Avinash Rohra 
Delete this review. Buy Detective Dotson. Play it blind. Then come back—I’ll wait.
Trust me, every second spent reading this before experiencing Detective Dotson is time stolen from galloping across the pixelated streets of Dotcity, solving cases, and dodging uncles hurling trash like deadly weapons. From Gujarat-based studio Masala Games comes a breath of fresh, spicy air in 2025’s gaming landscape—a genuine indie marvel that redefines Indian storytelling in games.
This isn’t just another quirky side-scroller. This isn’t another mythological epic retread. Detective Dotson is the first true evolution of Indian indie games since Raji: An Ancient Epic put us on the map in 2020. It’s a colorful, chaotic, emotionally resonant journey through a pixel-art urban jungle so real, so ours, you’ll want to pinch the screen to see if it smells like samosas.
And here’s the wild part—it isn’t even trying to be “important.” It’s just trying to be fun. And in doing so, it becomes essential.
From this point onward: no spoilers beyond the first 90 minutes. Every hidden twist, every pigeon-fueled conspiracy, every Holi-colored plot turn is a treasure best discovered firsthand.
The 30-Second Pitch
Imagine if Papers, Please’s societal critiques had a baby with Night in the Woods’ melancholic storytelling, and they raised it in Mumbai. That’s Detective Dotson. A heartfelt, hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking look at modern India—wrapped in an evidence board of clues, mistaken identities, spicy cricket scandals, and pigeon warfare. (Yes, pigeon warfare.)
It’s familiar yet entirely new—like a late-night drive through your old neighborhood after years away. Everything’s changed, yet somehow feels exactly right.
Gameplay That Dances
The moment you take control of Dotson, the titular bumbling detective, it’s pure magic. Sprinting across chaotic streets, vaulting over honking rickshaws, scaling balconies—every movement feels snappy, fluid, and weighty. No lag. No jank. Just intuitive, joyful control.
Detective Dotson nails pacing better than some AAA games. Every 15-20 minutes, something new erupts—a fresh case, a district unlocking, a wild side activity. You’re never stuck. You’re pulled forward by curiosity, the scent of frying jalebis, and the promise of another ridiculous twist.
Dotcity isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living playground. Poke every object, pester every aunty, even toss soda cans at pigeons. (Pro tip: The pigeons remember.)
The Evidence Board: A Stroke of Genius
At the heart of sleuthing is the evidence board—a sprawling, gloriously chaotic mind-map where clues, motives, and red herrings collide.
You don’t just find clues; you live them. Haggle for them. Eavesdrop for them. Then drag them across a corkboard and connect the dots manually. The dopamine hit of snapping two random pieces together? Chef’s kiss.
Competitors will steal this mechanic. And I won’t even be mad.
Aesthetic Alchemy
This isn’t pixel art as retro kitsch—it’s living culture. Characters frolic through a vibrantly textured 3D world where temples loom, Bollywood sets buzz, and municipal offices look exactly like the ones you’ve sweated in, waiting for a signature.
Nostalgic without pandering. Modern without losing its handmade soul.
Masala Games crafted hundreds of custom 3D assets because nothing off-the-shelf felt Indian enough. The result? A visual feast—unmistakably local, universally resonant.
Sound Design Poetry
The soundtrack (by Nikhil Rao of Indian Ocean) is award-worthy—tablas meet synth basslines, sitars weave into rock beats. One moment, you’re stealthing to a soft raga; the next, sprinting through a marketplace to Holi anthems.
Layer in ambient sounds—fruit vendors hawking, rickshaws sputtering, aunties gossiping—and it’s not just audio design. It’s soundscape storytelling.
Dotson’s story is slyly layered—four standalone cases spiral into a sprawling conspiracy that never forgets to have fun. The writing sparkles with wit, warmth, and melancholy.
NPCs feel like people: A failed Bollywood extra mourns lost fame. A wedding planner battles pigeon saboteurs. A mad scientist grieves broken experiments.
You don’t just play Dotson’s story—you live it.
Studio’s Legacy
Detective Dotson rewrites the detective genre. Future mystery games—especially outside “grey-brown” cities—must measure up.
Masala Games didn’t just make a great game; they etched their name into Indian gaming history. Before Dotson, Indian gaming was boxed into mythology retellings or Western emulations. Now? The conversation is unshackled.
Like Studio Ghibli redefined anime, Masala Games proves Indian indies can be fearless, heartfelt, and unashamedly local.
Dotson taps into something primal—the childlike curiosity that made us fall in love with games. That urge to poke every corner. That joy of secrets hidden in familiar sights.
Dotcity doesn’t just feel alive—it feels welcoming. Like your grandma’s house, but with more crime scenes and fewer marriage proposals.
Mini-Game Mastery
These aren’t filler—they expand the world:
- Haggling: A social dance of highballs, lowballs, and bluffs. Mastering it feels like parrying in Sekiro—but funnier.
- Gully Cricket: Chaotic ball physics, snappy batting. Lose hours to “just one more over.”
- Disguises: Infiltrate a kitty party as “Karishma.” Worth every minute.
Real India, No Filters
Dotson portrays modern India—not exoticized, not impoverished, just alive. Crumbling metros, chaotic weddings, tired govt offices—it’s all here.
And it doesn’t explain itself. No Wikipedia dumps. No “As you know, we in India…” It trusts you.
Western games “tourist-ify” India. Detective Dotson invites you to live it.
Verdict
On the Metacritic scale of cozy indie masterpieces, Detective Dotson ranks with the best.
Play it if you love:
- Handmade indies.
- Mystery games that respect your intelligence.
- Desi culture celebrated, not caricatured.
Skip if you demand:
- 100-hour grinds.
- Photorealism.
- Souls-like difficulty.
At ₹500 (~$15) bundled with a full animated movie, Masala Games have made a Pro Gamer Move, it’s one of 2025’s best-value experiences. Proof that Indian stories can shine—unapologetically and triumphantly.
So yes, delete this review. Bookmark it for after the credits roll. Then meet me at Loot Lo Bazaar for chai and conspiracy theories.
Detective Dotson was reviewed on PC. Review code was provided by the Masala Games.
