshing enjoyable experience in puzzle games for the iOS, intuitive on a challenging level but not impossible to work through. ### 1/5 — Text too tiny *2026-04-23, version 1.1.0* This is largely a text reading game, but the text is so small I can't read it. Especially on the machine that is a central focus of the game where the text is yellow on yellow. Feel like i just wasted 7 bucks. ### 5/5 — Fantastique ! *2026-04-22* Un jeu passionnant avec une ambiance prenante. Difficile de décrocher. ### 4/5 — Abbi *2026-03-17, version 1.1.0* “Abbi! Abbi! Talk to me Abbi! Abbi Abbi! Abbi! Abbi talk to me Abbi! Abbi!” 5 seconds in and I already want to punch this guy. Calm down. I’ll talk to you after I look around. ### 2/5 — Too small on iPhone *2026-03-14, version 1.1.0* You have to read tiny text on a flickering, jittery screen that's much smaller than your phone's screen; it's just too much eye strain for me. Not to mention that I have more important things to do with my mind than try to solve contrived puzzles. Deleted and going to request a refund through the App Store (you can do that, y'know). ### 5/5 — A real brain game *2026-02-26, version 1.1.0* This game is not for the faint hearted. You have to read. Pay attention. Make deductions. Channel your inner Bletchley park analyst. You are only fighting for reality itself. ### 1/5 — Bestimmt gut, stürzt aber ab *2026-02-08* UPDATE: ok, now my iPad isn’t compatible anymore. would have been nice if you, inkle, had figuered that out BEFORE I gave you my money. so now only 1 star because of this. very annoying. sorry. Das Spiel ist sicherlich spitze, Inkle ist ja für Qualität bekannt. Leider stürzt es auf meinem iPad Pro (12,9 Zoll) mit iOS 16.7. beim Starten SOFORT ab. Ich sehe noch für den Bruchteil einer Sekunde eine Warn-Meldung, sie zu lesen bleibt jedoch keine Zeit. Schade, ## Frequently asked questions about TR ### What is TR-49 about? TR-49 is a narrative deduction game where you explore a WWII-era machine's archive to find a stolen book. It features an interactive audio drama with voice actors and an original soundtrack. ### What are the main gameplay mechanics in TR-49? The core gameplay involves deducing links through the archive to locate hidden sources, unraveling stories of authors and creators, and mapping the archive to find a crucial book. You also communicate with a handler, creating a dynamic audio drama experience. ### Does TR-49 have multiplayer or offline play? The provided information does not specify multiplayer capabilities. However, narrative and puzzle-focused games like TR-49 are often designed for single-player experiences and can typically be played offline. ### What devices is TR-49 available on? TR-49 is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. ### What is the age rating for TR-49? TR-49 has an age rating of 9+. ### How often is TR-49 updated? TR-49 was last updated on January 28, 2026, with version 1.1.0. This suggests a recent update, and future updates will likely follow a similar pattern. ### What games inspired TR-49? TR-49 draws inspiration from narrative deduction games such as The Roottrees are Dead and The Return of the Obra Dinn, as well as audio dramas like The Magnus Archives and ars PARADOXICA. ### How much does TR-49 cost? TR-49 is a paid application and costs $6.99. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.1.0 — 2026-01-28 The CALIBRATION revision Thanks to everyone who's been playing TR-49 so far! We've been busy collating feedback, tightening screws and replugging wires. The Settings menu now offers two new tick-boxes: 1) Reduce Hints For those who like a more deductive, less-directed experience, you can remove the in-game hint systems and reminders. Once you're through the tutorial, it'll also remove the highlight state from the intercom, to reduce the pressure to use it (unless you feel like talking). 2) Remove Glitch Effects Everyone loves old tech, but it's not always comfortable. If the screen movement was giving you issues, tick this box to reduce the ambient animation for a more crisp on-screen reading experience. We hope this lets you enjoy TR-49 the way you want to. ### 1.0.6 — 2026-01-23 Minor bug fixes, and we now require a device with A12 processor or later. ### 1.0.3 — 2026-01-21 Minor bug fixes ### 1.0.4 — 2026-01-15 Let's try putting through more power. Hope nothing blows. ### 0.3.4 — 2026-01-06 No release notes. ## Apps similar to TR | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Tangle Tower](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tangle-tower/id1645719151) | 4.8 (179) | $4.99 | Games | | [Broken Sword: Reforged](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/broken-sword-reforged/id6743181287) | 4.6 (73) | $8.99 | Games | | [Glitch Plus by Glitch Games](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glitch-plus-by-glitch-games/id6738053260) | 4.6 (67) | Free | Games | | [Braid Anniversary Edition](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/braid-anniversary-edition/id6756680806) | 4.7 (10) | $4.99 | Games | | [Foretales](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foretales/id6743491591) | 4.8 (153) | $0.99 | Games | | [The Darkside Detective](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-darkside-detective/id6473466126) | 4.9 (47) | $6.99 | Games | ## More apps by inkle - [Frankenstein: Interactive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frankenstein-interactive/id516047066) - [Sorcery!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorcery/id627879091) - [Sorcery! 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorcery-2/id627880433) - [80 Days](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/80-days/id892812659) - [Sorcery! 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorcery-3/id978352903) - [Sorcery! 4](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorcery-4/id1126935885) All apps by inkle: https://appshunter.io/developer/576695514 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*