Last year, I got the opportunity to play Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. For my project of playing a different game every day, it was an excellent inclusion. It was a short but funny investigative game. It wasn’t too difficult, had a lot of comical sections, and something you could finish in one night. To my delight, we now have the follow-up, Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping. This follows the same format as the first game, and I’m glad we’re getting more of this series.
The famous Duck Detective, Eugene McQuacklin
The Duck Detective series focuses on the famous detective, Eugene McQuacklin. In a similar stereotypical fashion of the profession, McQuacklin is down on his luck. He’s separated from his partner, lives with a roommate, and is more or less comes off as a bit of a loser. While he may look unassuming, his talents as a detective are among the best.
This adventure focuses on a mysterious campsite. McQuacklin is there because of his roommate. He brings the pair together so they can get closer to each other. But, it’s also McQuacklin’s chance to meet his roommate’s girlfriend. She’s also at the campsite, but there for a work assignment. She’s the personal assistant to a famous chess streamer.
Like the first game, there is some misdirection. McQuacklin’s investigation takes him in a few different directions. At the same time, there is no direct connection to the other Duck Detective game. These are stand-alone experiences. There is a short tutorial at the start of the game to help you understand how investigating works. After that, you’re thrown into the main story.
Asking questions and snooping around
For most of the game, as McQuacklin, you’ll wander around the campsite and get to know the other patrons. As you poke around, you’ll start to learn about everyone’s reasons for being there. The main attraction at this campsite is an abandoned building, the site of a mysterious death.
The area is small, and there are only a handful of characters to interact with. So, for most of the game, McQuacklin and his roommate will move around the few sections of the campsite. The Duck Detective is all about ‘Deducktions’. These are fill-in-the-blank statements you need to solve by using keywords. You’ll talk to people and examine items to gather information. The information you get will help you determine what has happened and progress the story.
If you’ve played the first game, the gameplay is easy to grasp. The developers didn’t stray too much from the first game. I found this game a bit easier than the first. It’s all about making sense. Yes, there are some twists, but nothing that will shock or surprise you. There are a few non-deducktion puzzles to solve, but these were also easier than the first game.
But if you find these parts challenging, they do have a story mode that makes the game much easier. If you choose to go this route, they mark the wrong responses, so you can follow a process of elimination. This doesn’t take away from the plot of the game, and you still need to find the clues to solve the deducktion.
Can’t wait for more
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping ends in a cliffhanger. That means we’re bound to see more Eugene McQuacklin in the future. Unfortunately, we may have to wait until next year to see what happens next. In any case, for the sub $15 price point and fun gameplay, this is an easy recommendation. When looking for a short and enjoyable gaming experience, you can’t go wrong with this one.
