Discworld Noir

Discworld Noir is a computer game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld comic fantasy novels, and unlike the previous Discworld games is both an example and parody of the noir genre. The game was developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. It was originally released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. In 2000 it was ported to the PlayStation by Teeny Weeny Games, the resurrected form of the already insolvent Perfect. A port for the Sega Dreamcast was developed the same year but never released. Pratchett was consulted on the story and wrote some of the dialogue; he was credited in-game for causing "far too much interference." As it is a film noir parody, the game's protagonist Lewton frequently engages in hard-boiled soliloquy, or monologue.

The game utilizes a 2D game engine using pre-rendered characters displayed against pre-rendered backgrounds. Only the main character Lewton is using a polygonal model while residing in a walking or standing pose. The game was only released in Europe, and the development team no longer exists. As a result, the game, which suffered from several minor bugs, was not patched, and like many older games, has difficulty running on more modern platforms. A project to develop crossplatform support for running Discworld Noir is planned. It would be based on Residual, an experimental sister project of ScummVM.

The main character is Lewton, the Discworld's first and only private investigator, and former member of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. His investigation of a brutal murder gets him involved in a sinister plot. The game's story line is a completely original creation, unlike the previous Discworld games, two of which were based on particular novels, and one of which was a mixture of elements from several. It is set in Ankh-Morpork, the largest city on the Discworld.

The game features many new characters and locales, which do not appear in the Discworld books. However, as the game is set in Ankh-Morpork, characters and locales from the books also appear, such as the Unseen University, the Dysk Theatre, Pseudopolis Yard, the City Watch and eccentric inventor Leonard da Quirm. The game's manual includes an introduction written by Discworld creator Terry Pratchett.

The moody, ambient-SFX-laden music track was composed and recorded by British composer Paul Weir.