The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

96%
Game Brain Score Based on 745 reviews
  • humor
  • story
  • music
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark Game Cover
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is a must play game for anyone who loves point-and-click adventure games, especially with a supernatural mystery theme. If you enjoyed the first game you obviously must play this title!
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"The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark" is a comedy horror point-and-click adventure game. Players step back into the shoes of Detective McQueen and his partner, Officer Dolores Doherty, as they investigate a series of strange occurrences in a gloomy town. The game features distinctive pixel art style and humor-laden dialogue, providing a unique and entertaining experience.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

96%
Audience ScoreBased on 745 reviews
humor251 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • The game maintains the same charming humor and engaging writing as the first installment, making it a delightful experience.
  • Puzzles are well-designed, offering a good balance of challenge without being overly frustrating, allowing for a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • The characters, especially the dynamic between Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley, are endearing and add depth to the story.
  • Some puzzles can feel illogical or overly complex, leading to moments of frustration where players may need to rely on guides.
  • The humor, while generally enjoyable, can sometimes feel forced or repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The game lacks significant improvements over the first installment, making it feel more like an extension rather than a true sequel.
  • humor254 mentions

    The humor in "The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark" is widely praised for its clever writing, witty dialogue, and charming characters, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. While many appreciate the blend of absurdity and situational comedy, some feel that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes falling flat or becoming repetitive. Overall, the game maintains a light-hearted tone that appeals to fans of the point-and-click genre, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its specific style of humor.

    • “I always expected the Darkside Detective to be funny, but this sequel still surprised me with its spooky antics and laugh-out-loud moments.”
    • “Witty banter, actually funny jokes, and a lot of heart.”
    • “The humor is great, the puzzles themselves can even be funny at times, just the whole vibe of the game is so excellent.”
    • “The jokes are just not funny at all, and the plot is stupid.”
    • “From the outright denial and extremely weird jokes about the colonization of Native Americans, to the complete misuse of the existence of the thunderbird, to the unnecessary and deeply unfunny ableism against Dooley, watching paint dry is not only more entertaining but significantly less annoying.”
    • “Humor-wise, it has even more unfunny references and meta-humor than the last game, which is saying a lot.”
  • story127 mentions

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its humor, character development, and continuity from the first installment, while others criticize it for being illogical, disjointed, or overly reliant on puns. Many appreciate the episodic structure and the clever writing, which keeps the narrative engaging, though some feel that the individual cases lack a cohesive overarching plot. Overall, the game is seen as a fun, story-driven experience that benefits from its comedic elements and character interactions, but it may not satisfy those looking for a tightly woven narrative.

    • “Great writing and a fun story.”
    • “The story is quirky and interesting; the puzzles aren't too hard, but also not too easy, and the mini-games are fun and unique.”
    • “The plot lines are well put together while still managing to be absolutely hilarious and ridiculous!”
    • “The plot is crazier than the first game but with less charm; it almost becomes a total flop with empty characters saying nothing real, except all mimicking the same tired humor, wanting nothing real, only forcing the plot, doing nothing that stays in one's mind even on a below-average story.”
    • “Each episode just comes across as arbitrary set dressing around a handful of puns and puzzles instead of an actual story.”
    • “The story is bland, the puzzles don't make sense like they used to, and I find myself bored, which never happened with the first.”
  • music57 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the visuals, while others find it inappropriate or annoying. Many players appreciate the variety and quality of the soundtrack, noting its vintage charm and emotional impact, particularly in key moments. However, a few critics feel that the music lacks the same appeal as the previous installment's score, with some even suggesting it detracts from the overall experience.

    • “The art style is really cool, the music is suiting, and overall the game feels like there was a lot of love and thought put into it.”
    • “Very likable characters and engaging adventure-game logic that only rarely strays into monkey wrench territory, combined with lovely pixel graphics and some surprisingly excellent music, make the game come alive.”
    • “The soundtrack is as great as ever, really building the atmosphere in each case.”
    • “A fumble in the dark is a perfectly cromulent adventure game, once you turn off the ghastly music.”
    • “Kept trying to play it, could never make it through more than an episode at a time because the music is literally painful to my ears.”
    • “- out of place annoying soundtrack with bad composition”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics of the game are predominantly praised for their charming retro pixel art style, which evokes nostalgia and complements the witty writing and engaging puzzles. While some players appreciate the intentional simplicity and detail of the pixel graphics, others find the low resolution can make item interaction challenging. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the overall experience with vibrant colors and a creative aesthetic.

