Slink into the smoky, neon-lit streets of Shadows of Doubt, where every alleyway whispers secrets, and every shadow might just be a clue waiting to be found. ColePowered Games has crafted a detective sim that oozes atmosphere and intrigue. Set in an alternate 1980s that feels pulled straight out of a gritty detective flick, this game hands you the magnifying glass and lets you decide how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go.
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A City Cloaked In Mystery
Shadows of Doubt plunges players into a hyper-industrialised world on the brink of collapse. Toxic water, radioactive fallout from the Mustard War, and the choking grip of corporate greed have left cities overcrowded and polluted. Impacted by rising sea levels, citizens are trapped in the claustrophobic metropolis. Dreaming of escaping to “The Fields,” a distant utopia for those with high enough social credit scores.
The game wears its voxel art style like a detective wears a weathered, threadbare overcoat—it’s rough around the edges but fits the part. The visual aesthetic might not be for everyone, but it gives the game a distinctive look that uniquely complements its noir roots.
As a former police officer turned private investigator, players navigate this decaying society, solving cases to earn cash and social credit points. The Enforcers rely on freelance detectives like you to bring order to the chaos. But getting results often requires breaking the rules. With each city procedurally generated, Shadows of Doubt offers a variety unique NPCs, clues, and crimes to solve.
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Unlike my previously reviewed detective neo-noir game, Nobody Wants To Die, Shadows of Doubt is more of a sandbox experience. Every inch of this game is procedurally generated. There is only one pre-written case, which you can play through as a tutorial, with prompts helping you get the basics of what goes into solving a standard case. There are three pre-determined cities to choose from, but you can also generate your own and share the seeds with others.
The Art of Sleuthing
Each citizen you bump into has a routine, a name, and a story, and any one of them could be guilty. It’s a city where everyone’s got something to hide, and it’s your job to shake the tree until the truth falls out. Some locations will open their doors to you willingly, while others? You might have to play dirty, crawl through vents, and pick a lock or two. A gumshoe’s gotta do what a gumshoe’s gotta do, right?
The investigations play out like classic detective work. You’ll be alerted via your police scanner of a murder and rush to the scene (often arriving before the authorities). You’ll scan for fingerprints, hack into computers, sift through trash, and tail suspects under the dim glow of streetlights. Every clue you find is a step closer to solving the case—if you’ve got the chops to put it all together. But be warned: every lead could send you down a new rabbit hole, and not all of them are worth your time.
I’m truly amazed by how intricate the clues can be in Shadows of Doubt. It’s not just about finding the obvious; sometimes it’s the smallest, easily overlooked detail that cracks the case wide open. Whether it’s a discarded note in the trash, a lone fingerprint smudged on the floor, or even a calling card you had to double-take. Maybe it’s flowers on the kitchen bench, a cryptic email from a “friend,” or initials hidden in a weapons dealer’s ledger – each clue pulls you deeper into the investigation. The level of detail makes you feel like a true sleuth. Sometimes it challenges you to your breaking point. And suddenly you’re stumbling through the rain, half-drunk bottle of vodka in hand, trudging toward a dingy diner just for a break from the relentless chase.
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A Canvas of Clarity in the Chaos
Its classic evidence-board-like UI is an essential tool that lets players organise clues, visualise connections, and piece together the bigger picture of each case. It works like a real detective’s board, where you can pin evidence, link suspects, and track important leads using threads to tie everything together, helping you map out theories, spot overlooked details, and making detective work feel genuinely hands-on.
Shadows of Doubt certainly fits the mould of an immersive sim. The game gives players an extraordinary level of freedom, allowing them to approach investigations in countless ways. Almost everything in this game can be interacted with in some way. Want to break a window on the 13th floor and jump through it? You can!
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Sync or Swim
Wait, what about fall damage? No problem! That’s where this game gets a little Cyberpunk. Sync Clinics are places where citizens can receive augmentations or modifications, such as immunity to fall damage. SyncDisks are special items that grant permanent upgrades to your character. These valuable items can be discovered in safes, randomly scattered throughout the world, or purchased from Sync Clinics. Additionally, these upgrades can be further enhanced with Sync Disk Upgrade Vials. However, some SyncDisks come with side effects, applying negative consequences to your character. Starch Kola, anyone?
SyncDisks enhance the feeling of becoming a more skilled detective, contributing to character development and a sense of progression. They push players to experiment with different tactics, or even embrace more chaotic approaches, by offering various upgrades that can alter how you handle cases and investigations.
A Little Rough Around the Edges
It’s not all clean cuts and solved cases. The game’s procedural nature means you’ll sometimes be tangling with bugs or odd AI behaviour. Sometimes, the clues don’t quite add up, and you’re left feeling like you’ve been framed by the game itself.
Since Shadows of Doubt‘s early access release in April 2023, it has been getting regular updates to sand down those rough edges. The developers have been on the case, adding new locations, more dialogue, and fresh case types to keep our detective work sharp. However, as much as this game has impressed me, I feel it still wasn’t quite ready for the 1.0 release.
Some glitches, such as falling through floors or getting stuck in vents, can quickly disrupt the immersive experience. While these technical issues may seem minor, they can put players in frustrating situations, forcing a restart or creating an unintended challenge. These bugs can hinder the smooth, detective-style gameplay the game strives to deliver, impacting the overall player experience and immersion. The lack of autosaves can also harshen the blow of these unpredictable issues. And while they’re at it, unique save profiles would also be helpful!
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Case Closed: The Verdict
Shadows of Doubt isn’t just another detective game, it’s an open-world, first-person noir experience that gives you all the tools to be the grizzled detective you’ve always wanted to be. From breaking into apartments under the cover of darkness to sleuthing through classified government information, the game offers a staggering level of freedom.
Don’t be fooled—this game isn’t a walk in the park. But if you’re in it for the long haul, it’s a gritty, immersive experience that will have you almost too invested. I easily sunk 20 hours solving two major murders and some side cases. I do think with more work on creating that glitch-free experience, this could be one of the greats. But will it remain just a cult classic?
Shadows of Doubt is available now on PC via Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Quest Daily scores Shadows of Doubt:
7.5/10
A copy of Shadows of Doubt was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
