Few gaming properties have had both the reach and staying power of the Carmen Sandiego franchise. Originally a mystery game turned edutainment hit, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and its many sequels and spinoffs were classroom computer staples, particularly in the ’90s and early ’00s, and have since inspired a Netflix series and interactive movie. However, with the franchise remaining firmly in the realm of children’s media, one upcoming game seeks to deliver a nostalgic experience to those who grew up learning geography, history and more as ACME agents trying to thwart Carmen’s next plot.
Developed by General Interactive Co. and published by Humble Games, upcoming point and click adventure Chinatown Detective Agency takes the globetrotting mystery adventure core of the Carmen Sandiego games and translates it into a stylish cyberpunk setting. Player control former police officer turned private investigator Amira Darma as she assists clients in solving mysteries that take her through seedy parts of near-future Singapore and around the world. A demo featuring the game’s first two missions has been available on Steam and itch.io since 2020, and in addition to that, CBR was able to go hands-on with the game’s third mission.
Chinatown Detective Agency follows a simple premise that involves solving cases and traveling the world, using real-world knowledge and research to get the job done. The game does not have all the answers, nor does it expect the player to, and the interface even includes a browser button to make it obvious that players will need to look things up themselves. Players who can, for instance, immediately identify a quote from a specific ancient Greek writer or recognizes the etymological origins of major city names will have an obvious advantage, but the game assumes players will have to consult the internet and encourages them to do so without shame.
Beyond the need to investigate and research independently, the game also requires a bit of critical thinking to determine where to go next. During the first mission, Amira is told to meet a new client under a Bohdi tree, which she notes is not native to Singapore. It’s up to the player to look at the map, notice there’s a Botanical Garden and put together that this is where she needs to go next. Upon arriving, the client even notes that he wanted to test Amira’s resourcefulness before hiring her, which is a great way to integrate gameplay and storytelling.
Unfortunately, following a strong tutorial mission that sets up what the game expects of its players and how to overcome its challenges, Chinatown Detective Agency sets players loose in a way that makes some of its underlying flaws more obvious. The second mission can be time-consuming in terms of research, and while not impossible, it can be hard to figure out where to start. All players have to go off of are stamps with text written in another language, some of which use an entirely different alphabet.
Doing the work to figure out the puzzles for yourself can be fun and fulfilling and, to its credit, there’s always enough to go off of that even vague, borderline nonsensical Google searches will probably point you in the right direction. The game also introduces a helpful tool at the start of the third mission for players who find themselves stuck; contacting an NPC met in an earlier mission will give the player a way to ask for hints (or even the solution). This is a nice option for those who really want or need the help, and it’s easy to ignore for those who want the full challenge of figuring it all out alone.
Outside of that, though, Chinatown Detective Agency lacks the kind of control, difficulty and accessibility options that would make it more approachable to a wider audience. The main gimmick of solving puzzles with outside research being challenging is one thing, but certain things about the way the game operates and some of its more traditional in-game puzzles may be off-putting or hard to use for many players. The only option for walking around is by clicking on where you want to go — which is also how you interact with people and objects on the screen. Plus, while some puzzles may make the player feel like a real detective deciphering codes and hacking their way to clues, the lack of things like button customization or additional options for puzzles could be frustrating, if not outright roadblocks, for some players.
There are also certain mechanics that are more tedious than anything. While figuring out where you need to travel next is fun, having to go through an airline schedule, book a flight and wait to board is less entertaining. The in-game clock does come into play in the third mission and will likely be more important as the game goes on and the stakes get higher, but the time management aspect currently feels less like an interesting and immersive game system and more of an afterthought that only comes up when it’s inconvenient.
Of course, what we’ve played is just a demo and (presumably) a small slice of a still-in-progress final product. Many of the game’s issues may be addressed when the full version finally releases, and we can only hope these elements are improved because Chinatown Detective Agency has so much going for it. The core concept is really compelling, and everything from its retro pixel art to its character portraits to its cyberpunk take on major cities is incredibly stylish and makes up for the hassle of getting there.
On top of that, the overarching story being teased in the first couple of missions seems really interesting, as is the journey of Amira Darma. Chinatown Detective Agency‘s protagonist is a tough, pragmatic and skilled detective surrounded by all manner of friendly and shady characters in the game’s dystopian world. The makings of a great game are present, but the fact that overall package is so cool only makes it more disappointing that game is currently being held back by its potentially audience-limiting controls.
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