Take on the role of the duck detective once more as you head out for a camping trip and get caught up in a mysterious case featuring theft and vandalism.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
Developer: Happy Broccoli Games
Price: $10
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review.
Just over a year ago, I reviewed Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, a cute adventure game in which you play as a duck solving a mystery. At the time, I said I wished it were the start of something bigger, and I got my wish in the form of a sequel. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping takes place after the first game and has all of its same charm and humor, such as the return of the dedicated quack button and joking duck “facts” on loading screens. Like its predecessor, it features full voice acting and 2D characters in a 3D world.
The duck detective is now rooming with Freddy, who decides that what he needs is to go on a glamorous camping, or “glamping,” trip to a haunted sanatorium. When they arrive, they learn about recent thefts that the camp manager attributes to the ghost rumored to haunt the sanatorium. The duck detective soon begins an investigation to learn what’s really going on at the campsite, with Freddy helping him whether he likes it or not. And that means it’s time to make some “deducktions”!
Gameplay works the same way as it did in the first game. You interact with marked spots in the environment to find clues, which enter the list of keywords you can use for the relevant deducktion. Some areas, as well as characters, can be examined in more detail to pick up additional clues. You can also talk to other characters and ask them about the evidence you’ve found. While each character still has only certain pieces of evidence that can be presented to them, something that frustrated me in the original, the map shows what areas and characters have new clues available, removing the tedium of needing to check with each one.
Once you have your clues, it’s time to make a deducktion! As before, this means you’re given a statement in which you need to fill in the blanks with the keywords. This is where the game’s two difficulty options come into play. If you’re playing in Sleuth Mode, it lets you know approximately how many incorrect answers you gave, while in Story Mode, it highlights the incorrect ones. Although you can force your way through a deducktion by trying different options, the ability to re-check any evidence you’ve previously seen makes it easier to figure out the connections the game is looking for. There is also a hint option if you need it, which steers you in the right direction.
In short, everything is back from the first Duck Detective, but it’s presented in a way that’s just a bit smoother and intuitive, enough to remove the frustrations I had with its predecessor. As for the story, it once again features a lighthearted premise that heads in a more serious direction by the end. My only disappointment with the story is that the “haunted” nature of the setting played a much smaller role than I expected. Nevertheless, all the pieces came together in a way that made sense–even if a handful of points could have used a bit more elaboration beforehand to make the duck detective’s conclusion clear. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping only takes about 2 hours to complete, but it left me wondering if there will be more investigations to come.
The Final Word
If you enjoyed the first Duck Detective, you’ll likely enjoy the sequel as well, and if you’re new to the series, this is a fine place to begin. This short mystery adventure game might not be packed with thrills, but it’s filled with charm and leaves one to wonder what stories might await in the duck detective’s future.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
