Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I Made So Many Duck Puns

Note: I received a game code for the Nintendo Switch for my honest review of the game. Thank you to Future Friends Games for the code!

Right away Duck Detective is very cute with the art style that feels like a mix of sticker and cardboard cutout game pieces. We're introduced to Eugene McQuacklin a down on his luck detective hanging out in his office trying to figure out what he spent his rent money on. You can move Eugene around looking for clues and this gives a nice tutorial into how the game works. 

Eugene McQuacklin, duck detective.

After the introduction, Eugene gets a case at Bearbus, a bussing company. This is where the detective skills go a little more in depth having you look around for clues and adding clues to the case file. Eugene has to talk to the people there and certain words will be highlighted implying that it's relevant to the case. 

Adding a vital clue to the case file.

Eugene can also investigate various characters while he talks to them. Using his magnifying glass he can examine them and pick up clues like a loose thread on their sleeve or other interesting details he can add to the case file and write a note in his notebook. There's also a bit where you have to guess the person's name and when you do, you can add it to the suspect list in his notebook. 

Checking for clues on a penguin.

Eugene can explore a lot of places. He can snoop through someone's computer, check notes, talk to more people, and even look through someone's duffel bag for clues to solve the case. It definitely kept me guessing adding a few twists and turns. When Eugene has enough clues about one scenario he can put it together in what are called deductkions. I did like that the game would let you know how much of it you got right and then would tell you two things are wrong so you could go back and look at it again. It also gave helpful hints so there wasn't too much frustration solving the puzzle. 

Doing some deducktions. 

The story was interesting and so was the case. I also loved that it didn't take itself too seriously with all the silliness in some situations and of course the duck puns. I made so many duck puns myself while playing this because it was that much fun. The game also had little joke duck facts in between loading screens which I found really amusing. 

Eugene has trouble talking with a cat. 

The game isn't very long. It's a fun, short mystery that I finished in about three hours. The art style, the funny jokes, the main mystery, and the general whimsy of Duck Detective made it an enjoyable time. I love Eugene and his hard boiled detective voice. I also loved the myriad of characters at BearBus that added more humorous shenanigans to the story. Quacking the case was a great time. 

Eugene gets a ride home. 

 

*Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is available on the following platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam 

*Join the Mothergamer community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Ravenlok

 I'm so glad I got a chance to play Ravenlok before it left Gamepass because I really enjoyed it. Let's dive into why I had so much fun with it. The game starts by introducing us to a girl playing with her dog and we find out the girl's name is Kira. Yes, you can pat the dog and also have it wear cute hats which is adorable. As Kira wanders around, the story shows that she and her family have just moved to the countryside. This introduces us to the fetch quest system of the game when her mom and dad ask her to get certain items like a dusting cloth. 

Kira and her dog. 

It's not long before Kira finds a mirror and travels through it to a magical land known as Dunia. It's obvious that the game is inspired by Alice In Wonderland which delighted me as that is one of my favorite childhood books. There's a white rabbit naturally who calls Kira by the name of Ravenlok explaining that she's the hero from the prophecy that will save Dunia from the Red Queen. 

Kira arrives in Dunia. 

There are multiple fetch quests Kira has to do for the various characters she meets including a giant cat that is very reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat in Alice In Wonderland. One of the quests including Kira getting a sword and shield. This is where the combat tutorial starts and it's easy to follow explaining the hack and slash mechanics as well as the magic battle skills Kira can do. The combat style is simple, but I don't think that's a bad thing because it felt like they considered the fact that kids could play this game and so it's not too challenging or frustrating. 

Fighting mushroom monsters. 

I loved exploring the different areas. The design and whimsy of each area is well done. The nods to Alice In Wonderland are lovely and I found myself smiling upon finding each one and appreciating all the details that went into Ravenlok's designs. My personal favorite was the tea party with the Mad Hatter who also seemed to be a mix of the March Hare in design. I ran around doing his fetch quest so he could have a lovely tea party. 

Kira meets the Mad Hatter. 

Sure at times the fetch quests could be a little tedious, but it didn't bother me that much because I was having a lot of fun with the game and enjoying the story. There were a couple of boss battles where it took me a bit to figure out what to do, but once I figured out the patterns I was able to hack and slash my way to victory. I liked the story and kept playing because I wanted to see how Kira's adventure ended. Ravenlok isn't very heavy with the drama and the storytelling is simple, but enjoyable. Simple doesn't always mean bad and Ravenlok shows that really well with the simplicity of the combat system and the variety of fetch quests woven into the story. It's not a very long game about four to five hours, but for me it was about ten because I explored everywhere and did the extra quest of finding cute collectible white rabbits in the game. I loved the ending and felt it wrapped everything up neatly giving concise answers to multiple threads in the story. For me, Ravenlok was a lovely game to play because I appreciated the charm and whimsy that went into it which made for a delightful adventure. 

Kira and friends celebrating their victory.

*Ravenlok is available on the following platforms: Microsoft Windows (Epic), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

*Join our community on Twitch where we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer