Today, developer Masala Games dropped a brand-new trailer for their coming cosy mystery-adventure title ‘Detective Dotson’. The game will launch on PC via Steam/Microsoft Store on the 24th of April and a demo is currently available on Steam for your perusal.
A cozy mystery game about a detective with Bollywood dreams. It’s the first adventure game set in the colorful streets of India. Engage with adorable 2D characters living in a 3D world. Find clues and solve the evidence board. With each case, a larger mystery unfolds.
Have a gander below for more details on Detective Dotson, including more on its co-op cases and the new trailer. There is no word on the Xbox console version of the game as of this writing.
Detective Dotson is a cozy mystery-adventure game inspired by Bollywood and Indian culture with an aesthetic style based on real-world Indian cities. As the titular Detective Dotson, you’ll collect clues and solve cases as you encounter a colorful cast of characters, each with their own secrets.
An adventure in the most interesting place on Earth – modern day India!
Solve mysteries in the cozy alleys behind the colorful temples
Find clues and complete an evidence board to solve each case
Engage with an array of characters as vibrant as India itself
It’s an uplifting adventure with Bollywood dance-offs aplenty
Food, festivals and family weddings – we’ve got all the fun parts of India covered
And while all of this may suggest that Detective Dotson is a just a single-player-only experience, our Xbox trailer blew the case wide open on our newest feature — co-op mode. This stemmed from us wondering: “How come more detective games don’t have co-op? After all, every Sherlock needs a Watson.” Built with Xbox Series X|S in mind, Detective Dotson’s co-op mode lets you and a friend solve capers on the couch. Here’s how it works.
Just for Two
Co-op cases are specifically designed for two players with their own bespoke levels. This is separate from and in addition to Detective Dotson’s single-player cases. We did this because we wanted players to work together to solve these cases which have unique goals and objectives that really showcase that sometimes, two heads are better than one.
Character Capers
Sure, it’s called Detective Dotson but there’s an ensemble of lively characters to choose from on your duo adventure. From super-cop Durai to ravishing reporter Jotson, you’re never short of options. We’ve done this to give you the ability to play the game in co-op your way. Speaking of which…
Power Couple
You’ll use specific actions to see you through the many trials and tribulations Detective Dotson’s co-op campaign throws at you. These include distracting guards while your partner-in-crime sneaks past or using special abilities such as Durai’s machismo to break down doors or Jotson’s journalist status to gain privileged access to areas other characters can’t reach.
Split-screen Shenanigans
Detective Dotson’s co-op mode features a dynamic split-screen. What this means is, while you are both in the same space the screen won’t break into two parts. Rather, it only does that when you and your friend are far enough apart. We felt this made for a more seamless co-op experience while utilizing split-screen to indicate that the action is taking place in two different places at the same time, similar to heist movies. There was a lot of trial-and-error involved in finding the sweet spot for when we actually break the screen in order to have the right balance and indication of distance between you and your friend in-game.
Built with Love Thanks to Xbox DAP
Detective Dotson’s co-op mode would not have been possible without the ID@Xbox Developer Accelerator Program grant. It is the dream of every game developer to bring their game to console as it is perceived to have the highest quality bar to clear. We are thankful that the Xbox Developer Acceleration Program believes in us. It’s not every day that one of the leading platforms in gaming takes notice. Their trust motivates us to do this opportunity justice to bring players a cultural joyride through India with Detective Dotson.
We are an Indian team with worldwide experience – Pixar, Electronic Arts, Prana
It bothers us that while 20% of the world lives here, India is missing in video game culture
We are on a mission to fix this and we would love your feedback and support!
