Silver Palace Private Investigator Project sign-up has no deadline

The Silver Palace Private Investigator Project is a recruitment survey with no closing date. Players aged 18 and over who submit it join a pool that Elementa invites from for small, NDA-bound tests of content still in development.

Elementa opened it on October 9, 2026, one day before the Dichotomy: Retrace sign-up closes. Once that survey shuts, this is the only open way into a Silver Palace test.

Quick answer

• Sign up through the Private Investigator recruitment survey. Submitting it counts as joining the project.
• You must be 18 or older. Answer accurately, because Elementa disqualifies submissions that don't match your real circumstances.
• There is no deadline. Elementa calls it long-term recruitment, and you can submit at any time.
• Joining gets you a chance at an invitation, not a place. Elementa picks testers from the pool separately for each test, based on what that version needs.
• Every test is confidential and covered by a non-disclosure agreement. Accounts are wiped at the end, and there are no in-game purchases.
• The official announcement went up on October 9, alongside this post on X at 02:00 UTC (04:00 CEST).

"Private Investigator" Project Recruitment Now Open

Detective, this is a special commission.

SilverPalace (@SilverPalace_EN) October 9, 2026

How it differs from Dichotomy: Retrace

Retrace is one test. Its sign-up closes on October 10, 2026 at 18:00 (UTC+8), which is 10:00 UTC and 12:00 CEST, and its build is a performance-optimised version of the Dichotomy content on Android, iOS and PC. You apply once, and you are either picked or you are not.

The Private Investigator Project is a waiting list. Elementa says it will run confidential tests "from time to time", each for a limited number of players, and choose from everyone who has submitted the survey. Missing out on one test says nothing about the next, because eligibility is decided independently every time.

Elementa's own wording muddies this. The X post says that "unlike" Retrace, the project is a small-scale confidential test, which makes Retrace sound like a public one. It isn't. The Retrace FAQ calls it a confidential test too, with its own NDA. What actually differs is the content. Retrace checks whether a build you have already seen runs on more hardware. Private Investigator tests exist to validate "game content under development", which means unfinished content, played by people who can't talk about it.

The two also use separate surveys, and neither announcement says one counts for the other. If you want a Retrace place, submit that survey before the cutoff; the beta tracker has the rest of the details. Then fill in this one as well. It has no deadline to miss.

The NDA rules out screenshots and streams

Selected players sign a non-disclosure agreement before they play. The FAQ spells out what it covers: screenshots, screen recordings, live streams, videos and written descriptions of anything in the test. It also names account data analysis, sharing the client and using plug-ins as violations. Any of them costs you your eligibility for Private Investigator tests, and Elementa reserves the right to pursue legal liability on top.

If you make videos, this is not a content opportunity. Nothing from these tests can go up, and Elementa adds that test builds do not represent final quality anyway.

An invitation is also personal. Elementa says it cannot be transferred, shared or sold in any form, so treat any account or client offered for a Private Investigator test as a scam.

The same project goes by "secret investigator"

Elementa posted the notice in Japanese, Korean and Traditional Chinese on the same day, and none of those versions borrows the English name. The Japanese post calls it the 「秘密調査員」 project, the Korean one 「비밀 조사원」 and the Chinese one 「祕密調查員」. All three translate as "secret investigator". Each language has its own recruitment survey, so if you read English, the link above is the one to use.

What has not been announced

Plenty. There is no date for the first test, no number of places and no platform list, where Retrace named Android, iOS and PC up front. "From time to time" is the only word on how often tests will run. Invitations go out individually, but the notice does not say whether they come by email.

The release date is still unannounced as well, and the Dichotomy beta guide covers what the last public build contained. Questions about the project go to service_global@elementagames.com.

FAQ

What is the Silver Palace Private Investigator Project?

It is Elementa's long-term recruitment pool for small, confidential Silver Palace tests of content still in development. Players aged 18 and over join by submitting the recruitment survey, and Elementa invites selected players to each test individually. Every test carries an NDA and a data wipe, with no in-game purchases.

How do I sign up for the Private Investigator Project?

Submit the "Private Investigator" Project recruitment survey on Elementa's survey site. You must be 18 or older, and your answers must match your real circumstances or the submission is disqualified. Submitting counts as joining the project, but it does not guarantee an invitation to any test.

When does Private Investigator recruitment close?

It has no closing date. Elementa describes it as long-term recruitment and says players may submit the survey at any time. The Dichotomy: Retrace survey is the one with a deadline, which falls on October 10, 2026 at 18:00 (UTC+8).

Is the Private Investigator Project the same as the Dichotomy: Retrace test?

No. Retrace is a single technical test whose sign-up closes on October 10, 2026, running a performance-optimised build of the Dichotomy content. The Private Investigator Project is an open-ended pool for recurring small tests of content under development. They use separate surveys, and both are confidential tests under an NDA.

Can I stream or share a Private Investigator test?

No. Selected players sign a non-disclosure agreement that bans screenshots, screen recordings, live streams, videos and written descriptions of test content. Breaking it, including through account data analysis, client sharing or plug-ins, revokes your eligibility, and Elementa reserves the right to pursue legal liability.

Does progress from a Private Investigator test carry over?

No. Account data is wiped when each test ends, and the tests have no in-game purchases, so there is nothing to keep or spend money on.