The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark similar games & best alternatives

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Android, Xbox Series X|S, iOS • 2021

Should you play it?

Delouse your room with sage and pack up your travel-sized ouija board, it’s time to re-enter Twin Lakes - America’s 34th most haunted city. Join Detective McQueen as he puzzles his way through 9 chilling cases, risking life and pixelated limb to solve the macabre mysteries that plague the poor town.

What works
  • Humorous and witty writing
  • Engaging puzzles with moderate challenge
  • Charming pixel art and soundtrack
  • Strong character development and story
  • Replayability with bonus cases and achievements
Things to keep in mind
  • Some puzzles rely on moon logic or obscure solutions
  • Lack of voice acting and environmental sounds
  • No hint system for stuck players
  • Dialogue can be lengthy and disrupt flow
  • Some players find humor hit or miss

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • The Darkside Detective

  • Slider

  • Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders

  • Cleo - a pirate's tale

  • Tangle Tower

  • Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek

  • Tales of the Neon Sea

  • Lamplight City

  • Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of The Baskervilles
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Slider

  • Cleo - a pirate's tale

  • Lucy Dreaming
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Survival, Violence, Competition, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Continuation, Thrill. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

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  • Competence

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    "Puzzles offer moderate challenge with logical and moon logic elements, providing a satisfying sense of skill and problem-solving."

  • Competition

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    "Focus is on solo puzzle-solving and story progression without competitive or ranked elements."

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  • Continuation

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    "Many players report long play sessions, replaying for achievements, and anticipation for the next installment indicating strong attachment."

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  • Cooperation

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  • Creativity

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    "Players combine items and solve puzzles creatively; some freedom in exploration and puzzle approaches."

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  • Domination

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  • Escapism

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    "Players use the game as a fun, lighthearted escape with humor and engaging story."

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  • Expectation

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    "Players engage voluntarily for fun and humor, not out of obligation or pressure."

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  • Experimenting

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  • Exploration

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  • Expression

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    "Limited customization or personalization; players interact with predefined characters and environments."

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  • Fantasy

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  • Fellowship

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    "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social interaction or community engagement."

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  • Growth

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    "Players develop puzzle-solving skills and progress through story, learning game mechanics and lore."

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  • Health

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  • Idle

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  • Intimacy

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  • Leadership

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  • Progression

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    "Players progress through cases, unlock story content, and gain achievements reflecting advancement."

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    "Players progress through cases, unlock achievements, and collect story-related items."

  • Relaxation

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    "Generally relaxed gameplay with light humor and moderate challenge, though some tension in final puzzles."

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  • Sensation

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    "Enjoyable pixel art and music provide sensory pleasure, though not intense stimulation."

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  • Status

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  • Story

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    "Strong narrative focus with character development, humor, and episodic cases."

  • Strategy

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    "Requires logical thinking and puzzle-solving strategy, though not deeply complex."

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  • Thrill

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  • Value

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    "Players perceive good value in story length, humor, and replayability."

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  • Violence

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    "Minimal violence; focus on investigation and puzzle solving rather than combat."

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  • Survival

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    "No survival or threat mechanics; safe exploration environment."

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Last update: 01/06/2026