The Darkside Detective

 Switch
The Darkside Detective Image
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Gaming Age
    Mar 19, 2018
    100
    It describes itself as a micro-adventure, which apparently is a fancy way of saying that it features puzzles that don’t require a dozen random steps to complete, but, instead, follow fairly straightforward, linear logic. It’s funny, it poses just the right level of challenge, the characters are delightful — if that’s how you define micro-adventure, I’m all for the subgenre.
  2. Switch Player
    Mar 1, 2018
    90
    The Darkside Detective is a successful spin on the classic point-and-click adventure, delivering an engaging narrative, funny characters and one of the strongest soundtracks in a good while. I sincerely hope a sequel is in the works.
  3. GameCritics
    May 15, 2018
    85
    Overall, The Darkside Detective is a wonderful experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a Switch, whether they’re a point-and-click fan or not. It comes in easily digestible chunks, the laughs are great, the devs avoid engaging in stump the player, and it has charm for days. Winner!
  4. Nintendo Insider
    Apr 9, 2018
    80
    A highly recommended game if you grew up with point-and-click adventures of yesteryear and whilst it won’t be for everyone, even if you’ve never experienced one of those types of games before you can do a lot worse than choosing this one as your first.
  5. NintendoWorldReport
    Feb 14, 2018
    75
    What it comes down to for a game like this is whether you’re a fan of the genre and what your expectations are for the length of the experience. I’d say that Darkside Detective isn’t the best adventure game on the system but it holds up well in the middle of the pack. The greater the breadth of your pop culture appreciation the more likely I’d say the jokes and references are to connect for you. In general, the game is riding on that understanding. It’s a worthwhile romp for genre fans who’d like a chance to enjoy five chapters with a reasonable length, have a few laughs, and not being quite as frustrated as with other games in the genre on the Switch.
  6. Nintendo Life
    Feb 8, 2018
    70
    If you think you’d get a lot out of the referential humour found in The Darkside Detective, you’re in for a treat. Its simple gameplay will complement the jokes, the pixelated look continues to impress, and the auditory experience on offer is up there with the best. It’s a shame then that if you’re more of a millennial, then much of this will be lost on you. The puns and pranks will fly over your head, and in that situation, you’re left with the basic gameplay loop that doesn’t really do enough to satisfy on its own. In essence, it’s only really a choice you alone can make. If you think you’ll vibe with TDD is going for then you’re in for a good time, but if not, you’re almost certainly best left looking elsewhere.
  7. Nintenderos
    Feb 19, 2018
    70
    As a graphic novel it perfectly meets the need for a topic that manages to remarkably immerse the player. However, there are some evident faults regarding gameplay due to it being an exact port from the PC, without betting on the Nintendo Switch's mechanics.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Mgns55
    Feb 17, 2018
    9
    Love the 80ies “Stranger Things” vibe, soundtrack and the humor. If you are into funny point & click adventures and like pop-cultureLove the 80ies “Stranger Things” vibe, soundtrack and the humor. If you are into funny point & click adventures and like pop-culture references, this is a no brainer. Not the longest game, but for my casual sessions on the switch it’s perfect. Will recommend this to friends as well.… Expand
  2. nusco
    Mar 16, 2018
    8
    The Darkside Detective is a game full of hearth. From the gorgeous pixel art to the silly storylines, you can feel at every step that this isThe Darkside Detective is a game full of hearth. From the gorgeous pixel art to the silly storylines, you can feel at every step that this is the product of a small bunch of people who were having a lot of fun. The Darkside Detective cannot compare to the bigger games in terms of scope and production value, but it doesn't even try: it does its thing, and it does it well.

    The detective in the title is Francis McQueen, a shabby cop that's like a cross between Philip Marlowe and a ghostbuster. He makes a living investigating the supernatural, from zombies to gremlins and lake monsters. In this game, he goes through six point-and-click adventures in the company of Dooley, his dim-witted, conspiracy-theory-obsessed assistant. Each adventure is very short (less than one hour), and provides a handful of locations, a few simple Monkey Island-style puzzles, and plenty of funny dialogue and B-movie monsters. You'll enjoy the game more if you get the pop references (mostly centered around the 80s), but it's still fun if you don't really buy into the nostalgia. The beautiful graphics and soundtrack hold on for a few hours, making sure that you don't get tired of the simple gameplay–and then the game is over.

    What really surprised me about The Darkside Detective is how much I ended up caring about the characters. McQueen and Dooley start the game as bidimensional cookie-cutter losers, but it's like they grow an extra dimension as you keep playing. When the two buddies exchanged their last few lines at the end of the game, I found myself wishing they could stay for another adventure or two. You can see that the authors really liked these guys, and you end up liking them as well.

    The Darkside Detective is the perfect pick-up-and-play clicker. It never frustrates you, doesn't overstay its welcome, and provides plenty of chuckles and a few chilled hours of monster hunting. It's a nice game, not in the sense of "not quite good", but in the sense of "it feels like hanging out with an old friend". If a sequel comes out, count me in.    … Expand
  4. kkol
    Nov 25, 2019
    8
    Really simple fun. The puns are enough to keep you sticking around despite the short storyline. Just wish it was longer!
  5. abhijeetgaiha
    Jul 20, 2018
    7
    The game has great atmosphere and humour. The plots are not very original but it's a fun ride despite that. It's a short game, which isThe game has great atmosphere and humour. The plots are not very original but it's a fun ride despite that. It's a short game, which is disappointing for the price. Buy it in a sale if you can.… Expand
  6. Bibbidybuff
    Mar 29, 2020
    5
    I'm sorry, I really want to like this game and it has so much that I should enjoy. Point-click like my childhood, paranormal investigation forI'm sorry, I really want to like this game and it has so much that I should enjoy. Point-click like my childhood, paranormal investigation for some silly spooks, but this game is just dumb and the controls do not feel good enough to bother.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best Switch Game of 2018

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