The Samaritan Paradox is a 2014 adventure game by Faravid Interactive.
Ord Salamon, a Ph.D. student and cryptologist from Gothenburg, Sweden, finds a secret code in the novel of Jonatan Bergwell, a writer who recently committed suicide, leading Salamon to find Bergwell's daughter Sara and search for Jonatan's missing final novel, as well as investigate the circumstances that lead to his death.
This game provides examples of:
- The '80s: The game takes place in 1984.
- As the Good Book Says...: One of the puzzles in the game involves quoting the Book of Job.
- Author Avatar: In-universe in Jonatan's final novel: Torgav is supposed to be him.
- In Ord's ending to the novel, he makes Vithar one of himself.
- Briefcase Full of Money: One appears under the possession of Patrik.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Veronika, the home healthcare worker, turns out to be Jonatan's killer.
- Chess Motif: Jonatan's cabin has a chess board with eight white queens and one black king.
- Corrupt Church: The church on Fardo sells indulgences.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Stig.
- Expert Consultant: What Sara and Anna believe Patrik's occupation to be. He actually brokers weapons to dictators.
- Implied Rape: It's heavily implied that Jonathan molested Sara when she was younger, which was Veronika's motivation for killing him.
- Ironic Nickname: The titular Samaritan is the criminal arms dealer Patrik.
- Parental Incest: How Jonatan feels towards his daughter. Veronika kills him to prevent him from telling Sara.
- Plot-Triggering Death: Jonatan's suicide and seemingly final novel kicks off the plot.
- Precision F-Strike: Used at the end of the game by Veronika, regarding Jonatan's plan to "confess his sins".
- Posthumous Character: Jonatan Bergwall is deceased by the start of the game, and his voice is only heard through a cassette player.
- Scatterbrained Senior: Sara's mother Stige has Alzheimer's. Veronika considers it punishment for ignoring Jonatan molesting her daughter.
- Write Who You Know: In-universe: The character of Freja in Jonatan's final novel is supposed to be a stand-in for Sara, while Mimir & Fenrir are for Stig and Patrik. He's Torgav.
- Unseen Character: Magnus' optional dialogue mentions his partner Annika and Ord's ex-lover Johanna. Neither of them ever appear.
