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Rough Justice: '84

Rough Justice: ’84 isn’t just a game; it’s a narrative masterpiece that skillfully weaves a gripping story into the fabric of a single-player, board game-inspired strategy experience.
Rough Justice: '84 Game Cover
65%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, character development
72% User Score Based on 47 reviews
Critic Score 57%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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Rough Justice: '84 Game Cover

About

Rough Justice: '84 is a single player casual simulation game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Gamma Minus UG and was released on March 13, 2023. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"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
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
Rough Justice: '84 screenshot
+8
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72%
Audience ScoreBased on 47 reviews
story14 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating 80s aesthetic, with a stylish art design and an excellent synthwave soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • The story is engaging and well-paced, with unexpected twists that keep players invested throughout the gameplay, making it reminiscent of classic crime thrillers.
  • The variety of mini-games and the role-playing elements provide a unique gameplay experience, allowing players to strategize and manage their agents effectively.
  • The gameplay mechanics are heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating moments where success or failure feels arbitrary, diminishing player agency.
  • There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including poor map controls and glitches that can disrupt the flow of the game, making it feel unpolished.
  • The game can become repetitive over time, with a lack of diverse cases and missions, leading to a grind that may deter players seeking a more varied experience.
  • story
    65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is praised for its engaging narrative and retro aesthetic, drawing comparisons to classic crime thrillers and detective tales. Players appreciate the unexpected plot twists and character depth, although some express frustration with gameplay mechanics that can detract from the storytelling experience. Overall, the narrative is considered a highlight, with many reviewers recommending it for its entertaining and immersive qualities.

    • “The story threw me for a loop, that's for sure - did not see that coming.”
    • “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.”
    • “Rough Justice: '84 isn’t just a game; it’s a narrative masterpiece that skillfully weaves a gripping story into the fabric of a single-player, board game-inspired strategy 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
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Rough Justice: '84" is characterized by its simple and minimalistic design, which can initially disrupt immersion due to unintuitive mechanics and a lackluster tutorial. As players progress, the gameplay opens up with new characters and mini-games, though it often becomes repetitive and heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustration in decision-making. While the aesthetic and some mechanics are praised, many reviewers feel that the overall gameplay experience is hindered by technical issues and a lack of depth, despite its potential for enjoyment.

    • “The gameplay itself is simple and minimalistic, but does its job to keep the player entertained throughout the main story playthrough for around 10 hours.”
    • “The gameplay, despite initially 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 board game-inspired mechanics are streamlined and pair perfectly with the sleek neon interface.”
    • “However, at least at the very beginning, we might be thrown out of the immersion time and again by the gameplay mechanics which are not very intuitive and the tutorial does a poor job at explaining them.”
    • “While there are a lot of minigames 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 minigame 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
    26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its strong 80s vibe, featuring a catchy synthwave soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere and immersion. Many players highlight the soundtrack as a standout element, with some even purchasing it separately, while noting that it complements the game's stylish art and engaging gameplay. Despite some minor audio issues, the music is considered a key factor in the game's appeal, contributing significantly to its nostalgic charm.

    • “The music alone is reason enough!”
    • “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 soundtrack alone is one of the best characters of the game.”
    • “Also, usually sound settings in most games have the voice-overs and UI at maximum and the music lower, so that by default you can hear what's going on - not Rough Justice, though.”
    • “Don't even get me started on the sexy synth soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack is retrowave; the agents you can hire, everything is pretty much 80s honey.”
  • graphics
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their strong 80s aesthetic, featuring vibrant colors, unique art style, and a nostalgic vibe that resonates well with players. However, despite the appealing visuals and excellent soundtrack, many users report significant optimization issues, leading to choppy performance even at lower settings. Overall, while the aesthetic is a standout feature, technical shortcomings 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.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive 80s vibe and captivating soundtrack, which some players found compelling enough to purchase. However, while the sound design, particularly the typewriters, contributes to the ambiance, it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game successfully creates a strong and engaging atmosphere that enhances its core gameplay.

    • “And then, it would be a very solid game with an original premise, a palpable atmosphere of the 80s, and a soundtrack to die for (I even bought it, which is something I never do).”
    • “Rough Justice '84 has a very good core idea and impresses in terms of atmosphere.”
    • “[Atmosphere and agents, dice-based case solving, solid soundtrack].”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 minimizes the typical drawbacks of grinding, making it a more entertaining and immersive experience.

    • “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.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its detailed and unique character designs, complemented by individual voice acting that enhances the storytelling experience, making it engaging for players to follow along.

    • “The amount of detail in the unique character designs, including voice acting for individual dialogue for agents, is impressive. The story is also engaging and appealing to follow along with.”
    • “The character development is rich and immersive, allowing players to connect deeply with each character's journey.”
    • “I love how each character has their own backstory and personality, making the interactions feel meaningful and impactful.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity.”
    • “Despite the unique designs, the characters themselves are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report significant stability issues, including frequent freezes and lag, which detract from the overall gaming experience.

    • “It freezes and lags constantly, making it unplayable.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, which is incredibly frustrating.”
    • “I experience regular stability issues that ruin the overall experience.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the game enjoyable with a captivating art style and excellent audio, but many are still uncertain about its overall replayability due to limited playtime. The nostalgic 80s references add to the experience, enhancing the fun factor.

    • “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 so many different paths and choices that I can't wait to play through it again and explore all the alternate endings.”
    • “With each playthrough, I discover new secrets and challenges, making it feel fresh and exciting every time.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with players reporting choppy performance even on the lowest graphics settings, alongside various non-gamebreaking bugs and typos. While it features strong voice acting and stylish art, these technical shortcomings detract from the overall experience.

    • “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-game-breaking bugs, and jarring performance drops during certain minigames.”
    • “Also, 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.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find that the abundance of side activities allows for deep emotional engagement, as they can invest significant time in character development and world-building before diving into the main narrative. This immersive experience enhances the emotional weight of the story when it is eventually encountered.

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57%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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40h Median play time
40h Average play time
40-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Rough Justice: '84 is a casual simulation game with mystery theme.

Rough Justice: '84 is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 40 hours playing Rough Justice: '84.

Rough Justice: '84 was released on March 13, 2023.

Rough Justice: '84 was developed by Gamma Minus UG.

Rough Justice: '84 has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Rough Justice: '84 is a single player game.

Similar games include Back to the Dawn, This Is the Police, Dead In Bermuda, Sultan's Game, Hand of Fate 2 and others.