Flatfoots and Fools: A Podcast about Detective Games

Just released our episode on Follow the Meaning! This short, surreal point & click adventure feels like a trip to an art museum. We also had some more general conversation after the game coverage.

open.spotify.com/show/4e9MkSi...

I am happy to have this out to share. I playtested this, and really enjoyed the addition of visuals to a Type Help inspired Timeline Mystery. I think anyone who likes constructing timelines should try this out!

I am looking forward to this little cutie joining my shelf

Just finished the demo of Alien Morgue from Burgum Games. It's a less stressed Papers Please, that evolves into a cross referencing black hole. I had to look up dependent organs for different species in different body parts. Should be fun to play when it releases!

Just rolled credits on @inkle.co's TR-49. It's a 1-2 sitting experience, which I found really refreshing. While I wanted more WW2 conspiracies, I had fun with my time in it. I am sure there's plenty of bonus things I didn't find in my playthrough, in fine Inkle tradition!

I am glad to see this game with a new release date. After playing the demo early last year I have been looking forward to this. The Demo is still up, and I recommend people give it a try.

Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express

I forgot to post yesterday, but we released our episode on the 2023 Murder on the Orient Express game. After being somewhat down on the previous Poirot games, Andrew and John have more fun with this one. Episode should be up on Youtube, Apple, and RSS as well!

open.spotify.com/episode/6o3q...

You are very welcome! That developer is working on another game which continues to iterate that style. He plans to have it available next month

The Big Hollow: 1982 on Steam A serial killer’s dumping ground is exposed. Find details in the evidence, interpret their behaviors, and prove your worth to the FBI’s new Behavioral Science Unit. A dark, atmospheric 2D animated mur...

Just finished the demo for The Big Hollow 1982. Decent gameplay, I am not yet sold on the way it portrays Behavioral Profiling in crime solving. I am curious to play the final product though.

store.steampowered.com/app/4012690

I just played through this demo today, and I found it delightful. It started out looking simple, but kept adding layers of complexity until the primary case wrapped. It's one of the few games that let's you define relationships yourself on a detective web. I want to see more from this team!

Yes, sort of. I played the demo quite some time ago, and have been doing play testing on future cases as well. Last I heard there weren't any progress blocking bugs, but may have changed.

There should be a Discord link on the main menu and the developer is there and helps with these issues

Lost Wiki: Kozlovka on Steam Explore a wikipedia-like database and solve a small town mystery in Eastern Europe. Step into the shoes of a journalist in the 90s as you sprawl through articles and uncover the secrets that have been...

Just finished the demo for Lost Wiki: Kozlovka. While the demo was pretty straightforward, I am always ready for a Wiki dive, and this game could be a great one with the full version. We should find out in the next 2 months or so

store.steampowered.com/app/4018950

Played Mr. Investigator for an hour today. It did not work well for me. After graphics issues, erratic menus, view bobbing and clunky movement, I gave up. Maybe it can be fixed in time, but today the jank overpowered the rest.

Case Files: Internal Affairs on Steam The 3rd installment in the Case Files series. An FMV murder mystery, police interrogation, detective experience.

Just played the demo for Case Files: Internal Affairs. An FMV mystery, I didn't get to what I think are the good bits within the demo constraints. I should play the older entries in the series to get a better snapshot of what it's like deep in the game.

store.steampowered.com/app/3233260

Surprisingly, the error checker for the SQL was better than some environments have used professionally. I am looking forward to this full game this summer. Perfect thing to do on my vacation away from...using SQL...

Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division Demo on Steam A new (unpaid) work from home opportunity has opened up in Los Zorangeles! Experience what it's like being a Database Detective for the Minor Crimes Division of the Los Zorangeles Police Department an...

Just played through this little delight! It takes cross referencing to the maximum level, teaching you basic SQL to handle the massive amount of information you sift through. You still have to use your detective brain to figure out your search parameters.

store.steampowered.com/app/4248450

Will do via mutual discord.

I just tried Wrongly accused, here's my quick post about it:
bsky.app/profile/flat...

