Skip to main content

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability
77% User Score Based on 56 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy Nowfrom €12.79
Buy NowGet on Steam €12.79
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case Game Cover

About Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is a single player casual simulation game with mystery and comedy themes. It was developed by Birdy Interactive and was released on October 8, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The year is 1995. A young heiress named Victoria Mason has gone missing.As the newest hire at the Gumshoe Detective Agency, you’ve been assigned your very first case, and all you’ve got to go on is a clunky desktop, a dial-up connection, and a handful of suspicious files. You'll dig through emails, websites, chat logs, and glitchy software in search of the truth. With every document you decrypt,…

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case screenshot
Skip Games Like Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Games Like Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Looking for games like Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case? Here are top casual simulation recommendations with a mystery and comedy focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with The Roottrees are Dead, Lost Wiki: Kozlovka or Mainlining.

The Roottrees are Dead Image
97%4.3kreviews

The Roottrees are Dead

2025Casual Puzzle
LinuxPCMac OS+1
Games like The Roottrees are Dead
Lost Wiki: Kozlovka Image
98%842reviews

Lost Wiki: Kozlovka

2026Role Playing
LinuxPCWindows
Games like Lost Wiki: Kozlovka
Mainlining Image
73%456reviews

Mainlining

2017Casual Simulation
Nintendo SwitchPCWindows
Games like Mainlining
Quern - Undying Thoughts Image
89%2.6kreviews

Quern - Undying Thoughts

2016Open World Simulation
LinuxPCPlaystation 5+5
Games like Quern - Undying Thoughts
Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn Image
94%358reviews

Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn

2025Puzzle
PCMac OSSteam Deck+1
Games like Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn
The Inheritance of Crimson Manor Image
84%761reviews

The Inheritance of Crimson Manor

2022Simulation
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+5
Games like The Inheritance of Crimson Manor
Cyber Manhunt Image
81%823reviews

Cyber Manhunt

2021Casual Role Playing
PCMac OSWindows
Games like Cyber Manhunt
Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator Image
94%327reviews

Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator

2025Casual Role Playing
PCMac OSWindows
Games like Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator
Greyhat: A Digital Detective Adventure Image
90%196reviews

Greyhat: A Digital Detective Adventure

2020Casual Role Playing
PCMac OSWindows
Games like Greyhat: A Digital Detective Adventure
Strange Antiquities Image
90%2kreviews

Strange Antiquities

2025Casual Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+5
Games like Strange Antiquities
More games like Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case
Skip User Reviews

Reviews

77%Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews
story4 positive mentions
stability2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a charming, cozy, and nostalgic 90s internet detective experience with immersive period-accurate web designs and sound effects.
  • Puzzles are integrated well into the story, providing a mix of logical challenges and classic puzzle types that are generally solvable and enjoyable.
  • The mystery and storytelling are engaging with a fairly straightforward plot and some surprising twists, making it a satisfying quick detective game.
  • The game is very short, typically taking around 1.5 to 3 hours to complete, which many reviewers felt did not justify the price.
  • There are significant usability and interface issues including lack of search history, no effective copy-paste, a clunky and limited notes system, and frequent glitches like losing typing functionality requiring restarts.
  • Some puzzles and UI elements can be frustrating or poorly implemented, such as puzzles that need to be redone, windows that cannot be resized or moved intuitively, and inconsistent game progression due to bugs.

  • story

    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    20% positive mentions, 65% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions

    The story is generally straightforward and enjoyable with some surprising twists, integrating puzzles reasonably well, but it is relatively simplistic and lacks complexity compared to deeper narrative-driven games. Users appreciate the fun mystery and atmosphere, though some find the plot jumps, limited search results, and basic puzzles detract from immersion. There is potential for richer storytelling with more intricate cases and improved UI in future installments.

    • “Such a fun little game with good deduction, puzzles, and a nicely wrapped-up story!”
    • “The mystery is fairly straightforward, but there are a few twists in the story that caught me by surprise.”
    • “Also, I enjoyed theory crafting about the possible story lines and found the ending satisfying.”
    • “It gives you a few softball puzzles to solve, (here I mean literally one of them is a slider puzzle), writes the barest bones of a story and calls it a day.”
    • “Overall this game is way overpriced for what you get, which is a bare bones story and maybe 1.5 hours of gameplay if we're being generous.”
    • “Other issues - the plot jumps around, with massive odd gaps, search results always return exactly one item, and the puzzles include sometimes really odd 'games' (a tiny resolution memory game???)”

  • music

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 10% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic 90s vibe, atmospheric and relaxing qualities, and its strong contribution to the overall noir and mystery ambiance. Many users describe it as immersive, charming, and a standout aspect that enhances the gameplay experience.

