With Detective Collection, Jandusoft brings together a trilogy of standalone investigative thrillers from K148 Game Studio in a single physical bundle on PlayStation 5. While each of the three games – Stella Porta Case, Minerva Case, and The Motel – can be purchased separately, packaging them as a unified set not only highlights the studio’s unique approach to the detective genre but also invites comparisons that reveal a clear evolution in ambition, presentation, and gameplay design. The result is a dark, often gripping experience that rewards patient deduction and a taste for minimalist storytelling, even if it occasionally stumbles in polish.
The first entry in the collection, Detective: Stella Porta Case, sets the tone with a disappearance case linked to a mysterious organization. It quickly becomes apparent that this isn’t your typical noir procedural. There’s an almost dreamlike quality to the way the narrative unfolds, relying heavily on reading documents and analyzing evidence manually rather than using obvious interface prompts. The case structure works well enough and offers a solid mystery, but the rougher edges of the presentation – like its flat environments and occasional awkward interaction design – are hard to ignore. Still, it’s an intriguing introduction to a world where the player is treated as a true investigator and not just a passenger.
Things step up with Detective: Minerva Case, which takes the detective formula into the realm of speculative sci-fi. Here, the setting is a near-future society where AI plays a central role, and the central murder mystery taps into deeper questions about perception and truth. The shift to a more stylized visual design helps sell the futuristic theme, and the writing – while still sparse – is a bit more focused than in the first game. What makes Minerva Case stand out, however, is how it blends old-school deduction with its high-concept worldbuilding. You’ll still be analyzing photos, reading notes, and piecing together timelines, but now with added complexity and narrative tension. It’s not a dramatic leap forward mechanically, but the more ambitious setting helps it feel fresher.
The final game, Detective: The Motel, which we reviewed earlier, is both the most grounded and the most confident of the trio. Here, the focus is squarely on a murder at a secluded motel, and the atmosphere leans heavily into psychological tension. Unlike its predecessors, The Motel removes many of the genre’s usual handholding conventions – there are no objective markers or tutorialized systems to fall back on. This can be disorienting at first, but it pays off by delivering a genuinely immersive and organic investigation. It feels more tactile and believable as a mystery, and it’s helped by better environmental detail and stronger pacing throughout. A few interface quirks remain, especially in how inventory items are managed, but The Motel shows how far K148 has come in terms of balancing storytelling with interactivity.
Across all three titles, audio design is subtle but effective. There’s minimal voice acting, but the ambient effects and moody music tracks help maintain the right tone of tension and mystery. Visually, the trilogy won’t turn heads with technical prowess, but the consistent aesthetic choices – from the surreal stillness of Stella Porta to the tech-noir vibes of Minerva and the gritty realism of The Motel – help give each title a distinct identity. That said, none of the games are immune to occasional bugs or clunky controls, especially when trying to manipulate objects or interact with the environment in precise ways.
As a bundled experience, Detective Collection makes for an intriguing, if uneven, journey through experimental crime storytelling. It’s easy to admire the ambition behind these games, particularly their refusal to over-explain or simplify their mysteries. Each entry asks you to be present, patient, and detail-oriented. While their minimalist approach won’t appeal to everyone – especially those looking for fast-paced action or visual spectacle – there’s a clear creative throughline that shows K148 Game Studio learning and iterating with each new case.
For fans of narrative-driven puzzle games and grounded detective fiction, Detective Collection is a worthy addition to the shelf. It might not always be elegant in its execution, but it captures the essence of being a lone investigator piecing together the truth – and in the best moments, that’s more than enough.
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