Rough Justice: '84

About

"Rough Justice: '84' is a single-player strategy game with board game elements, where you run a private security agency and take on various cases. Hire freelance agents, each with unique stats and abilities, to complete security, repossession, fugitive recovery, and other jobs. Careful planning and strategic decision-making are crucial as you build your agency's reputation and tackle diverse puzzles in this 80s-inspired game."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 44 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

The game captures the 80s aesthetic beautifully, with excellent art design, music, and voice acting that immerses players in the era.
The gameplay offers a unique blend of strategy and luck, with engaging mini-games and a variety of missions that keep the experience fresh.
Players appreciate the strong roleplaying elements and character designs, which add depth and personality to the game.

The reliance on RNG and dice rolls can lead to frustrating gameplay, where success often feels out of the player's control, diminishing motivation to continue.
The game suffers from repetitive mission structures and a lack of variety in non-main story cases, leading to a sense of monotony over time.
Numerous bugs and performance issues, including poor optimization and glitches, detract from the overall experience and can make the game feel unpolished.

story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
5%
The game's story is praised for its engaging retro aesthetic and strong initial setup reminiscent of classic action/cop films, though it suffers from pacing issues and a reliance on random mechanics that can detract from the narrative experience. While the character designs and voice acting are well-received, the overall storytelling can feel thin due to the lack of meaningful side cases and the frustration of mission failures tied to RNG. Despite these drawbacks, many players find the storyline enjoyable and entertaining, with a variety of missions that keep the gameplay fresh.
- “The main story makes great use of its setting, and at times feels like a classic action/cop movie in the vein of the Lethal Weapon series.”
- “Beautiful details and a fun storyline!”
- “Having the various mini-game puzzles that are super interactive (safe crack, hotwire) to praying to the RNG gods that the dice will be kind to me layers into a very interesting and enjoyable storyline, which has stuck with me since I first completed the game and become one of my favorite pieces of video game storytelling to experience.”
- “Whatever story the game has is hard to be taken seriously, if all that's left is just bare-bones management with flavor text.”
- “Even with the campaign spanning over five chapters of six missions each, the gameplay still feels rather thin because there’s not much exciting or out-of-the-ordinary happening.”
- “It doesn't help that the story goes for tropes that are familiar, but don't feel right for the era exactly.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
9%
The gameplay in "Rough Justice: '84" offers a blend of casual strategy and management mechanics, heavily influenced by board games, where players hire agents and send them on missions while managing resources and energy. While the initial simplicity evolves into a more complex experience with various mini-games and unlockable content, many players find the reliance on RNG frustrating and the gameplay loop repetitive over time. Despite its aesthetic appeal and potential for depth, the game suffers from issues that can detract from immersion and enjoyment.
- “The gameplay, despite at first seeming rather simplistic, opens up the further you get into it, allowing the unlocking of new case officers, mini-games, and variables. The dice rolling mechanic surprisingly didn't get old for me.”
- “The gameplay loop will have you accept various types of cases and hire agents to send them on missions to counter these crimes.”
- “Different mission types sport different mechanics, and there are around a dozen different mini-games that keep the experience fresh.”
- “However, now we have to talk about the issue with Rough Justice and its core gameplay. Depending on your first time playing, you can get really bad RNG and lose all of your money quickly. If you've mastered how to manage dice rolling with the correct agents and equipment, it can be quite jarring to take you away from the story and hard focus on making sure you pass, which is frustrating.”
- “While there are a lot of mini-games to play and a good range of cases, the gameplay quickly becomes very repetitive because the game loop is very short: accept a case, send an agent, play a mini-game or roll a dice, rinse and repeat.”
- “This game has so much potential, but it's hindered by poor gameplay mechanics and terrible mouse detection.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its catchy synthwave soundtrack that evokes a strong 80s vibe, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, often describing it as integral to the game's charm and a key reason for its appeal. The combination of stellar voice acting, stylish art, and a well-crafted soundtrack creates a cohesive and immersive experience that resonates with players.
- “Perhaps the best part of the game is the strong 80’s vibe that it gives through its writing and its synth-wave graphics and soundtrack.”
- “The art design and music is all incredible and suits the gameplay very well.”
- “Also, usually sound settings in most games have the voice-overs and UI at maximum and the music lower, but not in Rough Justice.”
- “The music alone is reason enough!”
