Voodoo Detective
- May 24, 2022
- Short Sleeve Studio, LLC
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Voodoo Detective," you play as a small-time private investigator who becomes embroiled in a strange case involving vanished locals, powerful voodoo magic, and dark secrets in a 1920s bayou town. Solve puzzles, interrogate suspects, and explore eerie settings in this stylish, point-and-click adventure game. Uncover the truth behind the voodoo curse before it's too late.
Reviews
- Beautiful hand-drawn art style reminiscent of classic adventure games like Monkey Island.
- Engaging story with witty dialogue and memorable characters, enhanced by excellent voice acting.
- Fun and intuitive puzzles that, while mostly easy, provide a satisfying gameplay experience.
- The game is relatively short, taking around 3 to 6 hours to complete, which may leave some players wanting more.
- Some puzzles can feel overly simplistic or straightforward, lacking the challenge that hardcore adventure fans might expect.
- There are occasional pacing issues and tonal shifts in the narrative that may disrupt the overall flow of the game.
- story96 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Voodoo Detective" is generally well-received, featuring engaging characters, a captivating plot with humorous dialogue, and a unique blend of noir and voodoo themes. However, some players noted its brevity and pacing issues, with a desire for more character development and side quests to enrich the narrative. Overall, while the story is entertaining and enjoyable, it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
“The storyline was both entertaining and captivating.”
“Beautiful artwork and great story.”
“The story, writing, puzzles, graphics, voice acting, pacing are all great.”
“However, it fails to leave a lasting impression due to its lackluster storytelling and forgettable cast.”
“The story itself starts okay and just goes downhill.”
“But the flaws outweigh any cons: the plot is frankly weak, the jokes feel forced, and some tasks are absolutely senseless.”
- graphics64 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, vibrant colors, and high-quality animations, reminiscent of classic point-and-click adventures. Reviewers praised the unique and charming visuals, which enhance the overall atmosphere and storytelling, alongside excellent voice acting that brings the characters to life. Overall, the game's graphics are described as stunning and a significant highlight, contributing to a nostalgic yet fresh gaming experience.
“The graphics are great, the voice acting is also of high quality.”
“The art style is gorgeous, the animation is great and it's very nostalgic, reminding me of the 90s and some classic games, cartoons and an era now long gone.”
“The production values are pretty high: very detailed high-resolution graphics with their own distinctive style, lots of background animations and detailed animations for the actions of the characters, great voice acting.”
“The graphics are high resolution 2D bliss, the acting is spot on for every character in the game, the humor hits far more than it misses and the puzzles are fun and intuitive.”
“But aside from a few open backgrounds, I didn't mind the visuals and there is enough attention to detail when you are in the smaller locations.”
“Great art and a wonderful soundtrack to boot, another minor nitpick for me is that I would've liked some more things to look at, interact with, and get some witty/interesting comments from the voodoo detective.”
- music63 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in "Voodoo Detective" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its captivating soundtrack composed by Peter McConnell, which blends jazz and blues elements. The soundtrack is noted for enhancing the game's atmosphere and seamlessly adapting to various scenes, contributing significantly to the overall experience. Coupled with high-quality voice acting and beautiful hand-drawn visuals, the music plays a vital role in creating a charming and immersive point-and-click adventure.
“The music, by Grim Fandango composer Peter McConnell, is a captivating soundtrack of jazz & blues.”
“It's beautifully animated with colorful backgrounds, great voice acting with good jokes for all ages, killer soundtrack, and a very reasonable length considering the game that didn't come from a huge budget.”
“Both the music and sound work are exceptional--I found myself leaving the game on instead of pausing it just to keep the music going in the background.”
“And I'm not including the music, which is all over the place.”
“The music and style is a welcome throwback to the point & click games of days gone by.”
“1 hour played... I need the music!!!!”
- humor59 mentions
- 95 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging dialogues, and a blend of smart/meta jokes reminiscent of classic titles like Monkey Island and Grim Fandango. Players appreciate the charming characters and the mix of absurdity and wit, although some found certain aspects of the humor to clash with the game's more serious moments. Overall, the game is described as funny, well-voiced, and enjoyable, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.
“It's a game that is really good to play just for fun and the characters are super likable with so much smart/meta humor in the dialogue and story.”
“Writing is excellent, humor is very much in the vein of Monkey Island, sometimes clashing with the otherwise more serious tone, but not distracting enough to ruin the vibe.”
“A wonderful point and click adventure game where it takes itself 'seriously' while being funny at the same exact time.”
