The Darkside Detective
A point-and-click adventure about supernatural cases in Twin Lakes.
Spooky Doorway developed the point-and-click adventure The Darkside Detective, which Akupara Games published. Its initial 2017 release on Windows, macOS, and Linux was followed by a Nintendo Switch version in 2018, then ports to PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia in 2021. A limited run of 5,000 physical Switch copies arrived in September 2019. A sequel, A Fumble in the Dark, launched in April 2021.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Spooky Doorway
- Publisher
- Akupara Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Linux
- macOS
- Windows
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
- Stadia
- Atari VCS
- Genre
- Point-and-click adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
- Programmer
- Treasa McCabe; Ben Marquez Keenan
- Artist
- Paul Conway
Facts from the source article.
Game Setting
The Darkside Detective takes place in the fictional city of Twin Lakes, where many criminal reports turn out to have supernatural causes. The city is linked to a ghostly parallel realm called the Darkside. The Twin Lakes police department maintains an underfunded Darkside Division, led by Detective Francis McQueen and his partner Patrick Dooley. The game is satirical, with pop culture references in case names like "Buy Hard" and "Don of the Dead", and draws from buddy cop, science fiction, and horror movie genres. Most cases are included in the base game, with three bonus cases added via update.
Cases
The babysitter, Nanny McPhiend, claims no knowledge of Alice leaving. McQueen finds an occult page under the bed in the master bedroom. Using a blacklight lamp and pencil, they reveal a door-like drawing on the attic wall. McQueen completes the drawing with the page as reference, opening a portal to the Darkside where Alice is trapped. McPhiend knocks out Dooley and reveals her plan: to trap Alice's parents in the Darkside and gain custody of Alice for the Jones inheritance. Alice had accidentally entered the Darkside when paint thinner spilled on the wall, cleaning part of the drawing and closing the doorway. McQueen tricks McPhiend into letting him and Alice return, then splashes paint thinner on the doorway corner, trapping McPhiend inside. Alice is returned to her parents. In another case, McQueen and Dooley visit the Twin Lakes Library to return overdue books and find a purple vortex above the building with flickering lights. The librarian, Doris, suspects a child named Devon. They find Devon talking to a floating book, but he denies involvement. They also meet Raxa, a college student studying occultism and computer science, who reports a strange glow from a microfilm stack.
Development
The original prototype of The Darkside Detective was created by Paul Conway and Christopher Colston during a short game jam in Galway, Ireland. The demo was made in under eight hours and gained significant attention online, leading to full production. Writer Dave McCabe and lead developer Treasa McCabe joined the team. During development, the team of four held group read-throughs to discuss ideas, with McCabe creating interactive clipart versions to map out gameplay. Once an idea was finalized, the team created visuals, animations, interactions, sound, and music around it.
Reception
The Darkside Detective received mostly positive reviews on Metacritic. Hardcore Gamer gave it 3.5 out of 5, calling it a charming point-and-click adventure with a taste for silly horror. VideoGamer.com awarded 7 out of 10, noting its distinct sense of humor. Ted Hentschke of Dread Central praised the gameplay and atmosphere but criticized the short length. Jimmy Donnellan of Cultured Vultures gave it 8 out of 10, calling it funny and offbeat but over too soon. CJ Andriessen of Destructoid gave a more negative score of 5.5 out of 10, criticizing the comedy as cheap and easy, though he praised the soundtrack and art style.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is The Darkside Detective available on?
The Darkside Detective was released for Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia and Atari VCS.
Who composed the music for The Darkside Detective?
The music for The Darkside Detective was composed by Ben Prunty.
What engine does The Darkside Detective use?
The Darkside Detective runs on Unity.
Is The Darkside Detective single-player or multiplayer?
The Darkside Detective offers single-player play.
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