Press Q to Quack: Duck Detective The Secret Salami | Review – Gifted

Game: Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
Developer: Happy Broccoli Games
Review Platform: PC & Nintendo Switch
Release Date: 23rd May 2024

Author’s Note: A Game Key for Duck Detective: The Secret Salami (PC) was kindly provided by Future Friends Games

The Great Duck Detective!

Now, before I begin, I was planning on having this post up a lot sooner however, I had so much fun playing Duck Detective: The Secret Salami that I had to pick the game up again on Switch! Truthfully, this has been so much fun!

The Backstory

Are you ready to solve the ultimate crime? Of course, you are!

Join Eugene McQuacklin who is a little down on his luck lately while taking on a mysterious crime at a local workplace. Taking on such a task is not for the faint-hearted or those who love a slice of bread or two.

THIS MIGHT RUFFLE SOME FEATHERS.

Aggretsuko meets Return of the Obra Dinn in Duck Detective, a cozy mystery game about a down-on-his-luck duck searching for answers in a sinister sausage-based conspiracy.

Inspect and interview suspects to learn their hidden secrets, then use the information you’ve gathered (plus your own de-duck-tive reasoning) to locate the suspect and bust the case wide open! – via Nintendo

A Duck-dastardly Crime to be Solved!

From the moment I first saw the reveal trailer for Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I knew this would be a game I couldn’t pass on. From the concept of the game to the overall art style and sticker book-esque characters, who wouldn’t want to solve the mystery of the Secret Salami?

While the game is relatively short, it took me around two hours to complete on both times I played through the game. However, don’t let the game’s length put you off! A lot is packed into the game, and you’ll always be working towards figuring out who is behind such an atrocious crime!

There are two modes that players can choose to play. Detective Mode or Story Mode. As I wanted to challenge myself and my de-duck-tion skills, both of my playthroughs were in the Detective Mode.

Players can freely swap between the two modes throughout the game. This can be easily done via the options’ menu.

The story is easy to follow and has a mixture of times when you need to put your de-duck-tion skills to the test or complete a puzzle. There were a couple of instances where I had to use some guess work as the clues didn’t quite give me the correct answer that I needed. Despite this, I felt this added to the mystery that surrounded the game.

While I want to talk more about specific details of the story, I don’t want to give too much away. It flows buttery smooth throughout and by the end of the game, you’ll feel that those connections that you have made with characters throughout. Naturally, this could lead to some pretty tough decisions.

Overall, it was plain sailing through each instance of needing to investigate the different players or complete a puzzle.

Now, I’ve already covered the art style briefly, however it is perfect for the game. The sticker like style of the characters really makes them come alive and really pop from the surroundings. The voice acting is exceptional and brings a whole new level to the game itself and compliments the soundtrack and in game effects.

Another couple of features I want to touch on briefly is the addition of being able to use the Dyslexia font for the game. For my own playthroughs, this was very helpful for me. Also being able to switch the screen shake and vibration off was useful too.

Overall, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a wonderful and mysterious game that is perfect for cosy gamers but also anyone looking for a short yet excellent game to add to their collection to play.

This is truly a unique experience compared to other mystery/detective games I’ve played in the past. Investigating many objects and people, retracing my steps to ensure I’ve used my top-notch de-duck-tion skills, are where they need to be truly helped with my investigation.

I can not fault either of my experiences playing through the game on PC or on Nintendo Switch. It was an absolute blast to play, and I can’t wait to jump back in and play again!

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is out now on Steam, GOG, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S.

Don’t forget to press ‘Q’ to Quack!