It was late Thursday afternoon, as the sun was slinking through the parted blinds, casting long, lazy shadows across my desk.

I was leaning back in my chair, feet up, when the phone jangled. It was Quest Daily on the line, asking me to review yet another game. I’d never admit it, but those calls were the highlight of my week.

My third cup of coffee reflected a slither of sunlight back into my face as I sat pondering the most peculiar case that had just slid across my desk:

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami.

Developed by Happy Broccoli Games, the bite-sized point-and-click mystery is set in an adorable world with inspired characters and oddly relatable moments. While there is plenty to enjoy in this three-hour romp, there is also a lot left to be desired.

The Name’s McQuacklin

The game truly shines through its small but incredible cast of anthropomorphic animals. Set in a cute, pastel city with cell-shaded environments, the Paper Mario-esque design of the characters allows them to stand out in terms of both their visuals and their personalities.

While each individual character adds something quirky to the melting pot, the star of the show is Eugene McQuacklin: the Duck Detective. You play as the hard-boiled P.I. endeavouring to solve the mysterious case of the Salami Bandit.

As is typical of any good detective fiction, McQuacklin has several moments of fun monologuing and snarky quips. His middle-aged-man voice is startling at first when contrasted to his cute design, but is quickly reconciled as it matches his lifestyle and personality to a T. The vibes are very reminiscent of Detective Pikachu.

While I would love to introduce you to the rest of the cast, I would hate to spoil the discovery for yourself. Everyone you encounter will inevitably become a suspect in the case, so it’s better for you to meet them on your own.

*Eugene McQuacklin: a phenomenal name for a detective duck, Happy Broccoli Games really hit the nail on the head with that one.*

How Does It Play?

This is not your old-school point-and-click adventure game. While you will have to run around and click on objects and characters, there is a fun deduction element to the game that allows the player to uncover clues through inspecting.

In the ‘investigation mode’, an object or character will appear to the left of the screen while McQuaklin’s journal will appear to the right. Using your magnifying glass to inspect the subject, you will discover clues that are automatically noted down in the journal.

What I love about this section of gameplay is the hidden details revealed about otherwise unremarkable characters. Digging into their secrets makes them more believable as characters.

Deductions are the key to solving mysteries, which can only be made through collecting ‘clue words’ from investigations. When all the clue words are collected, the player can use logic to determine the solution and place the correct word in the sentence.

There was one occasion that I had collected all the clues I needed, but still couldn’t deduce the answer. I resorted to simply brute-forcing my way through in order to progress. It genuinely felt like there was a disconnect in the story, as though a clue or piece of dialogue was missing for me to piece together the solution on my own.

Perhaps this could be a lack of brains on my part, though I would argue that I DID learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube in a single night (yes I will slot that flex in here, thank you).

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There was also an instance where I simply couldn’t find the last missing clue word, though I was still able to make my deductions and progress the story without it.

*I love it when animals are given overtly human names. I once lived with a cat called Larry.*

It’s A Bit… Short?

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami clocked in at just over three hours for me to complete. An incredibly short story involving just a single case wasn’t quite enough to leave a lasting impression on me. I finished the story feeling like it had barely begun and that it lacked any meaningful investment in McQuacklin as a character.

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There needed to be more. More mysteries, more story, more character development; for me to feel satisfied with the time I had invested.

Ideally, I would like to see the game fleshed out with two more additional cases to solve, each one progressing more and more of McQuaklin’s story and character.

The whole thing feels like more of a demo than a game.

*They always ask “who is the Duck Detective” but they never ask “why is the Duck Detective.”*

Final DeDUCKtions

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is a great little game, but it leaves a fair bit to be desired. The characters are fun, the story is intriguing, and the game mechanics are mostly solid.

However, the game is so incredibly short that it barely leaves an impression. I’m not left wanting more, simply because it’s hard to tell what it is that I’d be missing. That being said, if more slid across my desk in a suspicious manila folder, I wouldn’t say no.

My final DeDUCKtion? Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is worth sticking your beak into, just go in with realistic expectations so you don’t run a-fowl.

That’s another case quacked by Rose Jordan, Human Reviewer.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is out now on Steam for $14.50 AUD, it’s also available on Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.

Quest Daily scores Duck Detective: The Secret Salami:

7/10

A review copy of Duck Detective: The Secret Salami was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.