    • “I loved this atmospheric game in the style of Orwell and Root Trees Are Dead and was totally immersed in the 1990s internet, the great foley sounds (You've Got Mail and the typing/clicking), and the excellent soundtrack (two thumbs up!).”
    • “The music is so good, like a cool noir movie.”
    • “The game is filled with quirky charm, relaxing music, and a uniquely fun mystery.”
    • “I felt like I was back in the 90s playing a Nancy Drew or Missing Case Files game: the music, the clues, the puzzles.”
    • “In terms of mystery, I love the ambiance and music built up to it, but I do need to bring up the game's faults so it can be improved.”
    • “I want the OST badly.”

  • gameplay

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    30% positive mentions, 40% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The gameplay offers an innovative puzzle integration through an in-game internet browser, but its clunky mechanics, lack of editing or copy-paste features, and brief duration lead to frustration and a feeling of being overpriced. While some players appreciate the concept and overall fun, many find the gameplay bare-bones and mechanically limiting.

    • “I had a lot of fun and really liked the integration of puzzles into the search gameplay, which feels like a very cool innovation of the RootTrees format.”
    • “The gameplay in Gumshoe revolves heavily around using an in-game internet browser to find top secret information.”
    • “In-game notes feature is a bit clunky since you can't edit entries, but that didn't affect my gameplay much as I prefer to take notes on paper.”
    • “The gameplay mechanisms are a bit clunky and can be frustrating if you want to revisit sites.”
    • “Overall this game is way overpriced for what you get, which is a bare bones story and maybe 1.5 hours of gameplay if we're being generous.”
    • “I expected to enjoy this game because I liked Root Trees Are Dead and the concept is similar, but mechanically it so badly falls short that I couldn't keep playing after 20 minutes.”

  • graphics

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 12% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The graphics received mixed feedback, with many praising the nostalgic 90s computer aesthetic and well-crafted character artwork that enhanced the cozy, retro atmosphere. However, some felt the visual execution appeared cheap and lacked polish. Overall, the nostalgic style was a highlight, despite occasional frustrations with graphic quality.

    • “The graphics were great, with a nostalgic 90s aesthetic that really brought me back to those times.”
    • “The artwork of the character portraits looks amazing.”
    • “A really fun and cozy detective/mystery game set in the 90s, using authentic 90s computer aesthetics.”
    • “It feels really cheap from the graphics to the story to the art assets, which they have not listed as a.”
    • “What drew me into purchasing was the 1995 PC aesthetic, but the execution is frustrating.”
    • “The graphics were so nostalgic, but lacked polish.”

  • humor

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game features clever and witty humor, enhanced by funny easter eggs that add to the overall enjoyable experience.

    • “There are some extremely funny and witty Easter eggs mixed in and a pretty satisfying chase to find the culprit.”
    • “The puzzles were challenging but always solvable, the graphics were great, there was humor--overall, a great game to play, and I recommend it.”

  • atmosphere

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and nostalgic portrayal of the 1990s internet era, enhanced by excellent foley sounds and a standout soundtrack that enrich the storytelling experience.

    • “However, the atmosphere and storytelling of this game were enjoyable.”
    • “I loved this atmospheric game in the style of Orwell and Root Trees Are Dead. I was totally immersed in the 1990s internet, the great Foley sounds (you've got mail and the typing/clicking), and the excellent soundtrack (two thumbs up!).”

  • stability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game suffers from frequent stability issues, including glitches and random freezes that prevent typing in key search bars, often requiring restarts to continue. These problems disrupt gameplay and hinder smooth progression.

    • “There were also a lot of glitches and I kept having to save and restart the game to get it to work properly. It wouldn't let me type in the search bar half the time, which is the only way to look up clues in the game.”
    • “Game freezes: random bug preventing the ability to type in any window, required restarts.”

  • replayability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game offers limited replayability, as players typically complete it in under 90 minutes, making its full price feel unjustified for the lack of additional content or incentives to replay.

    • “While I did enjoy this game, with just over 90 minutes of playtime and no replay value, the list price is just too high.”

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users find the emotional aspect nostalgic, evoking a sentimental connection to an earlier era of the internet despite not having experienced it firsthand. This design choice creates a unique, retro emotional experience.

    • “Having to type your queries manually into the search engine and seeing the Web 1.0 designs made me feel nostalgic for a past I never actually experienced.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Play Times

2h Median play time
3h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is a casual simulation game with mystery and comedy themes. Common tags for Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case include first-person, indie, 2d, exploration, immersive sim and others.

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case.

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case was released on October 8, 2025.

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case was developed by Birdy Interactive.

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is a single player game.

Similar games include The Roottrees are Dead, Lost Wiki: Kozlovka, Mainlining, Quern - Undying Thoughts, Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn and others.