Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 76 | 8 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 94% | 89 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 78 | 4 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 87 | 970 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Nov 6, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 970 total reviews in window · weighted 156.6 up / 8.2 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (31)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 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.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you love British comedies like Blackadder and surreal mysteries like Twin Peaks, The Darkside Detective is a retro-styled supernatural adventure game you don’t want to miss.”
read full review ↗ - 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, and in general the game is riding on that understanding. It’s a worthwhile romp for genre fans who’d like a chance to enjoy 5 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.”
read full review ↗ - 92
“Crafted with pure love and soul and aimed with deadly precision at the heart of every thirtysomething who grew up on Blyton, Pratchett, Addams, Lovecraft and Poe, The Darkside Detective, with its’ sublime synth soundtrack and razor sharp wit, is an absolute treat for anyone who had the good fortune of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. Miss at your own peril.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I don't think you even have to be a fan of the genre to really get to grips with The Darkside Detective. It does more or less everything very well, but it's definitely aimed at a niche audiences in terms of references and in-jokes. There could be an argument too that it doesn't quite hit the dizzy heights of Thimbleweed Park, but there's certainly nothing else on the system currently that is any closer to reaching that goal.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Darkside Detective is an adventure game that will have you laughing as you solve the mysteries behind the paranormal events plaguing Twin Lakes. With great visuals, music and movie references this is a must play!”
read full review ↗ - 82
“A smart but simple adventure that's exactly the right kind of spooky. It's short, but superb. More please. [Nov 2017, p.81]”
- 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. The Darkside Detective was yet another surprising indie title on the Switch in terms of quality. A really funny and quirky adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed playing from start to finish, it just doesn’t last anywhere near as long as I wanted it to. So my advice would be to treasure it and hope this isn’t the last we see of The Darkside Detective as a series, as there is so much potential in any future sequels.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Darkside Detective is a entertaining point 'n' click that combines imaginative characters and witty dialogue. Not to be missed for it's creative storyline, variety of puzzles and eerily intriguing soundtrack.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Heartwarming nostalgia and brilliantly stupid humor, mixed with a nice soundtrack and suitable retro pixels in a way too short experience. The handful of chuckles from appreciation just isn't worth the asking price - there's just too little of a game, which is a shame since the world holds so much potential!”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Darkside Detective was a brilliant surprise and a fantastic point and click adventure title. I loved the entertaining cases in this fantastical world with an eccentric cast of supporting characters. The whole package came together brilliantly with some vividly use of 2D pixel art and a great soundtrack.”
read full review ↗
Nintendo Life
Nindie Spotlight
NintendoWorldReport
FingerGuns
GameGrin
PC Gamer
Nintendo Insider
Fextralife
GBAtemp
Buttons and Mash…and 19 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- 2.66.0.7484 - Save File Bug Fix UpdateNov 6, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- April Steam UpdateMay 2, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- The Darkside Detective update!Jun 9, 2021significant · resets scoring window