DETECTIVE – The Motel Review

gaming, PC, playstation, review, xbox

DETECTIVE – The Motel is the newest murder mystery from k148 Game Studio and published by JanduSoft.

This image shows the outside of a motel from the parking lot. — The scene of the crime.

The game provides you with an open ended investigation. There are no witnesses to interview, only clues to collect and puzzles to solve.

It encourages old-school detective work, requiring you to take notes manually. While the game suggests a pencil-and-paper approach, I opted to use a Word document instead. You also have access to an in-game PDA, which you must fill out and submit with your findings. This tool helps track key characters and their associated rooms, making it easier to piece together the mystery.

This image shows the PDA tha tyou use to record answers in DETECTIVE - The Motel — Your trusty PDA – Can you solve the murder on your own?

The motel has 12 rooms, but only 8 are accessible as you progress. Your ultimate goal is to determine the exact day and time of the crime, identify the victim, and reveal the murderer. To complete the game, you must correctly fill in all the blanks on your PDA. When you submit your answers, the game will indicate how many are correct. If you don't score 15/15, you can keep playing until you crack the case.

Image of the murder scene. — Who is this? Who did it? and When? It’s a little bit like Clue.

Playing without a guide was a pretty fun experience, though I got stumped on one puzzle involving a keypad-locked room. While some puzzles are straightforward, most are cleverly designed and require logical thinking. If you're aiming for achievements, a guide lets you finish the game in under 10 minutes. However, fully immersing yourself in the investigation will likely take 1-2 hours.

Image of a phone showing a text conversation.

Though simple, the game held my attention. Its graphics aren't groundbreaking, but they don't need to be. That said, I encountered a few issues. Some text was confusing, particularly when determining the gender of a tenant, likely due to translation errors. Additionally, I experienced a glitch where a car key despawned, though I couldn't replicate it in a second playthrough.

If you enjoy flexing your deductive skills and solving puzzles, then DETECTIVE – The Motel may be a game for you. It's also ideal for achievement hunters looking for a quick Gamerscore or Platinum Trophy boost. From finding clues and breaking into phones and computers to unlocking cars, the game challenges you to solve a murder mystery step by step.

If you’re looking to finish this game off quick or your just plain stuck checkout our Guide here: DETECTIVE – The Motel Walkthrough.

Gamer Social Club Review Score of 6/10 for the game DETECTIVE - The Motel.

DETECTIVE – The Motel was reviewed on an Xbox Series X. A review copy was provided by JanduSoft. The game is out now on Steam, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.