“The story and its progression are utterly daft, which doesn't work when simultaneously unfunny.”
“A completely unfunny but still charming game ruined by a few utterly illogical puzzles and the infuriating decision to change the entire nature of the game at the end.”
“Frustrating and unfunny opening scene, dialogue lines didn't change smoothly, no achievements, overpriced for the content.”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its charming 2D pixel art style and a relatively short experience, lasting around six hours across a limited number of locations. While the puzzles are generally simple and not very challenging, the introduction of unique mechanics, such as crafting voodoo spells, adds some variety and fun to the experience. Overall, the game offers a nostalgic point-and-click adventure feel, though it lacks depth and complexity in both gameplay and story.
“Even with the first title sequence (which is so genius), you get to really learn the game without being explicitly told the mechanics.”
“The voice acting is stellar, and while most puzzles aren't too challenging, they do introduce some interesting mechanics like a voodoo cookbook that offers recipes which will help with your investigation.”
“This game was wonderfully designed; from the art and music to the gameplay and the puzzles.”
“The game's scope is relatively small, featuring only about a dozen locations and offering approximately six or so hours of gameplay.”
“It's a 'cute' 2D cartoon-styled pixel-hunting adventure with extremely basic, if not dumb, gameplay and puzzles, uninspiring writing, and cliché characters.”
“Nothing groundbreaking in terms of story or gameplay, and it might be a bit too easy on the puzzles.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Voodoo Detective" is widely praised for its retro style, hand-drawn visuals, and a blend of mystery and humor that creates an engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the game's distinctive noir vibe, fitting soundtrack, and well-crafted world, which together enhance the storytelling and puzzle-solving elements. Overall, the game successfully immerses players in a captivating and atmospheric setting.
“Voodoo Detective is an old style point n' click adventure with gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, a mysterious atmosphere, awesome animations, great music, a cool sense of humor, good voice acting, and an interesting story full of crazy events.”
“Its world has a strong mysterious and comical atmosphere.”
“Voodoo Detective manages to get everything right: the setting and atmosphere are distinctive and interesting.”
“Its world has a strong mysterious and comical atmosphere.”
“The fitting music enhances the overall atmosphere.”
“I love the style and atmosphere; it's exactly what you expect from this kind of private detective story.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its smooth performance and excellent optimization, reminiscent of late 90s titles but without the typical glitches. The voice acting is highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
“It's funny, well written, runs smoothly, has great voice acting and music... like a PC game from the late 90s (without the beloved jank haha) with that special magic these games bring.”
“Nice voice acting performances that fit the characters.”
“Absolutely phenomenal performance by this cast makes this a memorable journey and is the most distinguished part of the game.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow, repetitive, and occasionally tedious, particularly due to the need for back-tracking. However, the ability to speed up movement helps alleviate some of the frustration, and many still appreciate the game's overall quality and nostalgic value.
“The biggest drawback for me was all the backtracking I had to do - luckily, you're able to speed up walking; otherwise, it would've become extremely tedious.”
“Yes, it can be a bit slow and repetitive, a tad light on puzzles, and slightly tedious.”
“It can be a little slow and repetitive, a little light with the puzzles, and a little tedious, but it's a high-quality game regardless and a tribute to a fantastic era and history of gaming too, especially on PC, of course.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently praise the game's character design and animation, highlighting their beauty and uniqueness. The backgrounds also receive commendation, contributing to an overall impressive visual experience. However, there is no specific mention of character development in terms of narrative or growth.
“Character design and animation are fantastic, as are the backgrounds.”
“Beautiful animation and character design.”
“A highlight for me was definitely the backgrounds and unique character design.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers a short playtime of about 4 to 5 hours with minimal replayability, as players can easily access different endings from the same save point. While some variations exist, they do not significantly enhance the overall replay value, which some players appreciate given their limited free time.
“The game offers multiple endings and choices that encourage players to explore different paths, making each playthrough feel unique.”
“With various character builds and strategies to experiment with, the replayability factor is high, allowing for a fresh experience every time.”
“The inclusion of side quests and hidden content means that even after finishing the main story, there's plenty to discover on subsequent playthroughs.”
“It took me about 4 and a half hours to complete, and there's no replay value once it's finished. I don't see that as a con at all, since my free time is very limited.”
“The game is somewhere around 4 to 5 hours if you don't take any of the abrupt endings. There are a few small variations in the end, but you can get both of them from the same save point, so it does not add any significant replay value.”
