Methods: The Detective Competition on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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One hundred detectives compete against each other in a crime-solving competition.
Methods: The Detective Competition is a indie, comedy and jrpg game
developed by LockedOn Games
and published by LockedOn Games and Erabit.
Released on June 01st 2020 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 2 languages: English and Simplified Chinese.
It has received 604 reviews of which 554 were positive and 50 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam, but you can find it for less on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Methods: The Detective Competition into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Methods: The Detective Competition through various videos and screenshots.
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS: XP
- Processor: 1 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Storage: 2 GB available space
MacOS
- OS: 10.6
- Processor: Apple M1 or Intel Core M
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Storage: 2 GB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04 or newer
- Processor: Intel® Core 2 Duo
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: GTX 260 or equivalent
- Storage: 2 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Honestly one of my favorite games I played over the past year and one of the best book adaptations I've ever played! The setting is phenomenal and the attention to detail is incredible- there are over 200 characters in the story and it feels like we are able to track a very large portion of their stories throughout the game - there's a bonus where you can see interviews for nearly every character that gets flashed on screen even once, and one where you can track the rankings of the game round by round and it's so delightful. The writing is very smart and funny (also not afraid to throw in some punches), and the pacing is BRILLIANT. There are a great number of chapters, and they are all bite sized pieces that make the game easy to pick up when you need to step away, but oh so hard to put down. I cannot recommend enough just going in blind and enjoying the story. To get into specifics, this game is more visual novel than game. There are 2-3 dozen odd mini cases and logic puzzles, but they are gameplay lite- typically you will play a minigame or two, investigate everything in the room, debate the scenario with that rounds partner detective, and answer a few questions to determine the truth of the case. There are moments where your choices can also affect the story, but they only really change the outcomes of one or two characters (it's worth exploring your options for the achievements and extra lines and easy to do with chapter select). The other Method's game (The Canada Files) is a prequel that features a much more gameplay heavy investigative game (I'd compare it to Edgeworth Investigations, but with a better scenario and mostly better lines of logic), so if you want something more involved, I'd recommend checking it out. I generally like RPGS or Investigative games with more involved gameplay, but I was never board playing this!
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This is more of a neutral review. The visual style and the soundtrack are amazing. The writing is neat. It's charming, though at times indulges in too much pointless banter. The puzzles are alright. Unfortunately, the game doesn't give you time to solve them yourself, it gives you the setup and immediately jumps into telling you the solution at breakneck pace. It would really benefit from giving the mystery time to breathe. The thing I have a big problem with is the story. The story starts out good, but over the course of the game it falls apart at the seams, completely dropping the ball by the end. We switch protagonists multiple times. Half the time we switch to characters who we barely know and who have nothing to do with the plotlines we're invested in. It's like you're suddenly thrown into a spinoff. It also happens in the finale. Numerous plotlines are introduced out of nowhere and either don't go anywhere or don't get resolved at all. Near the end of the game you are teased an impossibly difficult puzzle. It gets resolved off-screen. The ending isn't satisfying and doesn't provide any answers besides what we already know. So, for the aforementioned reasons, it gets harder and harder to care for anything going on with each act. When the credits rolled, the primary emotion I was feeling was frustration. This game should have been right up my alley, but it completely fumbled its latter half. Still, it has too much charm and soul for me to give it a negative review.
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The gameplay is a bit simple (multiple choice) but the story made up for it! All the characters were distinct and memorable, which is quite possibly this game's biggest strength; it probably helped that most of them were likable and/or realistic too (and when they weren't, they were at least somewhat humorous). The mysteries themselves were also very creative, and the gimmicks for each stage really enhanced them. The shifts in perspective also helped the narrative flow well, getting to view the overarching plot from different viewpoints. Solid game!
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I played the game twice, to put the hours played in perspective. Gameplay-wise most of the game is linear story, but there are several mysteries, all simple and generally based on some sort of trick/gimmick. You solve them by clicking around and then answering some multiple-choice questions. The writing is pretty good; it's structured around five different 'files' with overlapping, but mostly different, casts. It's a bit spotty in places (the final villain's motivation is political in a way that I found a bit underdeveloped and out-of-place) but overall it gives you some really cool moments and a lot of wacky ones, with a surprising amount of substance to the characters. Overall, worth the price, would recommend, especially on sale.
Expand the review
Delightfully quirky and charming! At first, I thought the cast size would prevent me from really getting a chance to connect with the characters, yet somehow I came out of this game with a strong favorite! On the art front, the chapter illustrations are gorgeous and the overall art style of the game is unique and matches the absurdity of the premise. I was hooked from chapter 1!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Methods: The Detective Competition is currently priced at 19.50€ on Steam.
Methods: The Detective Competition is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 19.50€ on Steam.
Methods: The Detective Competition received 554 positive votes out of a total of 604 achieving a rating of 8.57.
😎
Methods: The Detective Competition was developed by LockedOn Games and published by LockedOn Games and Erabit.
Methods: The Detective Competition is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Methods: The Detective Competition is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Methods: The Detective Competition is playable and fully supported on Linux.
Methods: The Detective Competition is a single-player game.
There are 2 DLCs available for Methods: The Detective Competition. Explore additional content available for Methods: The Detective Competition on Steam.
Methods: The Detective Competition does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Methods: The Detective Competition does not support Steam Remote Play.
Methods: The Detective Competition is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Methods: The Detective Competition.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 18 January 2026 06:18 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 24 January 2026 08:20 |
| Steam price | 28 January 2026 20:25 |
| Steam reviews | 28 January 2026 21:51 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Methods: The Detective Competition, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Methods: The Detective Competition
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Methods: The Detective Competition concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Methods: The Detective Competition compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
0
Developer
LockedOn Games
Publisher
LockedOn Games,
Erabit
Release
01 Jun 2020
Platforms
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