It's time once again to plot a course for your favourite download site, as today JoWood and The Adventure Company released a playable demo for Dead Reefs.

The demo plunges players right into the thick of the 18th century 3D action. Playing as investigator Amadeo Finvinero, sent by the king to an island off the English coast following an inexplicable murder, you'll need to "chase suspects through the forest, free yourself from deadly traps and outfox some of the bad guys", among some of the demo's various activities.

Dead Reefs is a keyboard-controlled, third-person adventure set against the backdrop of an old pirate curse. According to legend, the slaughter of an ancient order of monks led to the discovery of an evil relic that has doomed the island inhabitants to a "horrifying madness" and a new murder every nine years. After the 11th such apparent murder, Finvinero is tasked with solving the latest mystery and finding a way to stop the evil plaguing the island once and for all.

The 160 MB demo is available for download directly from JoWood's official site, or from standard download sites like FileFront.