The game takes place in Chicago in 1942[2] (though a newspaper in-game would imply it is set during December 1941 as there is a reference to the bombing of Pearl Harbor).

The game character is Theodore "Ace" Harding (his first name is not mentioned until the sequel), a retired boxer working as a private eye.

A strap-down chair, mysterious vials, and a syringe are found, suggesting (together with a needle mark on Ace's arm) that an interrogation has taken place.

Ace must find addresses around Joe's bar and then make taxi rides to a few locations (including his office) to gather more information and unravel the story.

If the antidote is administered, Ace starts to have recurring flashbacks filled with information which helps the player evaluate the evidence and take action accordingly.

This gives the player all the time they need to find a cure, but still has a hard death coded if they go to Ace's office while suffering from amnesia in which the vegetable ending from the other platforms is immediately initiated.

[3] Déjà Vu was reviewed positively in Macworld, which called it "a well-crafted game that's bound to draw you into its intriguing, albeit seedy, story."