Chinatown Detective Agency

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 71 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Chinatown Detective Agency Game Cover
The hand that wields the flaming sword is burned by a fire that knows no master
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In "Chinatown Detective Agency," you are a freelance detective in a futuristic, cybernoir Singapore, solving cases using street sleuthing, gadgets, and your wits. Interrogate suspects, gather evidence, and connect the dots to crack each case, while managing your detective agency's finances and reputation. With strategic global travel, diverse cultural references, and rich atmospheric detail, this game offers a uniquely immersive and challenging detective experience.

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Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews
story15 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful pixel art and a captivating cyberpunk aesthetic that immerses players in its world.
  • The unique mechanic of requiring players to conduct real-world research to solve puzzles adds an engaging layer of interactivity and learning.
  • The story and setting, particularly the representation of Singapore and its culture, are well-developed and intriguing.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including crashes and inconsistent voice acting, which detract from the overall experience.
  • The lack of a manual save feature and the reliance on external searches for puzzle solutions can lead to frustration and breaks immersion.
  • Many puzzles are either too obscure or overly simplistic, leading to a lack of depth and engagement in the gameplay.
  • story55 mentions

    The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing premise and beautiful pixel art, while others criticize its brevity and lack of depth. Many found the narrative engaging initially, but felt it became repetitive and less compelling upon replaying different paths. Additionally, the integration of puzzles and the save system detracted from the overall storytelling experience, leading to frustration among players who desired a more immersive and interactive narrative.

    • “The story grips you with the desire to explore a near future of the island of Singapore while solving multiple mysteries, beautifully presented in pixel art.”
    • “The game has an intriguing story and beautiful aesthetic.”
    • “The art, the storytelling, the characters; all of them amazing in their own way!”
    • “I think the game is too short for its price - yes, you will play more and spend more time in the game if you do different paths and reach the end with a different partner and get different endings, but the paths are short and the main storyline starts to feel boring after the nth replay with a different character.”
    • “Not many dialogue options or other actions that influence the storyline.”
    • “The game isn't truly worth its price point considering how short the whole story is.”
  • gameplay20 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the innovative use of real-world web searches for solving puzzles, which adds a layer of immersion and challenge. However, many criticize the game mechanics as frustrating and poorly implemented, particularly the tedious travel and monetary systems that detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the lack of a save feature and a cluttered user interface have been noted as significant drawbacks that hinder enjoyment.

    • “I'm huge into mystery and crime, and the overall vibe and game mechanics are really up my alley, although the UI can be a little finicky sometimes.”
    • “It was an interesting mechanic to allow players to use the web to find answers rather than just create a fake in-game site.”
    • “The click-and-point gameplay gives the player tasks to run their own business and solve the puzzles through their own means using the search engine in the game.”
    • “The gameplay is what I have gripes with though.”
    • “A lot of elements felt thrown in haphazardly, not fully developed and just a handful of wasted game mechanics that served more as an inconvenient barrier than anything.”
    • “Alas - the devs forgot in their quest for 'innovative mechanics' (like no manual saves and only one autosave per case, or forcing the player to use the real internet to find out how to solve in-game clues) that many adventure players are old school 'creatures of habit'.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The game's graphics have received mixed feedback, with many praising the beautiful pixel art style and high-quality visuals that evoke a nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic, particularly in its cyberpunk settings. However, some users noted issues with character fidelity and graphics errors that detracted from the experience. Overall, while the artwork and sound design are celebrated, the lack of engaging gameplay and dialogue has left some players feeling underwhelmed despite the stunning visuals.

    • “And we loooooove the pixel art style!”
    • “The game has an intriguing story and beautiful aesthetic.”
    • “The visuals and the sound design are amazing.”
    • “Graphically, I think that the characters could have had slightly higher fidelity.”
    • “- Played the open beta version in 2024 to have the save-anytime feature (essential to overcome annoyances caused by the point above), but it constantly throws up messages about graphics errors that obscure the screen and you have to clear them away.”
    • “Came here for the visuals, left feeling unfulfilled.”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its strong integration with the visuals. However, some criticism arises regarding the volume levels, particularly in relation to dialogue, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the music is often described as gripping and phenomenal, it is occasionally overshadowed by issues in the dialogue and character motivation.

    • “I love the pixel style and the background music.”
    • “The art, music, and animations are phenomenal.”
    • “It's visuals are absolutely gorgeous, the music and atmosphere are so gripping, and the voice acting is sincerely next level.”
    • “The music is louder than the person talking.”
    • “The music.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game is generally considered to be quite buggy, with issues such as unintended spoilers, glitches in time-sensitive missions, and misaligned dialogue, which detract from the overall experience and immersion. While some players noted that the game didn't crash and functioned adequately, the prevalence of bugs suggests that significant improvements are needed for stability.

    • “The art is outstanding, the music is good, and the game generally works; by this I mean it didn't crash and wasn't buggy.”
    • “Overall, the game is buggy, which ruins the immersion and experience.”
    • “The game is fairly buggy (including spoiling a mystery in a way that certainly seems unintended), so the devs really should fix that stuff.”
    • “I also encountered a few glitches over my time, such as time-sensitive missions failing you early, and lines of dialogue that play at the wrong time, though these can probably be patched.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, characterized by drifting ambient synths and gorgeous visuals that create a gripping experience. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of music and voice acting, contributing to an immersive environment that enhances gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as well-crafted and engaging.

    • “Drifting ambient synths drone on during more atmospheric moments.”
    • “Great atmosphere and well made.”
    • “It's visuals are absolutely gorgeous, the music and atmosphere are so gripping, and the voice acting is sincerely next level.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unnecessary, particularly in tasks like waiting for flights and conducting research. While some appreciate the interesting mechanics, many feel that certain puzzles lack engagement and can be frustratingly non-intuitive.

    • “I found buying plane tickets, then waiting until 3 hours before the flight, and watching the plane go across the map unnecessary and tedious.”
    • “Doing the research is a tedious task, but it's definitely an interesting mechanic for a mystery game like this!”
    • “Some puzzles were a little less engaging, tedious, or not very intuitive.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its blend of witty dialogue and amusing character interactions, with moments like characters walking the wrong way in cutscenes adding to the comedic effect. Overall, players appreciate the mix of good humor alongside an engaging story and interesting character decisions.

    • “The dialogue could be funny at times, adding a nice touch to the overall story.”
    • “Sometimes, a character would walk the wrong way in a cutscene, which was quite amusing.”
    • “There was a mixture of good humor, engaging characters, and interesting decisions.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while some players appreciate the challenge of puzzles, they feel that certain game elements detract from the overall emotional impact, suggesting a disconnect between gameplay mechanics and emotional engagement.

    • “The game's emotional depth truly resonated with me, making every moment feel significant.”
    • “I was deeply moved by the characters' journeys and the choices I had to make.”
    • “The story's emotional weight left a lasting impression, making me reflect on my own experiences.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game has been criticized for inconsistent character design, with sprites not aligning with their in-game representations, leading to confusion about character identities, particularly on the title screen.

    • “The character design does not match the personalities, making it hard to connect with them.”
    • “It's difficult to identify who each character is supposed to be, especially on the title screen.”
    • “The sprites are inconsistent with the characters' descriptions, leading to confusion and a lack of immersion.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

72% average critic score

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