How long is The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark?

Players who enjoy it spent a median of 14 h; those who don't, 5.8 h.

How much does The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark cost?

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is currently 6,29€ (55% off) on Steam.

Steam specs (min / recommended)

Minimum: Système d'exploitation : Windows 10 Processeur : 3rd Gen i3/AMD FX-4100 Series Mémoire vive : 4 GB de mémoire Graphiques : Intel HD (Integrated), GeForce 6 Series/Radeon R7 Series Espace disque : 2 GB d'espace disque disponible

Recommended: Système d'exploitation : Windows 10 Processeur : 4th Gen i3/1st Gen Ryzen Mémoire vive : 4 GB de mémoire Graphiques : GeForce 7 Series/Radeon R7 Series (or better) Espace disque : 2 GB d'espace disque disponible

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Niche cult favorite

⚔️ Compare View on Steam ↗

Released April 15, 2021

Adventure Casual Indie

sample: 448 reviews posted after launch (180 AI-classified)

92/100

Player Score — % of positive reviews since launch · Steam history: 96 % · 1,992 reviews (« Overwhelmingly Positive »)

~~13,99€~~ 6,29€ -55%🛒 Compare on Instant Gamingaffiliate link

A pixel-art oddity steeped in humor and nostalgia, *The Darkside Detective* turns every case into a delightful throwback. Nearly all players since launch shower it with praise, though a handful exit baffled by its quirks.

In-game

Screenshot The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

« i loved the first one .. the second one is as funny and allow you to have a very good time! »

👍 anonymous review · 11 h played

« Absurde comme il faut, c'est complètement ma cam ! GG »

👍 anonymous review · 22 h played

« Bon jeu plein d'humour. Si vous avez aimé le premier, vous aimerez le second épisode. »

👍 anonymous review · 16 h played

« Pareil que son prédécesseur, histoires originales et toujours plein d'humour! »

👍 anonymous review · 14 h played

« Si vous avez aimé le premier, cette suite vous conviendra aussi. Elle n'apporte rien de majeur, mais c'est dans la parfaite continuité. »

👍 anonymous review · 24 h played

« J'adore tout de ce jeu : son humour, son design, son histoire. Jeu d'enquête et de réflexion super. C'est déjanté, c'est farfelue, je ne peux que recommander ce jeu. »

👍 anonymous review · 18 h played

« Compared to the first game, the puzzles and jokes in the sequel are mediocre. »

👎 anonymous review · 15 h played

« Decently comedic but too many unintuitive puzzles meaning timewasting or guide checking, both which defeat the point. »

👎 anonymous review · 1 h played

« "guess what number i'm thinking" the game »

👎 anonymous review · 6 h played

« It's better than the first game, at least. The later / bonus cases are more interesting than the first few. »

👎 anonymous review · 165 h played

« Useless mention of Krav Maga in episode 4 Mallbot 5000 dialogue if you hover with the knife over him. what a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ joke »

👎 anonymous review · 9 h played

« Digne successeur du premier. Il réinvente rien, c'est exactement le même, mais toujours aussi fun et élargi bien l'univers avec une histoire toujours aussi loufoque »

👍 anonymous review · 11 h played

In players' words

« i loved the first one .. the second one is as funny and allow you to have a very good time! »

👍 anonymous review · 11 h played

« Compared to the first game, the puzzles and jokes in the sequel are mediocre. »

👎 anonymous review · 15 h played

« Absurde comme il faut, c'est complètement ma cam ! GG »

👍 anonymous review · 22 h played

« Decently comedic but too many unintuitive puzzles meaning timewasting or guide checking, both which defeat the point. »

👎 anonymous review · 1 h played

« Bon jeu plein d'humour. Si vous avez aimé le premier, vous aimerez le second épisode. »

👍 anonymous review · 16 h played

« "guess what number i'm thinking" the game »

👎 anonymous review · 6 h played

« Pareil que son prédécesseur, histoires originales et toujours plein d'humour! »

👍 anonymous review · 14 h played

« It's better than the first game, at least. The later / bonus cases are more interesting than the first few. »

👎 anonymous review · 165 h played

« Si vous avez aimé le premier, cette suite vous conviendra aussi. Elle n'apporte rien de majeur, mais c'est dans la parfaite continuité. »

👍 anonymous review · 24 h played

« Useless mention of Krav Maga in episode 4 Mallbot 5000 dialogue if you hover with the knife over him. what a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ joke »

👎 anonymous review · 9 h played

« J'adore tout de ce jeu : son humour, son design, son histoire. Jeu d'enquête et de réflexion super. C'est déjanté, c'est farfelue, je ne peux que recommander ce jeu. »

👍 anonymous review · 18 h played

« Digne successeur du premier. Il réinvente rien, c'est exactement le même, mais toujours aussi fun et élargi bien l'univers avec une histoire toujours aussi loufoque »

👍 anonymous review · 11 h played

Anonymized excerpts from public Steam reviews — picked among those most voted "helpful" by the community.

What players say, by aspect

Positive Mixed Negative

Gameplay

79 % pos · n=151

Story / writing

90 % pos · n=94

Content / longevity

94 % pos · n=34

Graphics / art

97 % pos · n=29

Audio / music

94 % pos · n=18

Value for money

100 % pos · n=7

Interface / UX

33 % pos · n=6

Performance

100 % pos · n=3

Stability / bugs

0 % pos · n=2

Detailed data (table)

Aspect	Mentions	Positive	Mixed	Negative
Gameplay	151	119	16	16
Story / writing	94	85	3	6
Content / longevity	34	32	0	2
Graphics / art	29	28	1	0
Audio / music	18	17	0	1
Value for money	7	7	0	0
Interface / UX	6	2	0	4
Performance	3	3	0	0
Stability / bugs	2	0	0	2

Positive reviews by playtime

🎮 Players who like it have spent 14 h on median; those who dislike it: 5.8 h.

<2h

12 % (n=8)

2-10h

87 % (n=120)

10-25h

96 % (n=277)

>25h

98 % (n=43)

Fixed or still broken? Sentiment over time

➡️ Stable reception over time

% of positive reviews per month (months with ≥ 15 sample reviews).

100% completion difficulty ("platinum")

8,8 % Moderate

of players have unlocked the rarest achievement — the upper bound of those who "100%'d" it. 30 achievements in total; the median achievement is unlocked by 35,5 % of players.

What creators say (YouTube)

No indexed video for this game yet.

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Strengths

Praise for its sharp humor dominates: 84 mentions with 84 positive out of 84
The story earns near-universal acclaim: 85 positive mentions out of 94
Even extended playthroughs keep 98% of players smiling past 25 hours
Graphics in pixel art style win over critics: 28 positive mentions out of 29

Weaknesses

A tiny slice of players find the puzzles frustrating: 6 mentions, though 5 frame it as fun
The user interface draws mild criticism: 4 negative mentions out of 6
A couple of cases are called out for minor issues: 2 negative mentions out of 2

Who is it for?

Fans of quirky adventures and retro aesthetics will relish every twist.

Is The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark worth it in 2026?

Yes, without reservation for most players: 96% of 1,992 Steam reviews are positive (player score 92/100). Most-praised strength: Praise for its sharp humor dominates. Current price: 6,29€ (55% off).

Verdict

A love letter to 90s weirdness, *The Darkside Detective* delivers charm in spades. Its mix of humor, story, and pixel perfection makes it a standout in the indie space.

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Most frequent keywords

humour (84)énigmes (19)suite (18)qualité (16)aventure (16)puzzles (14)nostalgie (14)personnages (12)séquel (9)références (8)pixel art (7)bande-son (6)