Duck Detective: The Ghost Of Glamping is a cozy mystery adventure in which Eugene McQuacklin investigates a chair theft at Sunny Lake campsite that spirals into a spy plot. The standalone sequel runs about an hour and a half and was played on Sleuth mode, the harder deduction setting.
The deducktion mechanic has the detective question suspects, inspect surroundings and slot clue words into blank spaces in phrasal deductions. The evidence system is improved over the first game, with clues re-inspectable multiple times, a change called out as awesome.
The voice acting makes the game, with the cast landing their roles so well that the characters would be merely decent without it. The case is praised as genuinely clever because the culprit’s disguise and the planted camera all make sense in hindsight.
The returning cast and new characters keep the tone warm, from Eugene’s roommate Freddy and his girlfriend to the campsite manager who also voices the first game’s Laura. A long-absent father turns out to be right under the detective’s nose.
The deadpan humour carries the tone, from the bread-addiction running gag to Eugene’s commentary and the chess streamer’s vanity. The campfire ghost story about the sanatorium’s Patient 12 sets an atmospheric spooky mood, and Freddy’s model is notably more detailed than the others.
The title’s ghost never materialises, a playful jab acknowledged in the game itself by noting the first game at least had its secret salami. The runtime is brief, and the ending’s arrest choices put Freddy through the ringer, with the playthrough left feeling sorry for him.
Overall, this clever, fun mystery adventure earns a strong recommendation, with its deduction loop, improved evidence system and voice acting as the highlights. The short runtime and the absent ghost are the only caveats.