The Dame Was Loaded

About

The Dame Was Loaded is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Beam Software and was released on January 28, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

An adventure set in the world of a 1940's private eye Dames are trouble, but trouble is your business. For a dame, and maybe a hundred bucks in advance, you'd lose a few teeth and a few friends. For sweet Carol Klein, you might even stand in front of a gun or two.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

story6 positive mentions

The game features a compelling hard-boiled mystery storyline with multiple endings based on player choices.
It showcases impressive graphics and multimedia quality for its time, with a nostalgic charm that appeals to fans of the FMV genre.
The characters are humorous and engaging, adding to the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.

The time limit mechanic is overly restrictive, often leading to frustration and requiring players to restart frequently due to missed opportunities.
The save system is poorly designed, forcing players to return to a specific location to save, which can waste valuable in-game time.
Many puzzles are cryptic and difficult to solve without a walkthrough, making it challenging for players to progress without prior knowledge.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game features a well-crafted noir detective story with engaging dialogue and several intriguing plot twists, making it a charming adventure. While the time mechanics received criticism, the overall narrative and gameplay are still recommended for fans of the genre.
- “If you are looking for a fun, good adventure story, maybe something like Tex Murphy, this could be it.”
- “That said, I still recommend the game because it's made really well for an adventure game and a classic noir detective story, and is charming as hell on top of that.”
- “The storyline and dialogue are well written.”
- “The storyline and dialogue are poorly executed, lacking depth and engagement.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
- “Character development is minimal, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
16%
17%
The gameplay is generally well-received, with a compelling story and interesting mechanics, but the timed gameplay element is divisive and may frustrate some players. While it doesn't reach the heights of classic adventure games, it remains a decent experience for those who can adapt to its unique pacing.
- “A film-noir FMV adventure game with an interesting timed gameplay mechanic that may rub some people the wrong way.”
- “While it is certainly not on the same level of quality as adventure games like Grim Fandango, Gabriel Knight, or Tex Murphy, The Dame Was Loaded is still a decent adventure game overall if you can handle the game's timed mechanic.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability, particularly due to its multiple endings, making it a worthwhile experience for players at an affordable price of $7. This aspect has been appreciated by users, highlighting its value in encouraging repeated playthroughs.
- “And at $7, you will find a lot of replay value with the multiple game endings to uncover.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its hilarious characters, evoking nostalgia and maintaining its comedic charm over the years. Reviewers find it just as entertaining now as they did two decades ago.
- “Pretty hilarious characters, and it's just as great as I remembered it from roughly 20 years ago.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game, released in 1991, were considered groundbreaking for its time, showcasing advanced multimedia quality that set a high standard in the industry.
- “Made in 1991, the game was loaded with graphics and multimedia quality that were years ahead of its time.”