A Detective's Novel

About

In "A Detective's Novel" , players step into the shoes of legendary detective Knox, who's called to investigate the suspicious death of a successful businessman, William Goldberg, at his isolated estate. Accompanied by a young detective, Clark, uncover the truth behind the incident as you question the family and friends present at the scene. With the mansion hidden away from public eye, suspects are limited to the guests, making this a classic whodunit mystery.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 316 reviews

story38 positive mentions

character development2 negative mentions

The story is captivating with intriguing characters, particularly the two detectives, Knox and Clark.
The dialogues are enjoyable and contribute to the overall narrative experience.
The artwork and setting are appreciated, adding to the game's atmosphere.

The game suffers from numerous grammatical errors and typos that detract from the experience.
The gameplay is mostly reading with limited interactivity, which may not appeal to all players.
The ending is considered unsatisfactory by some, leaving a negative impression despite the engaging story.

story
113 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
59%
7%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it captivating and well-constructed, particularly praising the intriguing characters and plot twists. However, many others criticized it for being poorly executed, filled with grammatical errors, and lacking coherence, which detracted from the overall experience. While some appreciated the narrative's depth and humor, others found it tedious and unengaging, suggesting that the story's quality varies significantly among players.
- “The story was captivating, and the characters were intriguing, particularly the two detectives.”
- “The mystery is pretty well written, and the plot twist is certainly nice.”
- “What I liked was the characters (Knox and Mr. Smith were pretty cool), and the story itself (the good ending is still bad, yay, my favorite type of story!) - it was an interesting murder case, also not too long and boring which is the case with most visual novels for me.”
- “The artwork in this game is not good, and the story is a pretty below-standard boring affair.”
- “A detective's novel suffers from a lack of story coherency, tedious gameplay, and poor writing.”
- “The story itself is far below sub-par; it's downright one of the worst stories I ever had to endure.”
music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the pleasant and fitting soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly noting its jazzy and bluesy themes. However, many criticize the repetitiveness and lack of variety in the music, which can become annoying over time. Overall, while the sound quality is generally praised, the music's short loops and occasional mismatches with the game's tone detract from its overall impact.
- “The only saving grace is the piano soundtrack, which is ideal for a sick day's gameplay.”
- “Most themes are made of bluesy or happy melodies; the soundtrack is unexpectedly nice, pleasant, and suits various situations, such as the funny classic guitar themes during the frequent squabbles between Knox and Clark, or during Knox's unorthodox interrogations.”
- “The sound quality is excellent, and the musical score is filled with peppy upbeat tempos that complement the narrative quite well.”
- “Topped off with the music that didn't quite fit, this was a bizarre experience.”
- “It has poorly drawn characters, walls of text, uninteresting dialogs, boring and borderline annoying music and a plot that travels as slow as your 1000 years old grandma lacking both legs!”
- “Oh c'mon, my eyes are bleeding from reading all that nonsense you're calling a story and my ears are bleeding too from repetitive cheap music samples from different styles that don't even crossfade gracefully.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
55%
18%
The graphics in the game have received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users criticizing the artwork as simplistic, poorly executed, and reminiscent of amateur attempts. While a few reviewers found the visuals acceptable or decent, the general consensus is that the graphics detract significantly from the overall experience, overshadowing any positive aspects of the story.
- “I appreciated the artwork and the setting.”
- “Graphics are nice, story is epic, but there is just too much text.”
- “Decent game with some nice artwork.”
- “The artwork is so bad I nearly suffered permanent loss of sight... it looks like a high school art dropout tried to copy the bad artwork of a high school art dropout but failed terribly at it.”
- “Absolute garbage tier game, first off the visual novel is littered with grammatical errors, the graphics, or 'art' is something even a modern art critic couldn't shake a stick at.”
- “The developer seems to have scoured the world for the person least qualified to do visual novel artwork, and hired them for the job.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this visual novel is a standout feature, with many users praising its entertaining dialogue and eccentric characters, particularly the protagonist, Knox, whose blunt and rude demeanor adds to the comedic effect. While the grammar may be lacking, the humor compensates for it, providing a lighthearted tone throughout the detective story. Overall, players find the humor engaging, though some critique its execution and the plot's coherence.
- “The story is kind of funny and enough for an hour and about 20 minutes of reading.”
- “But he sure brings some good humor to the investigation.”
- “The best part about this decision is that you can totally choose the wrong person and make yourself look like a fool, and with how arrogant the protagonist is; it’s even more hilarious.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of interactivity, primarily consisting of reading dialogues and making minimal choices, which many find tedious and unengaging. However, some users appreciate the investigative elements, such as searching for clues and questioning, which provide a more interactive experience. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as inconsistent, with a notable divide between engaging detective work and monotonous text reading.
- “The gameplay is a search for clues, questioning, and comparison of facts.”
- “Interactional gameplay 10/10”
- “The only saving grace is the piano soundtrack which is ideal for a sick day's gameplay.”
- “A detective's novel suffers from a lack of story coherency, tedious gameplay, and poor writing.”
- “The absence of real gameplay could be considered a bad thing.”
- “The game lacks real gameplay; most of the time you'll just read dialogues and narration on screen, while occasionally you'll be asked to make a few dialogue choices.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, with moments that evoke genuine feelings of empathy and connection to the characters and story. The narrative effectively immerses players, making them feel as though they are part of the unfolding drama, while character portrayals, such as Mrs. Goldberg's grief and Mr. Rosenthal's consistent demeanor, enhance the emotional depth of the experience.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “Besides scaring me with unexpected events, it made me feel like I was actually in the story; although this was quite late, it made all the events that happened before feel much more real.”
- “Mrs. Goldberg remains an emotional wreck from her husband’s death; Mr. Rosenthal is as blunt as he was from the start to the end of the game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in this game is criticized for being poorly executed, with users noting a lack of depth and meaningful choices. The interactions are described as frustrating and unengaging, primarily focusing on negative exchanges between characters, while the overall character design is deemed subpar and amateurish.
- “The art style looks like the artist just started practicing character design two years ago.”
- “No, this game doesn't even let you examine the full evidence to try and figure out the case; all your options are just pointless because this is just a train wreck of watching Knox berate Clark with a series of misspellings and bad character design.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The grinding aspect of the game is criticized for its tedious gameplay and lack of story coherency, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, poor writing further exacerbates the feeling of monotony.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the repetitive tasks to be a major drag, turning what could be an exciting adventure into a chore.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”