...at the moment, but there's plenty of time for some polish before Q3. There's a deeper mystery running underneath, and I want to know more about where it goes

Wrongly Accused on Steam Explore historical locations, find and analyse evidence. Unmask the real perpetrator so that justice can be served and the Wrongly Accused can be found innocent. Use problem solving, deduction and cri...

Just played through the demo for Wrongly Accused from @elomelo.games. I liked the initial cases, and even though I got some things wrong, it became apparent what I missed as soon as I went back and looked at the details again. The Interface felt a bit clunky...

store.steampowered.com/app/3854800

This is a really good list, and I have quite a few of the same ones on my list to play

I am sure there are more great demos out there showcasing something exciting! I plan to try out some demos this week, and will post about them when I do

City of Voices on Steam A short Golden Idol-like deduction game about a young girl who is catapulted from her suburban life into the mysterious world of the ancient Maya. Investigate a series of moments frozen in time. Exami...

City of Voices from @kinigames.bsky.social. Where Golden Idol lineage solutions have been very text focused, this game leans into using images instead. For that alone it has my attention, and their track record on previous GI expansions is a great sign for this!

store.steampowered.com/app/3342470

Death at Fleming Manor on Steam "Your job is to write the death certificate." Investigate a mysterious death in a grand British manor, 1959. Explore eerie scenes and complete forensic documents like death certificates and ...

Death At Fleming Manor is a game thatäs in the Golden Idol Lineage. My interest was caught immediately by the sections where you serve as the medical examiner and forensic laboratory worker as well. I found this a quite engaging addition to the formula!

steampowered.com/app/3758950

The Detective's Apprentice on Steam Step into the shoes of Clementine "Cleo" Ace, an apprentice to her aunt, the world renowned detective, Maya Lynch. From heists to murders, use your deduction skills to solve cases that are t...

The Detective’s Apprentice from @darqwerful.bsky.social. This game shows off a much more varied style of storytelling and puzzles than I expect in just a demo, but boasts surprising levels of complexity.

store.steampowered.com/app/3618570

Funeral for the Sun on Steam Search the ashes of an abandoned town and uncover 400 years of damnation, family history and revolution. Witness the past with your own eyes, construct a web of connections between townsfolk, discover...

Funeral for the Sun from @malaguerobird.bsky.social. It’s the first investigation and deduction game I have seen where you build the full relationship web yourself! It’s all the good parts of a cork murderboard, but is actually fun to use.

store.steampowered.com/app/4088360

Legion Was Here on Steam You are Legion, a secret agent who can change his appearance at will. Use your investigative and chameleon skills to infiltrate enemy ranks!

Legion was Here from @geoffroymonde.bsky.social. Very few games really go into Disguises, and this game makes that a core part of the experience. I want to see how it gets fleshed out.

store.steampowered.com/app/3492120

Locator on Steam A Geoguessr-inspired detective game set on an alien planet. Pinpoint the exact locations of photos to track down missing archeologist Abigail Lidari. Cross-reference journal entries, decipher cryptic ...

Locator is a geography based deduction game I thoroughly enjoyed want more of. It's uncharted territory, and I am happy this is there and got me hooked
store.steampowered.com/app/2459030

The Posthumous Investigation on Steam Find yourself caught in a time loop in noir-inspired Brazil while investigating the mystery behind the murder of wealthy aristocrat Brás Cubas. Utilize the loop's supernatural peculiarities to uncover...

The Posthummous Investigation from @mgaiastudio.bsky.social. A detective time loop set in Noir Rio de Janeiro? Sign me right up!

store.steampowered.com/app/2466900

The Ratline on Steam A murdered priest. A secret list. Hunt Nazi fugitives across the globe in this gritty 1971 detective thriller. Analyze evidence, follow leads, and make sharp deductions before the trail goes cold. Fro...

The Ratline from @timsheinman.bsky.social: Here is a great combination of investigating, interviewing, cross referencing and digging into the past. An excellent example of the Leads->Investigation->Analysis loop I love. Plus you hunt Nazis, always a good time!

store.steampowered.com/app/3756940