While browsing Steam’s Visual Novel Fest, one game immediately caught my eye. Its cute, intriguing art style pulled me in, and after watching the trailer, I was completely hooked. Everything—from the hand-drawn design to the fully voiced dialogue—made me want to dive in. A point-and-click mystery game that lets you solve a case as a waddling duck detective? Count me in.
The best part? It was available for Mac! That sealed the deal for me. This was the only game in my cart that wasn’t on sale, but I had zero regrets. Sure, it’s a short game—I finished it in about 2.5 hours—but I was laughing the entire time. The humor is on point, and the voice acting adds so much charm to the experience.
The gameplay is simple yet satisfying. You take on a case, meet a colorful cast of characters (potential suspects?), collect clues, and connect the dots. One of my favorite mechanics was how you had to fill in missing words in sentences to advance, which made solving the mystery feel even more engaging.
The characters in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami are just as entertaining as the mystery itself. Each one has a distinct personality, and their struggles make them feel surprisingly real despite the game’s lighthearted tone. From stressed-out employees to suspiciously enthusiastic coworkers, everyone you meet has their own quirks, motivations, and problems. I found myself genuinely invested in their stories, which made uncovering the truth even more satisfying. The witty dialogue and top-notch voice acting breathe life into the characters, making every interaction a delight.
The controls are straightforward and intuitive: you can use the keyboard to move or simply click where you want the detective to go. It’s easy to pick up, letting you focus on the fun of solving the mystery.
There was only one puzzle toward the end of the game that had me completely stumped. I went through my clues, reviewed my notes, and checked all the character profiles—still nothing. I didn’t want to admit defeat, but after some frustration, I caved and looked up a walkthrough. Other than that, the puzzle-solving felt smooth and intuitive, making it an enjoyable experience.
But what truly makes Duck Detective: The Secret Salami stand out is its charming art style and sound design. The game has a cozy, storybook-like aesthetic, with hand-drawn characters and muted colors that perfectly fit the noir detective theme—except, of course, it swaps out gritty realism for a more lighthearted, comedic feel. The exaggerated expressions and silly animations make every interaction even more entertaining, especially when Duck Detective himself gets that deep-in-thought, squinty-eyed look.
The sound design and voice acting elevate the experience even further. It adds so much personality to the characters, making their quirks stand out even more. And let’s talk about the music—a jazzy, detective-movie-inspired soundtrack that makes you feel like you’re really solving a case, even if the case happens to involve… salami.
I’m beyond thrilled that they’re already working on a sequel—Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping! From what’s been revealed, it seems to be another bite-sized mystery, which is perfect for playing between longer, more time-consuming games. The developers mentioned it will be around 2-3 hours long and is set to release this year.
If The Secret Salami is anything to go by, then The Ghost of Glamping is sure to deliver another fun, quirky mystery. I, for one, can’t wait to waddle back into detective life.
Quacked the case yourself? Let us know what you thought of Duck Detective below!
