The Darkside Detective

The Darkside Detective is an adventure game that will have you laughing as you solve the mysteries behind the paranormal events plaguing Twin Lakes. With great visuals, music and movie references this is a must play!

86%Game Brain Score

humor, story

grinding, replayability

94% User Score Based on 5,200 reviews

Critic Score 78%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Darkside Detective is a single player casual action adventure game with mystery and comedy themes. It was developed by Akupara Games and was released on July 27, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

In "The Darkside Detective," players join Detective Francis McQueen as he investigates a series of bizarre cases that straddle the line between the natural and supernatural worlds. With his sarcastic partner, Dooley, McQueen must uncover the truth behind these eerie events, using wit, intuition, and a bit of the occult. This pixel art adventure game offers a unique blend of humor and horror, providing a thrilling and entertaining experience for fans of the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 5,200 reviews

humor2.4k positive mentions

grinding42 negative mentions

Charming pixel art style with witty and engaging writing.
Humorous dialogue and clever puns that keep the game entertaining.
Short, bite-sized cases that make it easy to play in short sessions.

Puzzles are often too easy and lack challenge for experienced players.
Some jokes may fall flat or feel forced, leading to a lack of consistent humor.
The game can feel short, with a total playtime of around 4-6 hours.

humor
2,460 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "The Darkside Detective" is a standout feature, characterized by clever puns, witty dialogue, and a lighthearted tone that appeals to fans of classic point-and-click adventures. While many players find the humor charming and engaging, some critiques note that it can be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling forced or overly simplistic. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with its supernatural themes, making it a delightful experience for those who appreciate quirky, comedic storytelling.
- “The darkside detective is a brilliant blend of classic point-and-click adventure and quirky humor.”
- “Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley’s hilarious dynamic makes every case a joy to solve.”
- “This game offers a lighthearted and entertaining experience, filled with clever puns and humorous dialogues that are sure to leave you with smiles on your face.”
- “However, though it prides itself on being a comedy game, the jokes in this game are just… not funny.”
- “The bargain bin dialogue with its unfunny, tired quips ruins everything - the game feels like it's written by a teenager as their first attempt at comedy, after studying their favorite material but failing to understand what makes it work.”
- “All of it was blisteringly unfunny and there was nothing to hold my attention in place of it.”
story
900 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The story of "The Darkside Detective" is characterized by its lighthearted and humorous tone, featuring episodic gameplay with self-contained cases that often reference pop culture. While some players appreciate the witty dialogue and quirky characters, others find the overall narrative lacking depth and cohesion, as there is no overarching plot connecting the cases. The game excels in delivering entertaining interactions and comedic moments, making it a fun experience for fans of casual point-and-click adventures, despite some critiques regarding its storytelling substance.
- “Great game with a fun story (or rather fun stories), interesting characters and surprisingly.. despite the humoristic aspects it manages to create a creepy atmosphere.”
- “The witty banter between McQueen and Dooley adds a lot of charm and humor to the story.”
- “The darkside detective is an extremely fun point and click adventure game with excellent humor and short intriguing occult stories in each case file you investigate as detective McQueen and his sidekick officer Dooley.”
- “Unfortunately, this game's story is extraordinarily stale.”
- “There are no real ties between the 6 main cases other than the fact that there is a dark side to the world and some characters that return but don't have much going on in terms of backstory or character development.”
- “The story, by no means, was in depth or very well constructed.”
graphics
654 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The graphics of "The Darkside Detective" feature a charming pixel art style that evokes nostalgia for classic adventure games, with many players appreciating its simplicity and colorful visuals. While some critiques mention the low resolution and lack of detail, the overall aesthetic is often described as endearing and fitting for the game's humorous and spooky themes. The minimalist approach to graphics complements the gameplay, making it accessible and enjoyable for fans of retro-style games.
- “The pixel art style is charming and nostalgic, perfectly capturing the essence of classic point-and-click adventure games.”
- “With its charming pixelated graphics and witty writing, this game is sure to appeal to fans of classic adventure games.”
