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Watch trailer on Steam ↗Detective 26
TestOneDev · Published by TestOneDev
Positive — 80% positive (15 reviews) · 16 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
DETECTIVE 26 is a relaxing, turn-based mystery board game for 5-minute investigations. Roll dice and traverse low-poly maps to gather clues. Use logic to unmask the Wanted before turns run out! Level up your rank, unlock new content, and master the art of being a true detective!
£6.62
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Price history
Indie, Strategy, Casual · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
Navigate low-poly maps and gather clues to solve mysteries in Detective 26, an indie strategy game where your rank improves with each investigation.
About this game
The Case is Open. The Clock is Ticking. Can You Unmask the Wanted?
Step into the charming, colorful world of DETECTIVE 26, where every new game is a fresh, intriguing mystery waiting to be solved. This is your personal, quick and cozy investigative board game - designed to be the perfect blend of relaxing strategy and rewarding achievement. Whether you have five minutes between tasks or a quiet evening to solve a string of mysteries, this is your personal investigative retreat.
A Tabletop Experience
Experience the satisfying flow of a physical board game from a bird’s-eye view. Roll the dice to traverse a colorful, tile-based world where every move matters. Collect clues and uncover the evidence you need to solve the case.
Coffee-Break Mysteries
A full investigation in DETECTIVE 26 takes just 2 to 5 minutes. Perfect for short bursts of downtime. Whether you are waiting for dinner or a multiplayer lobby to fill - there is enough time to sneak in a case or two.
The Thrill of the Chase
A Wanted identity is hidden among a pool of suspects. Your mission is to gather enough evidence to identify it.
Collect Clues: Find clue cards scattered across randomized maps, that reveal the target’s appearance, habits, or secrets.
Eliminate Suspects: Use your deductive skills to cross-reference evidence and narrow down the field.
The Turn Counter: Strategy is key, plan your moves! The clock is ticking down with every move. Will you find the final clue or take a calculated risk and accuse early?
Become a Master Investigator
Every successful accusation earns you points to increase your Investigator Rank.
Unlock Content: Unlock new maps, abilities, cosmetic skins and many more.
Fresh Challenges: Experience randomized map layouts and suspect placements in every session, ensuring no two cases are ever the same.
Track Success: Monitor your win streaks and career statistics as you rise from a rookie observer to a world-class master of deduction and unlock achievements.
The next case is waiting for you…
Content Overview
Maps: 10+ unique maps with random map generation, taking place across space and time: Small Neighbourhoods in 2026, Castles in 1426, …
Suspects: 50 suspects and 10 suspect sets
Abilities: 7 special abilities, each altering the way how the game is played
Achievements: 10+ Steam achievements
Player Models: 30+ models, like: Banana, Beer, Cow, Statue, Bubble Milk Tea, Car, Ramen Bowl, …
More Customization: Colors, Carpets, Chairs, Tables, Decorative Props, Icons
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10+
- Processor: Intel/AMD 2.4GHz and above
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Onboard GPU
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10+
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Dedicated GPU
- Storage: 1 GB available space
Supported Languages
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Update 1.5 - Added Streamer Mode
Some more small additions for the game in time for a hot summer time:ChangesStreamer Mode: Game settings now contain a Streamer Mode setting. It will restrict audio to only play titles, which can be used without issues by content creators - at least in theory.Danny's English localization: Danny is now hoarding diamonds, not horting them anymore.Read full article on Community Announcements (TestOneDev)Patch NotesOfficial
Update 1.4 - More Points for the Clueless!
Another small update, but both topics are big.ChangesEarly guessing is now more rewarding: Guessing early will now guaranteed reward more points than using up the turns and collecting clues. From balancing point I hope this will not encourage players just to spam round 0 guesses for XP farming. Given that win chances are slim and the fun of such a strategy is limited, it should still remain more attractive to try winning the game in a normal way.Steam Sync Issues Fix: Fixed an issue, where the running game would lose the connection to Steam (and thus not sync stats and achievements etc. anymore). I hope this is the last time this game had issues with Steam and it's achievements.Read full article on Community Announcements (TestOneDev)AnnouncementsOfficial
Game Is Too Easy? Too Difficult? The Choice is Yours!
Some think, it's too easy, some think it's too difficult - there is a solution for all of you!The first maps and suspect sets are naturally a bit easier to allow understanding the core game mechanics and getting into the game. Clues are placed closer to the player and winning the game should be easier early on...... still: it is a game where you need to find clues, compare it against the suspects, their pictures, their background stories. Sometimes you had unlucky dice rolls, sometimes you did not find enough (useful) clues, sometimes the (too few found) clues were not conclusive. You can and will fail, it is part of the game. Same as you cannot win 100% of Slay the Spire or Poker runs.And then there are new, larger maps and larger suspect sets that you will unlock while you gain XP and level up. Each will have new challenges. Ultimately, you can choose the maps and suspect sets, which fit best to you and your preferences - the choice is yours!If you want to challenge yourself: Pick a larger map like the City or Airport map, the latest unlocked suspect set, and try to win 10 times in a row... Good Luck!Read full article on Community Announcements (TestOneDev)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update 1.3
The original demo was released a while ago, around xmas 2025. To make sure, that it reflects the latest state of the game, it was updated accordingly.This means the demo update of course does not add content, but everything else like bug fixes, graphical improvements, performance boosts and... LOCALIZATION!Read full article on Community Announcements (TestOneDev)Patch NotesOfficial
Update 1.3 - FPS Limiter vs VSync
When using VSync, the game will try to match the refresh rate of your display (and ignore the FPS limit). On the contrary, if you set an FPS limit, it will try to sync it to this specific FPS (and ignore VSync).To make sure this is properly communicated, the settings toggles will now act accordingly to reflect this.Read full article on Community Announcements (TestOneDev)
