The Darkside Detective

The Darkside Detective is a humorous point-and-click adventure about supernatural crimes in the fictional town of Twin Lakes. Detective Francis McQueen works with Officer Patrick Dooley in the chronically underfunded Darkside Division. Together they investigate strange occurrences, ghosts and other incidents that nobody else wants to deal with.

The story consists of nine standalone cases, including a Christmas special. Each case uses a small selection of locations and puzzles rather than combat or an open game world.

The Darkside Detective was released for PC on Jul 27, 2017. The Nintendo Switch version followed on Feb 7, 2018. On Xbox One the adventure launched on Apr 8, 2021, and the PlayStation versions were released in the German store on Apr 23, 2021. Native mobile versions for iOS and Android followed on Aug 7, 2024.

The adventure has been released for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, iOS and Android. The PC version supports Windows, macOS and Linux. The Xbox One version can be played on Xbox Series X|S, but there is no separate native release there. The standard Switch version also remains a Switch game on compatible Nintendo Switch 2 consoles.

Players examine crime scenes, speak to suspects and link clues to matching items or locations. Instead of reflex-based challenges, the focus is on observation, unusual combinations and short dialogues. The cases can be played one after another without having to explore a large open investigation area.

The nine cases, including the Christmas special, are part of the game. The original soundtrack, sold separately, is a music collection and not an additional investigation. Deluxe offers in some stores may bundle the base game with this music.

On Windows, Steam lists at least an Intel Core i3 (3rd generation) or an AMD FX-4100, 4 GB RAM, integrated Intel HD Graphics or a comparable GPU, and 1 GB of free storage. The recommended configuration lists a Core i3 (4th generation) or a 1st-generation Ryzen, and 2 GB of free storage.

The nine cases take McQueen and Dooley to different places around town. Behind everyday problems there is often an occult trigger, which the duo comments on with dry humour. The Christmas special is also part of the released game content.

McQueen takes the paranormal incidents seriously, while Dooley's ideas and comments keep taking the story into absurd twists. Their conversations are a key part of the adventure. There are no classic battles or freely distributable character stats.

The controls follow classic graphic adventures: you examine objects, collect them and use them to solve puzzles. Clues come mainly from conversations and from examining your surroundings. The short case structure avoids long walks between locations that are far apart.

The locations and characters are depicted in deliberately chunky pixel art. The music and soundscape come in part from Ben Prunty, who also worked on the soundtracks for FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach.

The adventure offers on-screen text in German, English, French and Spanish, among others. The supported languages vary by platform and region. On PlayStation, the PS4 version additionally includes Simplified Chinese, while the PS5 version listed there offers four on-screen languages.