- “The graphics capture the essence of the game's retro-inspired setting, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere.”
- “The only thing that really bothered me is the graphics.”
- “Pixel graphics are okay... but this low amount of details and huge pixels are just way too exaggerated and just seem lazy.”
- “The graphics are as basic as it's possible to get without actually being classified as cave paintings and there's no character animations.”
music
586 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
27%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric and engaging quality, with many reviewers highlighting the standout soundtrack composed by Ben Prunty. It effectively complements the game's quirky humor and pixel art style, creating a nostalgic yet spooky ambiance that enhances the overall experience. While some found the music repetitive at times, the majority appreciated its ability to evoke emotion and fit seamlessly with the game's themes and visuals.
- “The music grants some gravitas to the game, creating a spooky atmosphere that is inspired by horror classics and can give a certain air of mystery and tension without being overbearing and complimenting the visuals along with the story.”
- “The music is great and fits the vibe perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack is a blend of ominous and synth.”
- “The background music is atmospheric but not anything special, which is surprising since it was composed by Ben Prunty, the same composer of the music from FTL.”
- “The music and integration of puzzles into the levels is good, but I wish there was more of it and it was better to look at.”
- “I don't like its 'pixel art' and music.”
gameplay
354 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
77%
1%
The gameplay of "The Darkside Detective" is characterized by classic point-and-click mechanics, featuring straightforward puzzles and a comedic narrative that enhances the experience. While the game is easy to pick up and offers a light-hearted, enjoyable atmosphere, many players noted that the gameplay can be overly simplistic and linear, lacking depth and challenge. Overall, it provides a charming, albeit brief, adventure that is best suited for those looking for a casual gaming experience rather than a complex puzzle-solving challenge.
- “Has classic point and click adventure gameplay with an accessibility feature that should be in most games.”
- “The gameplay is easy to pick up, and it’s fairly quick to complete—I wrapped everything up in under 7 hours with 100% achievement completion.”
- “The gameplay is intuitive, fun, and quite enjoyable.”
- “Maybe it is because I had high expectations to begin with, but I was disappointed by the tedious, chore-like puzzles and unimaginative gameplay.”
- “Overly simple in puzzles and gameplay (no one even walks at all). Not something I felt the need to stick with.”
- “I can't recommend anyone download this game; in terms of narrative and in terms of gameplay, this one is a letdown.”
atmosphere
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
31%
1%
The atmosphere of "The Darkside Detective" is a standout feature, blending humor with a spooky, lighthearted vibe that keeps players engaged. The nostalgic pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack enhance the game's charm, creating a unique setting that balances mystery and comedy without becoming overly frightening. Overall, the game successfully captures a quirky, cozy atmosphere that appeals to fans of supernatural themes and point-and-click adventures.
- “The darkside detective effortlessly blends the spooky aspects with humor, creating a unique and engaging atmosphere that feels like a cozy mix of supernatural spooks and lighthearted buddy cop comedy.”
- “The music grants some gravitas to the game, creating a spooky atmosphere that is inspired by horror classics and can give a certain air of mystery and tension without being overbearing and complimenting the visuals along with the story.”
- “The pixel art style feels nostalgic, and the music fits perfectly, creating a spooky yet fun atmosphere.”
- “Usually games that involve the supernatural are considered quite hard to penetrate because of their shocking images, dense plot, and oppressive atmosphere that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.”
- “There's no creepy atmosphere and ambiance here, only several jokes, and plenty of style.”
- “The game also has its clichés: the grandfather's clock to create atmosphere, because every spooky atmosphere needs a grandfather's clock to be spooky.”
grinding
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
8%
84%
Reviews of the game's grinding aspect highlight a mixed experience, with many players finding certain puzzles and backtracking tedious and chore-like, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciated the humor and engaging puzzles that avoided tedium, others criticized the lack of meaningful gameplay and poor design choices that led to frustration. Overall, the game offers a blend of challenging and simplistic elements, but the repetitive nature of certain tasks can feel artificially extended.
- “I love that a lot of the puzzles you have to complete are challenging but not tedious, and sometimes the logic when jury-rigging items together involves a little bit of stretching, to a humorous degree.”
