Homicide Desk System Requirements
Windows specs, the 13 GB local interrogation model, and launch-week process leftovers.
Homicide Desk is a Windows Steam build. Shu’la Lab LLC shipped it on September 1, 2026, single-player, no multiplayer, no console SKU at launch. The install looks large for a desktop sim because the interrogation language model ships inside the game. Replies generate on your PC. Nothing you type is supposed to leave the machine. That is why storage sits at 13 GB and why RAM and CPU matter even when the 2D OS looks light.
Minimum and recommended specs
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10, 64-bit | Windows 11, 64-bit |
| CPU | Dual-core 2.0 GHz, Intel Core i3 or AMD equivalent, 2015 or newer | Quad-core 2.5 GHz, Intel Core i5 / Ryzen 5 or better |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| GPU | Integrated with WebGL / DirectX 11 (Intel HD 4000 or better) | Modern integrated or dedicated (Intel Iris Xe, NVIDIA, or AMD equivalent) |
| DirectX | 11 | 11 |
| Storage | 13 GB | 13 GB |
| Network | Broadband listed | Broadband listed |
| Audio | Any DirectX-compatible device | Any DirectX-compatible device |
Read the table as a local-AI spec, not a 3D-game spec. The CRT desktop, City Atlas, and Forensics Lab are not the heavy part. The bundled runtime is. On 4 GB RAM you can clock in; interrogation may hitch while the model loads a reply. 8 GB is the comfortable desk. Intel HD 4000 is the floor for WebGL/DX11. Iris Xe or a small dedicated card is what you want if UV photos, CCTV, and the chromatograph stutter together.
Broadband is listed even though the AI disclosure says the model runs offline, with no account and no server. Steam still needs a network for install, updates, Cloud, and the overlay. Play after the download can be local. Do not treat an offline laptop with 3 GB free as a valid install; 13 GB is the model plus the desk.
There is no macOS or Linux build on the store page. Family Sharing and Steam Cloud are listed. Steam Deck compatibility is unknown at launch. Proton is off the supported matrix.
13 GB model, black screen, and quit leftovers
The game bundles ollama.exe and llama-server.exe to phrase suspect and witness replies. Operator detail for those processes is the local interrogation model page. Cases, evidence, and endings stay hand-written. If those processes keep running after you close the desk, Task Manager will show CPU or RAM use with no window. Patch 1.3.9 is the quit fix. Update through Steam before killing processes by hand. If you are already on 1.3.9 and a leftover remains, End Task on both executables, then verify game files.
Launch black screens were a launch-week problem. Hotfixes 1.3.4 and 1.3.7 target that boot path. If the CRT stays black after Play:
- Confirm the Steam build includes at least 1.3.7. The numbered list lives on patch notes.
- Run windowed or borderless from any launch option you have, then try fullscreen again.
- Update GPU drivers far enough that DirectX 11 and WebGL both work. Intel HD 4000-era machines need that check.
- Disable overlays that inject into DX11 for one boot.
- Verify integrity of game files. A partial 13 GB model download can fail silently and look like a black screen.
- Reboot once so a leftover llama-server from a previous crash is not holding a port.
If interrogation replies never arrive but the desktop otherwise works, the model did not come up. Watch Task Manager for ollama.exe. If it is missing, restart on the current patch. If it is present and pegged, wait through the first load; the first reply on a cold 4 GB machine can be slow.
Budget the machine for alt-tab. You will keep this wiki open, maybe a second monitor with the Interrogation Planner. Recommended RAM is the difference between doing that and watching the suspect meter freeze. After the PC boots clean, go back to Getting Started and controls. Hardware will not teach you the Arrest Warrant. For process, use the Walkthrough Hub. Store pages: official links. Buyer’s read of the $5.99 launch price and 17% discount: review. For everything Shu’la Lab numbered after 1.3.9, trust patch notes over this table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for detectives still on the clock.
Why is the install about 13 GB?
The interrogation language model ships in the game and runs on your PC. The CRT desktop itself is not the bulk of the download.
Does interrogation need the internet?
Replies are local. Steam still lists broadband for install, updates, and Cloud. Nothing you type is supposed to leave the machine.
The game stayed black after Play. What do I do?
Update through the 1.3.4 / 1.3.7 hotfixes, verify files, and check DX11 drivers. Full steps and later patches are on patch notes.
Why is ollama.exe still running after I quit?
Launch builds could leave ollama.exe and llama-server.exe alive. Patch 1.3.9 fixes quit. End Task only if you are already patched and a leftover remains.
Is 4 GB RAM enough to interrogate?
It meets minimum. Expect slower first replies. 8 GB is the recommended desk if you want the model and the wiki open together.