#sidenote i have seen multiple let's plays of the game. i don't have numbers so it's anecdotal but

[corvosdaughter]

pentiment not giving a definitive answer to the act i and ii mysteries isn't because all the suspects are equally likely to be guilty. i've seen people interpret it that way and then complain that the ending is a copout but like does anyone genuinely think ottilia did it. i know "possibly but uncertainly" is not that far off "equally likely" but i think it's an important distinction to make when it comes to understanding what the game is focused on.

it's not about who were the actual killers, it's not even about the circumstances that make it impossible for that to be known, it's about what made YOU point the finger at someone and the consequences of that choice. did you actually think they were guilty, or were they just an asshole? did you think it was someone else but held your tongue because they deserved to live? what about their age? community standing? did convenience factor into it? alternatively, what would happen if you dirtied someone's name and they were still around years later?

if there was a fixed answer everyone would just get caught up on whether they picked up all the hints and if they were chose the "right" or "wrong" path. that would detract from everything the game is trying to say. as it is, i think people who come away really wanting those mysteries solved, saying "i don't know who it was and therefore i might as well have spun a wheel and not wasted 15 hours to get here" have missed a lot of what it's really about.