- “The game is a point and click adventure with tons of jokes and puns, while remaining interesting with its simple and engaging but not tedious puzzles.”
- “Maybe it is because I had high expectations to begin with, but I was disappointed by the tedious, chore-like puzzles and unimaginative gameplay.”
- “The game is about 5-8 hours in length if you want to collect all the achievements, but be warned, there will be a lot of tedious backtracking that pads the time out quite a bit.”
- “Its bad design made the game tedious as I was no longer solving puzzles and was just following a dull script I didn't know.”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
82%
9%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, primarily due to its short length and straightforward puzzles typical of point-and-click adventures. While some players appreciate the hidden achievements that offer a slight incentive to replay, most agree that the overall value in replaying the game is minimal. The enjoyment derived from the characters and humor does not significantly enhance the game's replay potential.
- “Fun point-and-click adventure, with hidden achievements that add to the replay value.”
- “Characters are great, jokes are fun, and the story is well written while ensuring replayability.”
- “Hence, the game has some replayability value; however, it's a bit short.”
- “There's not much replay value.”
- “I beat the game in about 3 hours and there's not really any replayability here.”
- “Replayability is fairly limited although I am tempted to go back and look for the last few hidden achievements.”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Darkside Detective" is characterized by its heartwarming and charming narrative, primarily driven by the endearing buddy cop dynamic between the protagonists, McQueen and Doolie. Players appreciate the game's blend of wholesome humor and touching moments, which create a sense of warmth and nostalgia, despite some criticisms regarding its depth and graphical clarity. Overall, the game successfully evokes a feel-good atmosphere, making it a delightful experience for those seeking lighthearted adventure.
- “The game is carried by the probably-platonic, genuinely heartwarming buddy cop dynamic between protagonist McQueen and his indefatigable, much-weirder sidekick Doolie, as the two of them contend with a variety of cases involving a dark world-style alter universe known as the darkside, where politicians are honest, loading times are short, and the economy is booming.”
- “There are genuine heartwarming moments that you would not expect in a game like this.”
- “It's not only consistently funny, but the relationship between McQueen and Doolie is actually pretty heartwarming too.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
63%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth performance and no significant issues, others have encountered bugs and crashes that necessitate mission restarts. The game runs well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck and Linux, but some users have noted persistent bugs and poor window-mode support. Despite these issues, many find the game enjoyable and playable.
- “I played it on the Steam Deck; it's fully playable and runs great with a low TDP limit.”
- “Runs great, no bugs found, no hiccups of any kind.”
- “Runs great on Linux.”
- “It is a fun game, but a bit buggy; a couple of times I had to re-do missions because the game crashed.”
- “Unfortunately, I couldn't assess the quality of the game since when I initially bought it (1-2 years ago) it had a bug that prevented me from playing it, and when I tried again now, it's still buggy.”
- “The main problem for me is the poor window-mode support; it gets a bit buggy, but you can still play it.”
character development
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
56%
25%
Character development in the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of meaningful backstory and connections between characters across the episodes. While some character designs are appreciated for their aesthetic, the absence of detailed faces and a cohesive narrative leaves players feeling disengaged. Overall, the game struggles to provide a compelling character arc or emotional investment.
- “Further, even among the 9 semi-disconnected episodes, there's enough overlap for character development and world-building.”
- “[i]dd[/i] is a case study in effective character design.”
- “The character design is fittingly simple, and the background art is full of nice little details and pixel-art renditions of pop-culture items to draw your eye to.”
- “There are no real ties between the 6 main cases other than the fact that there is a dark side to the world and some characters that return but don't have much going on in terms of backstory or character development.”
- “There was no character development or any semblance of a story to keep me interested either.”
- “Even among the 9 semi-disconnected episodes, there's enough overlap for character development and world-building.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its overall performance while others report issues that affect gameplay. Many players note that the game runs smoothly on high-end systems, but there are significant performance drops on lower-end hardware. Overall, the optimization appears to be a work in progress, with room for improvement.