Detective Kobayashi

About

Detective Kobayashi is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by Genuine and was released on October 24, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Take on the role of Detective Kobayashi, the one and only genius detective who has a reputation for solving any case, however dark or difficult...if he isn't playing games at the office or awkwardly hitting on girls, that is.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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83%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

story9 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

Engaging and fun mystery-solving gameplay with a mix of visual novel and escape room elements.
Interesting and likable characters, with humorous interactions that lighten the mood.
Unique mechanics like the 'shake phone' feature and the lightbulb thought system enhance the experience.

Pacing issues and a cliffhanger ending leave many plot points unresolved and unsatisfying.
Frustrating puzzle mechanics, particularly in the thought bubble minigame, where similar options can lead to confusion.
Some technical issues, such as slow loading times and misaligned click boxes, detract from the overall experience.

story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The story is generally regarded as interesting and engaging, featuring a detective protagonist, Kobayashi, who navigates through a mix of captivating character interactions and challenging puzzles. However, some players find the narrative pacing uneven, particularly due to a lengthy escape room chapter that disrupts the flow and leads to an unsatisfying cliffhanger ending. Despite these issues, the game leaves players eager for a sequel to see how the story unfolds further.
- “There is some depth to the characters, and the storyline has its fun and captivating moments.”
- “The story is pretty good and has 4 chapters, with hopefully more to come in a sequel.”
- “I'm really curious about how this story will continue.”
- “Another part that lets the story down is the baffling choice to put in a lengthy escape room chapter in the middle of the game.”
- “The ending comes a bit fast and is a cliffhanger, leaving the plot that was brought up in the escape room chapter unsatisfying and unresolved.”
- “My issue with the battles is how I can find contradictions in someone’s story, but it doesn’t match with what the game actually wants.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The gameplay of this visual novel combines detective mechanics with point-and-click elements, allowing players to gather clues, solve puzzles, and navigate character interactions. While it draws inspiration from the Ace Attorney series, it offers a unique experience with a shorter playtime of around five hours. However, some players criticize the restrictive nature of the clue system, where only specific contradictions are accepted, which can lead to frustrating gameplay moments.
- “A great visual novel about a detective using mechanics similar to those found in Ace Attorney.”
- “During the gameplay, you can hover on the light bulb and read Kobayashi's mind to collect some hints about the case, or sometimes you read his thoughts about the girls he is talking with.”
- “It has visual novel story parts, point-and-click type gameplay together with hidden objective-like features.”
- “Another issue with this game is the actual detective mechanic; you are gathering clues and then using them to prove contradictions in the statements. However, there are often many contradictions that can be proven, but the game will only accept the 'one' that the developers were thinking about. Other contradictions might be used later on or ignored altogether, so the game keeps failing you until you find that right one. Sorry, but this is really just bad game design.”
- “If you like Ace Attorney, you'll have a good time with this one, though don't come into it expecting an Ace Attorney quantity of gameplay; this is much shorter and simpler, and will take only five hours or so from start to finish.”
- “Getting past the main character's flaws may be a lot to ask of some players, but the detective gameplay syncs very well with a visual novel structure that more visual novel games should learn from.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game features nice soundtracks that complement the artwork and overall atmosphere, with full Chinese voiceovers adding to the experience. However, some users note issues with the soundtrack's looping and inconsistent audio quality, leading to a less enjoyable listening experience. Overall, while the music is generally appreciated, it has room for improvement, particularly in its execution.
- “The artwork is pretty, the music goes along well, there is full voice-over, the humor altogether is kind of cute, the cases remain serious, and the CG gallery is Kobayashi's work desk.”
- “The soundtrack is good.”
- “I play with the voice volume turned off, since I'm used to this type of game without voiceover, just with silly faces and upbeat music.”
- “The soundtrack doesn’t always have a smooth loop.”
- “When it comes to the audio, it’s too inconsistent with the recording quality, and the music needs a smoother loop.”
- “Some soundtracks are unpleasant to listen to when they finish, as it takes a bit of experience to hear the same song starting, ending, and then starting again. However, the songs are not bad, so 5/10.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The game's graphics are generally described as clear and serviceable, featuring a distinctive anime style that allows for memorable character designs. While the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they are complemented by good artwork and expressive character sprites, creating an overall pleasant aesthetic experience.
