Detective Dotson Review: A Masala Mystery That Hits Home
Dotson, a pixelated Bollywood reject-turned-detective, navigates Dotcity’s vibrant chaos in this uniquely Indian point-and-click mystery. Explore mini-games, disguises, and a cultural whodunnit with heart.
image via Masala Games Pvt lLimited
Dotson pops into the world of gaming with vibrant energy, trading in the grim setting for the colourful chaos of contemporary India. Masala Games developed this title, and it places Dotson, a failed Bollywood extra turned detective, into the buzzing metropolis of Dotcity to investigate the suspicious death of his father. Unlike the typical whiskey-drinking noir babe, Dotson is full of charm and confusion yet manoeuvres around autorickshaw traffic, wedding processions, and gossip networks with wide-eyed zeal.
Dotcity: The True Star
The game costs ₹500 / $15 on PC (Steam).
Dotcity is a brutally chaotic mishmash between Mumbai's hustle, Delhi's grandeur, and Kolkata's soul. The actions of pixelated characters are juxtaposed against a backdrop of cast-iron detailed 3d setting, you can call it a visual style that sets romance with some kind of arrogance. The world comes alive with Holi celebrations and street vendors, and the standard office bureaucracy looks a little too familiar for comfort. Director Shalin Shodhan calls it a "2D meets 3d" style inspired by the insertion of pixel characters into real photos—a stylistic experiment that more than paid off.
Gameplay with a Cultural Twist
The Dotson Point and Click are filled with platforming and mini-games. Clue gathering, suspect interrogations, and connecting evidence on a mystery board comprise the bulk of the investigations. What sets this game apart is its cultural specificity; you may find yourself analysing spice mixes or interpreting rangoli designs instead of fingerprinting.
Disguise after disguise with outlandishly absurd powers like mind reading and impromptu dance breaks! A life-solution-evolved puzzle mode: the disguise system turned Sadhu, Karishma, a socialite, and a few others.
Mini-Games, Mechanics, Soundtrack, and Sound Design
Celebrating cricket challenge or hidden object hunts are a few fun temptations among varied distractions, while street food price haggling and clues bargaining stand tall as a fitting metaphor for Indian life itself. Some, like that rhythm-based wedding dance-off, feel a bit rough around the edges; here and there, they add some welcome variety and charm to the investigative proceedings.
An energetic, hybrid score, blending traditional instruments with a modern beat, is provided by composer Nikhil Rao of Indian Ocean. The ambient sounds are layered, changing from one neighbourhood to another with the street noise of cars and vendor calls, so-colored in ambience.
Storytelling and Cliffhangers
Dotson's tale begins from a simple case of a missing dog named Papadam, which escalates to a full-scale conspiracy regarding the murder of his father. The narrative stubbornly relates unrelated occurrences to the larger mystery, delivering drama interspersed with humour and heart. Unfortunately, the story ends on a cliffhanger after 2–5 hours of gameplay, with DLC promised in June.
Detective Dotson is more than a quirky whodunnit; it is a love letter to contemporary India. While some animation is a little clunky, and some clue board interactions are downright confusing, its humour, heart, and cultural flavour carry it on a level above.
Written By- Kazi Mohasin Zaman, India Today Gaming.
