Game: Arcane Investigations
Genre: Visual Novel, Adventure
System: Steam (Windows, macOS, SteamOS + Linux)
Developers | Publishers: What’s All That Racket
Controller Support: No
Price: US $4.99 | UK £4.29 | EU € 4,99
Release Date: April 19th, 2025
A review code was provided, and many thanks to What’s All That Racket.
Arcane Investigations is a 2025 visual novel detective game developed and released by What’s All That Racket.
The Premise of Arcane Investigations
In Arcane Investigations, we play Kabili, a newly accredited arcane investigator working on his very first case – a magical robbery on the Quartzway Express. While investigating the mystery, we meet several characters, suspects, witnesses, and our new coworkers. It’s up to us to find the real culprit and endear ourselves to our new colleagues.
Gameplay
Arcane Investigations is a classic visual novel with some point-and-click adventuring. It is marketed as a Phoenix Wright-inspired adventure, and it does look similar gameplay-wise.
We have several scenes and suspects to investigate. At the bottom of the screen, there is a countdown until we find all clues in a scene. In addition to the clues, there are other interactable objects on the screen.
We collect valuable items, mostly papers and such, which we will use in the final act of the game, which is looking for inconsistencies about how the crime happened, according to the opposing investigator and our colleague, Oberon. When building our arguments, we have several hints and the option to skip the puzzle entirely. That way, the game adapts to any gaming style—whether you are playing for the puzzles or just for the story.
I was captivated by the lovely visuals of the game; the graphics are polished, creating a vibrant and immersive world that feels authentically “lived in.” Every detail seems well crafted, suggesting that a great deal of thought and creativity went into shaping the rich lore that underlies the gameplay.
Some Other Things
Arcane Investigations features hand-drawn characters and backgrounds, a fully designed soundtrack, and some light-hearted, cozy comedic moments. It is a short game, too; it took me less than an hour to complete it. That said, it feels a bit like an introduction to a longer game, and if there are more chapters of Kabili’s adventures, I wouldn’t mind playing.
The game has basic audio and video settings. Currently, it doesn’t have Steam achievements or cards.
Conclusion
Arcane Investigations is a short burst of cozy gaming, perfect for rainy Spring days. As I said, I wouldn’t mind playing more in the same world. You might agree after playing Arcane Investigations.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up