- “The artwork is pretty, the music goes along well, there is full (Chinese) voice over, the humor altogether is kind of cute, the cases remain serious, and the CG gallery is Kobayashi's work desk.”
- “I liked the artwork of Detective Kobayashi, with sprites even having different facial expressions. Although the style is quite simple and there aren’t a lot of CGs available, I got used to it fast.”
- “Graphics: anime style, they are good and you can remember many characters for having such a unique style.”
- “The artwork is pretty, but the graphics feel outdated and lack detail.”
- “The character models are poorly designed and lack any real depth.”
- “The environments are bland and repetitive, making the game visually unappealing.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by witty and emotional conversations, with a cute tone that complements the serious cases. The protagonist's lazy yet sharp demeanor, along with his flirtatious interactions with characters like his assistant Matsuda, adds a lighthearted touch. Players can enjoy funny dialogues during minigames, reminiscent of the Phoenix Wright series, enhancing the overall comedic experience.
- “The conversations are funny and some of them are emotional.”
- “The protagonist is rather sharp but lazy, and keeps trying to flirt with female characters (including his hot-tempered assistant Matsuda), often with funny results that lighten up the mood.”
- “You can enjoy some funny dialogues and you have 'scan' if you don't want to waste time there, so it's perfect.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
Character development in the game suffers due to a time skip between the first two cases, which leaves significant growth unexplored. While the visuals are clear and the character designs are distinctive, they do not compensate for the lack of depth in character progression. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is noted, but it does not enhance the narrative development of the characters.
- “Visually, the game is serviceable though unexceptional; the graphics are clear enough that it's never hard to spot the things you're meant to spot, and the character designs are distinctive enough to make an impression without being as over-the-top as the later Ace Attorney games.”
- “It looks good on a PC screen; the character designs and backgrounds are very pretty.”
- “I do think it was a shame to put a time skip between the first two cases, as too much character development fell into that gap.”
- “The character development feels rushed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a meaningful level.”
- “While the game has its moments, the character arcs are often predictable and fail to evolve in a satisfying way.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game performs adequately overall, but users have noted slow loading times, particularly for a visual novel, which may be exacerbated by system resource limitations.
- “The game is solid, but there are a few optimization issues with loading times. It feels a bit slow, especially since I tend to overload my computer, which doesn't help. However, for a visual novel, the loading could be improved.”
- “The game is sound, but there seem to be a few optimization issues when loading. It feels a little slow. I do overload my computer, which doesn't help, but for a visual novel, the loading times are disappointing.”
- “The optimization in this game is lacking. I often experience long loading times that disrupt the flow of gameplay.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the optimization is poor, leading to frustrating delays and a less enjoyable experience.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the conversations in the game to be a mix of humor and emotional depth, contributing to a well-rounded narrative experience.
- “The conversations are funny, and some of them are deeply emotional.”
- “The game masterfully weaves humor with poignant moments that truly resonate.”
- “I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and their journeys.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers some replayability through the collection of "memories," which encourages exploration, but a bug in the final chapter may hinder the experience by preventing proper registration of one collectible.
- “There is a bit of scavenger-hunt replayability in that there are collectible 'memories' to find, adding an extra layer of exploration to the game.”
- “There is a bit of scavenger-hunt replayability in that there are collectible 'memories' to find, though one of them (in the final chapter) is bugged and may not register properly.”

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10h Median play time

10h Average play time

10-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Detective Kobayashi is a casual role playing game.

Detective Kobayashi is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 10 hours playing Detective Kobayashi.

Detective Kobayashi was released on October 24, 2019.

Detective Kobayashi was developed by Genuine.

Detective Kobayashi has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Detective Kobayashi is a single player game.

Similar games include Arcane Investigations, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot: The First Cases, Between Horizons and others.

Detective Kobayashi

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