- “The soundtrack is retrowave; the agents you can hire, everything is pretty much 80s themed.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The game excels in capturing a vibrant 80s aesthetic, with well-designed graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and nostalgic nods that resonate with players. However, despite its strong visual appeal, the game suffers from poor optimization, leading to choppy performance even at lower settings. Overall, while the art style and thematic elements are praised, technical issues detract from the overall experience.
- “The 80s aesthetic is excellent, and everything from the font to the colors to the way the character models appear nails the time period.”
- “Perhaps the best part of the game is the strong 80’s vibe that it gives through its writing and its synth-wave graphics and soundtrack.”
- “Art style is beautiful and unique - it reminds me of Disco Elysium set in Hotline Miami; I love it.”
- “The game is very poorly optimized and runs very choppily even in its lowest graphics settings.”
- “I love the aesthetics but the gameplay really sucks.”
- “Overall, if the aesthetic compels you and you like strategy-boardgame-esque games, this can get fixed up with a few patches and be solid.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable rather than tedious, as it is integrated into a fun, board game-like experience. The achievements encourage grinding in a way that feels rewarding, with a leveling system and engaging random events that enhance the sense of progression. Overall, the game successfully balances grinding with entertaining gameplay elements, making it a positive experience for players.
- “The achievements are also designed to encourage grinding.”
- “I was concerned due to the mixed reviews that it would be a very tedious game; however, I've been pleasantly surprised.”
- “There are a heap of different items to assist with dice rolls, and the leveling system on the agents gives you a feel of progression rather than just grinding out missions.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, running choppily even on the lowest graphics settings, alongside noticeable performance drops during specific minigames. While it features strong voice acting and stylish art, players have reported various bugs and typos that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game features a well-optimized interface that makes managing the detective agency a breeze, allowing players to focus on solving cases rather than struggling with controls.”
- “Despite some rough edges, the optimization of the gameplay mechanics ensures a smooth experience, especially during critical moments in the investigation.”
- “The performance optimization in this game is commendable, as it minimizes lag and enhances the overall immersion, making each case feel engaging and dynamic.”
- “The game is very poorly optimized and runs very choppily even in its lowest graphics settings.”
- “A good detective agency management game with great voice acting, stylish art, a catchy soundtrack and some unfortunate rough edges, namely some questionable plot twists, plenty of (non-gamebreaking) bugs and typos and jarring performance drops during certain minigames.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is praised for its detailed unique designs and individual voice acting, which enhance the storytelling experience and make it engaging for players.
- “The amount of detail in the unique character designs, including voice acting for individual dialogue for agents, is impressive, and the story is often engaging to follow.”
- “The character development is rich and immersive, allowing players to form a deep connection with each character's journey.”
- “I love how each character has their own backstory and personality, making the interactions feel meaningful and impactful.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is enhanced by the evocative sound of typewriters, which contributes to the overall ambiance; however, some users find this auditory element can become irritating over time.
- “The sound of the typewriters, while atmospheric, adds a unique charm to the experience.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes and lagging, which detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “The game frequently freezes and lags, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant crashes that ruined my gaming experience.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I often have to restart the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the game enjoyable with its appealing art style and fantastic audio, but many are still uncertain about its overall replayability, as they haven't progressed far enough to assess its length or replay value.
- “I really enjoyed it; the art style was on point and the audio was fantastic. I'm not far enough into it yet to see how long it plays or its replayability, but so far I'm having a blast, enjoying all the little '80s nods thrown in throughout.”
- “The game offers a lot of different paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and fresh. I can't wait to dive back in and explore all the possibilities!”
- “With multiple endings and various character builds, this game has incredible replayability. Each time I play, I discover something new and exciting.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the abundance of side activities can lead to a deep emotional investment in the game, as they become engrossed in various cases before even engaging with the main storyline. This extensive exploration allows for a richer emotional experience, as players connect with the game's world and characters.