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Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case Game Cover
75%Game Brain Score
music, humor
story, gameplay
77% User Score Based on 48 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case Game Cover

About

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

In Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case, you play as a rookie detective unraveling the disappearance of heiress Victoria Mason in 1995. Using a clunky desktop and dial-up connection, you sift through emails, websites, and chat logs to uncover clues. Each piece of evidence shifts the story, revealing a deeper, more complex mystery beyond a simple missing person case.

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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
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews
music6 positive mentions
stability2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a nostalgic 90s aesthetic and atmosphere, immersing players in a charming detective experience.
  • Puzzles are integrated well into the gameplay, providing a fun and engaging challenge for players.
  • The game is enjoyable for fans of cozy mystery games, with a straightforward premise and a light-hearted vibe.
  • The game is criticized for its short length and high price point, with many players finishing it in under two hours.
  • The user interface is clunky and unpolished, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, such as issues with the notepad and lack of copy/paste functionality.
  • Many players found the mystery to be too linear and simplistic, lacking the depth and complexity expected from similar games.
  • story
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally perceived as simplistic and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting its bare-bones narrative and straightforward mystery. While some appreciated the atmosphere and a few surprising twists, others criticized the arbitrary nature of searchable content and the limited complexity of puzzles, suggesting that the game feels cheap and underdeveloped. There is potential for improvement, particularly in expanding the storyline and enhancing puzzle mechanics to create a more engaging experience.

    • “I see promise in this series though, with small quality of life improvements to the UI and an expansion in the storytelling (larger cases with more twists and turns).”
    • “However, the atmosphere and storytelling of this game were enjoyable.”
    • “The mystery is fairly straightforward, but there are a few twists in the story that caught me by surprise.”
    • “It gives you a few soft ball 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.”
    • “It lacks a lot of the actual puzzle mechanics that make the genre enjoyable and the narrative itself lacks the complexity that more story-driven players can enjoy.”
  • music
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the nostalgic 1990s internet vibe and contributing to the overall immersive experience. Reviewers praised the soundtrack as reminiscent of a cool noir film, with many expressing a desire for the original soundtrack. While the music is a standout feature, some users noted the need for improvements in other aspects of the game.

    • “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 soooo good, like a cool noir movie.”
    • “The game is filled with quirky charm, relaxing music, and a uniquely fun mystery.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the innovative integration of puzzles into the search mechanics, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and lacking depth, with only about 1.5 hours of content. Many found the mechanics, particularly the in-game browser and note-taking features, to be clunky and limiting, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game seems to fall short of expectations, especially for those seeking a more complex and engaging narrative.

    • “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 Gumeshoe revolves heavily around using an in-game internet browser to find top secret information.”
    • “The in-game notes feature is a bit clunky as well since you can't edit entries, but that didn't affect my gameplay as much since I prefer to take notes on paper.”
    • “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.”
    • “It lacks a lot of the actual puzzle mechanics that make the genre enjoyable, and the narrative itself lacks the complexity that more story-driven players can appreciate.”
    • “I expected to enjoy this game because I liked 'The Root Trees Are Dead' and the concept is similar, but mechanically it falls so short that I couldn't keep playing after 20 minutes.”
  • graphics
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic 1990s PC aesthetic, which some players find charming and reminiscent of the era, enhancing the overall experience. However, others feel that the execution is lacking, describing the visuals as cheap and frustrating. Overall, while the character artwork is praised for its quality, opinions on the graphics are mixed, with a divide between appreciation for the retro style and criticism of its execution.

    • “A really fun and cozy short-and-sweet detective/mystery game that takes place in the 90s, using 90s computer aesthetics.”
    • “The mystery was fun, the puzzles were clever and not too terribly difficult, and the graphics were so nostalgic.”
    • “The artwork of the character portraits looks amazing.”
    • “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.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a blend of extremely funny and witty easter eggs, enhancing the overall experience, while also providing an engaging chase element to uncover the culprit.

    • “There are some extremely funny and witty easter eggs mixed in, along with a pretty satisfying chase to find the culprit.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever dialogue and hilarious situations that keep you laughing.”
    • “I love how the game balances its serious moments with lighthearted humor, making every encounter enjoyable.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive storytelling and nostalgic 1990s internet aesthetic, enhanced by engaging foley sounds and an excellent soundtrack. Players feel a strong connection to the environment, reminiscent of works like "Orwell" and "Root Trees Are Dead."

    • “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!).”
    • “However, the atmosphere and storytelling of this game were enjoyable.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent glitches and random freezes that hinder gameplay, particularly affecting the ability to type in search windows. Players often find themselves needing to save and restart the game to resolve these problems.

    • “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

    Many users feel that the game lacks replayability, with a short playtime of around 90 minutes, leading to concerns that the price is too high for the limited content available.

    • “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

    Users express a strong sense of nostalgia when interacting with the game's web 1.0 designs and manual query input, evoking emotions tied to a past they never lived through. This emotional connection enhances the overall experience, making players reflect on the evolution of technology and their personal histories.

    • “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.”
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4h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Gumshoe Detective Agency: The First Case is a casual simulation game.

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

On average players spend around 4 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 this game for its music but disliked it for its story.

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

Similar games include Mainlining, The Roottrees are Dead, Cyber Manhunt, Greyhat: A Digital Detective Adventure, Archimedes and others.