Trace Memory (2005). Play online

Summary

The story of Trace Memory unfolds on the eerie Blood Edward Island, where thirteen‑year‑old Ashley Mizuki Robbins is summoned by a mysterious device that claims her missing father is waiting. Raised in Seattle after her parents vanished, Ashley follows cryptic clues that guide her across fog‑filled shores and crumbling ruins.
Gameplay leans heavily on the DS’s dual screens: the bottom shows an interactive aerial map you can swipe with a stylus or steer with the D‑pad, while the top displays detailed pre‑rendered scenery of your current spot. Puzzles are tackled by tapping, dragging, or speaking into the microphone, blending point‑and‑click adventure with the system’s unique input options.
A centerpiece of the experience is the DAS (known as DTS in North America), a handheld that saves progress, reads data cards, and acts as a camera that can store up to 36 photos for later examination. The inventory screen lets you combine items, and dialogue initiates by tapping a simple talk icon.
Critics praised the hand‑drawn art and clever use of DS mechanics, though they noted the game’s brevity. It spawned a Wii sequel, Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories, and both entries received a Switch remake collection in 2024.

Storyline

In Trace Memory, two days before her fourteen‑th birthday, Ashley Mizuki Robbins gets a package from her presumed‑dead father, Richard, containing a handheld Dual Another System (DAS) and an invitation to Blood Edward Island. She and her aunt Jessica travel to the island, where they find no sign of Richard. While searching, Ashley encounters a lone ghost called “D” who can only be seen by her and has lost all memories of his death.

Together they explore the crumbling Edward Mansion, uncovering the tragic history of the Edward family and the secret project called “Another” that Richard and his wife Sayoko created to replace traumatic memories. Ashley learns that her mother was shot on the night of her third birthday, that her recurring nightmare is that event, and that her father’s memory of the murder was fabricated by the device. Using the DAS, she activates “Another II”, restoring Richard’s true memory and revealing Bill Edward as the killer.

Bill, a jealous former colleague, is forced to face his crimes and falls to his death. D’s true identity is Daniel Edward; with his memories restored he can finally move on. Ashley, Richard, and Jessica leave Blood Edward Island together, ending the haunting.