    • “With its pixel art style and witty writing, the game offers engaging puzzles and quirky characters.”
    • “The pixel graphic art style is still really good with plenty of great details and a great use of colors; even the darker colors have a nice sort of brightness to them.”
    • “The unique, hand-crafted pixel art style makes this game special.”
    • “Graphics are intentionally very bad.”
    • “I don't mind pixel graphics, but in this game, they are so low resolution it can be hard to pick out what parts of the screen are items that you can interact with.”
    • “Didn't like the graphics in this game.”
  • gameplay21 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as a standard point-and-click adventure, featuring item collection, puzzle-solving, and exploration, with improvements over the original game in terms of challenge and engagement. Players appreciate the witty writing and humor, though some feel the mechanics are basic and lack innovation. Overall, it offers a fun experience with a mix of unique cases and enjoyable mini-games, appealing to fans of the genre.

    • “The gameplay is still pretty fun; it's your standard point-and-click game with picking up items and combining them, but there's also plenty of good and well-balanced puzzles with a nice sense of exploration.”
    • “With its bigger areas and more challenging puzzles, the game is more engaging gameplay-wise than the original.”
    • “The humor is fast and punny, the cases are unique and interesting, and the gameplay is a mixture of timeless point-and-click shenanigans and a couple of fun mini-games along the way.”
    • “Mechanically, this game is as voluntarily primitive as the first game.”
    • “The whole gameplay was not intriguing to me, so I stopped playing after only a short time.”
    • “No new mechanics, no new user interface, almost no new characters.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with long scenarios and puzzles that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the humor and art style, many express frustration with the excessive length and monotony of the gameplay, leading to a sense of burnout early on.

    • “On this second game, I uninstalled after 15 minutes as soon as I realized tedious puzzles will be par for the course in this one (and no, I won't grab a guide this early into the game).”
    • “Its proposition is 'more of the same but longer and twice as tedious!', so no thanks.”
    • “A downgrade from the first game; although this is just like the first one, the long scenarios, puzzles, and large amounts of text are hugely tedious.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming tone, with a blend of humor and absurdity that resonates with players. While the narrative is enjoyable and features heartfelt moments, some reviewers note a lack of real stakes or conflict, which can diminish the sense of impact from player actions. Overall, it offers a charming experience that balances lightheartedness with genuine emotional connections to the characters.

    • “A really enjoyable, heartwarming adventure game.”
    • “Heartfelt for these characters, man.”
    • “It's strange how it can move so swiftly between funny, absurd, and incredibly heartfelt.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is generally well-received, with praise for the pixel art and engaging soundtrack that enhances the experience. However, some users noted instances of inappropriate music that detracted from the intended mood. Overall, the combination of humor and puzzles contributes positively to the game's ambiance.

    • “The soundtrack is as great as ever, really building the atmosphere in each case.”
    • “Nice atmosphere, some humor, puzzles with solutions that sometimes make sense - what more would you want from a point and click adventure?”
    • “The pixel art is awesome and the atmosphere was interesting overall.”
    • “The music feels completely out of place and detracts from the atmosphere the game is trying to create.”
    • “The soundtrack is inappropriate for the mood, making it hard to immerse myself in the game's world.”
    • “The choice of music clashes with the intended atmosphere, leaving me feeling disconnected from the experience.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability, particularly due to its balanced difficulty and humor, which may appeal to a variety of players. Many reviewers highlight the enjoyment of revisiting the game for its jokes, making it a valuable addition to the point-and-click adventure genre.

    • “While its humor may not suit all tastes, its balanced difficulty and replayability make it a charming addition to the point-and-click adventure genre.”
    • “A very worthy sequel with plenty of replayability for the jokes alone.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

Buy The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Play time

15hMedian play time
15hAverage play time
15-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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