A free first-person puzzle game from solo developer Ben (Chalk Creative), built on real recordings from the Library of Congress.
The Hearsay demo is a free, calm first-person puzzle game from solo developer Ben of Chalk Creative. According to the developer, real recordings from the Library of Congress’s National Jukebox, ranging from Sousa marches to Strauss waltzes, have been cut into unlabeled tapes and scattered throughout a basement archive.
Your job is to listen to each tape and figure out, entirely by ear, which cabinet it belongs in and where it should be placed. Once you make your choice, the shelf gives you a simple green, yellow, or red response, letting you know how close you are to the correct answer. It’s a simple concept, but one that turns listening carefully into the heart of the puzzle.
🎧 This game is all about listening. A pair of comfortable headphones makes every note easier to place, especially when two pieces sound alike.
My Impressions
It was fun, interesting, and surprisingly educational. Listening to each excerpt and trying to assemble a sound puzzle in my head makes for a great memory exercise, especially when you recognize a piece but can’t quite place its name. The demo is a nice mix of music, trivia, and mental workout without ever feeling like a traditional quiz.
In the demo, the pieces are grouped into four categories:
- The Concert Hall
- Marches & Bands
- Ragtime & Dance
- Popular Favorites
I also like that the game helps keep these pieces alive, some of them world-famous. Perhaps the developer chose less obvious excerpts to keep the puzzle challenging, though a few are hard to miss. When the William Tell Overture played, my mind went galloping straight to The Lone Ranger. Hi-Yo, Silver!
There’s also something satisfying about recognizing a familiar melody purely from a short excerpt, especially when you suddenly realize you’ve heard it countless times without knowing its title. That made some of the easier pieces particularly rewarding, while the less familiar ones gave me more of a challenge.
The demo ran smoothly, and I didn’t encounter any bugs or technical issues. One small wish: I couldn’t find a subtitle option in the menu. I don’t know whether the full game will have spoken lines, but if it does, subtitles would definitely be welcome, especially for accessibility.
📼 Feeling the retro vibe of the unlabeled tapes? A retro cassette player is a fun way to bring a bit of that analog charm to your desk.
Play the Demo
According to the developer, the free demo takes around 30 to 45 minutes to complete and is currently available for Windows. The full game is planned for November 3, 2026, and will feature 96 recordings to identify.
I played the version available at the time of writing, so some details may change before release. The developer has also mentioned that an update featuring new music and a Wordle-style checking system is on the way, which should add even more variety to the experience.
Free demo on Steam: The Hearsay
Images courtesy of the developer.
Disclosure: the developer contacted QG Reloaded and provided press material. I played the free demo only, without a press key, and this post was not paid for.
As an Amazon Associate, QG Reloaded earns from qualifying purchases.
