Deep Night Detective: Chapter One

About

Deep Night Detective, the monochromatic mystery metroidvania! Created by Wilson Taylor with music by Lewmoth!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Deep Night Detective: Chapter One screenshot

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and well-written dialogue, creating an engaging atmosphere.
The detective gameplay combined with metroidvania elements offers a unique and enjoyable experience.
The story is intriguing, with interesting characters and a compelling plot that keeps players invested.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking glitches that can prevent progress.
Controls are unintuitive and poorly explained, leading to frustration during gameplay.
The platforming elements feel underdeveloped and can detract from the overall experience.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The game's story is praised for its compelling narrative and strong writing, effectively blending a spooky detective noir theme with engaging dialogue and characters. However, technical issues and bugs detract from the overall experience, making it difficult for some players to fully enjoy the plot. While the investigative elements shine, the platforming mechanics feel somewhat disconnected from the story, leading to mixed feelings about the gameplay.
- “In terms of story, this is a great proof of concept for a ghost detective investigating paranormal cases.”
- “Very competent writing, which works as a mouth-watering seasoning for the way the 'spooky detective noir' motif is intertwined with the in-game mechanics and overall storytelling.”
- “A good story with a great protagonist, with an interesting spin on it.”
- “I didn't care for the story, but the platforming and boss battles were hard, and it was a nice treat.”
- “For a free game, I think the story and gameplay are more than worth your while, but at any price, I can't recommend something with bugs like this.”
- “The art, story, and especially the dialogue make this very appealing in concept, but the gameplay feels weak.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The gameplay is a blend of detective mechanics and metroidvania elements, set against a rich supernatural noir backdrop, which many players find appealing. However, the experience is marred by bugs and a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. While the writing and art are praised, there are calls for improvements in gameplay design and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience.
- “Very competent writing, which works as a mouth-watering seasoning for the way the spooky detective noir motif is intertwined with the in-game mechanics and overall storytelling.”
- “The game itself is awesome, detective gameplay in a metroidvania wrapped up in a supernatural and noir aesthetic.”
- “A sleuthing game with some metroidvania sections in between to offer some gameplay more than the 'click buttons to progress between important dialogue' that a standard visual novel is often restricted to.”
- “For a free game, I think the story and gameplay are more than worth your while, but at any price, I can't recommend something with bugs like this.”
- “The core gameplay of Deep Night Detective really only takes an hour, or maybe less if you're good at platformers.”
- “I think they should focus on bug fixes and maybe shrink the levels and put a little more thought into the placement of enemies and their mechanics.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
14%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality, with many describing it as catchy and well-integrated into the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players experienced significant issues during critical moments, such as the final boss fight, where the music malfunctioned, leading to a frustrating and broken experience. Overall, the soundtrack contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, complemented by solid pixel art and effective worldbuilding.
- “The music, graphics, and overall theme of the game come together very well, and makes for a very unique experience.”
- “The music is great and how it's used in this game is well done, especially with the interrogation segment with Mrs. Bordeaux.”
- “On the upside of things, Deep Night Detective's got a great soundtrack, solid pixel art, and legitimately great worldbuilding that's used for both drama and humor.”
- “During the last fight against a repeating boss, after dying and returning to the boss, various aspects of the game were broken. The music triggered about 15 times, creating a terrible sound; the boss would randomly not attack at all; and the boss would leap out of bounds. Defeating the boss led to a soft lock, making the game uncompletable.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for numerous game-breaking glitches and bugs that can significantly disrupt the experience, particularly towards the end of playthroughs. Issues include missing sound effects, problems with boss fights, and erratic menu interactions, suggesting that players may want to wait for patches or consider alternative ways to experience the game.
- “While I enjoyed this game when I had the opportunity to play, I ran into two game-breaking glitches during my playthrough towards the very end, damaging the experience.”
- “At the time of writing, there are also some pretty noticeable glitches; missing sound effects for various events, boss fights not starting properly, reloading your game messing up collected evidence, etc. Also, the chapter cuts off abruptly after gaining access to the west wing of the house, which is a shame because that interrogation was well done.”
- “Not great, there are many things that can be worked on; for example, the key binds are a little off, and pressing space on the menu glitches the game out.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a delightful blend of humor and charm, highlighted by witty dialogue and amusing observations from the detective that enhance their character. Players appreciate the effective use of humor alongside strong worldbuilding and engaging visuals, although minor bugs have been noted as humorous rather than detrimental to the experience.
- “There's a good amount of humor and charm in here; it's lovely.”
- “The dialogue is amazing and charming, with very funny observations from the detective that add to their personality.”
- “On the upside of things, Deep Night Detective has a great soundtrack, solid pixel art, and legitimately great worldbuilding that's used for both drama and humor.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's graphics are highly praised for their unique supernatural and noir aesthetic, contributing significantly to the overall experience, which is described as awesome. However, some users note that bugs can detract from the visual enjoyment. Overall, the aesthetic is rated 10/10, highlighting its strong visual appeal.
- “The music, graphics, and overall theme of the game come together very well, making for a very unique experience.”
- “Aesthetic - 10/10”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is generally appreciated for its potential and engaging characters, though some players feel that technical issues detract from the overall experience.
- “I really enjoy the atmosphere and characters; there's a lot of potential!”
- “This isn't the only time I encountered bugs, and sadly the atmosphere wasn't enough to make up for it.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, primarily due to the presence of bugs that hinder the experience.
- “The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
- “I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which makes the experience feel monotonous.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is overwhelming and detracts from the overall enjoyment.”