The Shapeshifting Detective
A shapeshifter investigates a murder with randomly chosen culprit.
The Shapeshifting Detective is a murder mystery adventure game from D'Avekki Studios and Wales Interactive. Players control an unseen character named Sam, a shapeshifter who can take on the appearance of anyone they have met. The goal is to solve the killing of a local cellist by interviewing suspects, including three fortune tellers who predicted the crime. Each time the game is played, a different character is randomly chosen as the murderer. When suspects refuse to cooperate, Sam can impersonate a friend or authority figure to gain information. The player selects dialogue from a list; risky options are marked and can be removed, but all other choices are permanent with no backtracking. The game uses full-motion video for suspect responses, while Sam’s lines are unvoiced. It launched on Windows, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One in November 2018, with an iOS version following in February 2019. Critical reception was mixed. Adventure Gamers praised its creative twist on information gathering, while Gamereactor UK commended the acting and dialogue trees but noted the story sometimes required trial and error. GameRevolution highlighted its pulpy charm, and Push Square felt the gameplay was too basic despite being made with care. Nintendo World Report criticized its interactivity and pacing, saying it did not fulfill its potential. A prequel, Dark Nights with Poe and Munro, was released in 2020.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Shapeshifting Detective
- Developer
- D'Avekki Studios
- Publisher
- Wales Interactive
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- macOS / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation 4 / Windows / Xbox One / iOS
- Released
- November 6, 2018 / iOS / February 20, 2019
- Genre
- Adventure game
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The player controls an unseen character from a first-person perspective who uses the alias Sam. Sam is a shapeshifter who can impersonate anyone after meeting them. Tasked with solving the murder of a local cellist, Sam interviews suspects including a trio of fortune tellers who predicted the murder. In each playthrough, the murderer is randomly selected from the pool of characters. When suspects become uncooperative, players can impersonate a friend or authority figure. Sam's dialogue is unvoiced, but impersonated characters are voice acted. Dialogue choices are selected from a list; risky choices are marked and can be removed, but other choices are permanent and cannot be backtracked.
Reader's Guide
The Shapeshifting Detective received mixed reviews on Metacritic. Adventure Gamers called it 'a unique game that provides a solid mystery with a creative twist on the usual means of information gathering.' Gamereactor UK praised the acting, dialogue trees, and radio intermissions but noted the story was sometimes difficult to advance without trial and error. GameRevolution wrote that its 'pulpy charm and offbeat story show that it doesn't take a detective to figure out how enjoyable this game is.' Push Square said the game was made with love but its gimmicky gameplay is too basic. Nintendo World Report criticized the interactivity and pacing, stating the game did not live up to its potential. The game's significance lies in its FMV format combined with procedural generation of the culprit, a rare feature in adventure games of the 2010s.
Did You Know?
- Sam can impersonate any character after meeting them.
- Risky dialogue choices can be removed from the list to avoid following that dialogue tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Shapeshifting Detective?
It's a murder-mystery adventure game developed by D'Avekki Studios and published by Wales Interactive, released in November 2018. You play as Sam, a shapeshifter tasked with uncovering who killed a local cellist by interrogating a cast of suspects, including three fortune tellers who foresaw the crime.
How does the random murderer mechanic work?
Each time you start a new playthrough, the game randomly selects one of the suspects as the true killer, so the puzzle and evidence trail change every run. This design means the same set of characters can produce entirely different investigation paths and dialogue outcomes.
What can Sam do with the shapeshifting power?
Sam can take on the physical appearance of anyone they have already met during the game. This ability is primarily used to pressure uncooperative suspects—for instance, impersonating a friend or an authority figure to unlock otherwise blocked conversations.
What platforms is The Shapeshifting Detective available on?
The title launched on November 6, 2018, and is playable on Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and iOS. Wales Interactive handled publishing while D'Avekki Studios led development.
Is there a prequel to The Shapeshifting Detective?
Yes—Dark Nights with Poe and Munro, released in 2020, is the officially designated prequel. It sets up the world and characters before the events of the cellist murder investigation.
More in Adventure Games of the 2010s, Part 5 1-24
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