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The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Defective Detectives

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark and Defective Detectives both land in Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (2021) is 5 years older than Defective Detectives (2026). Defective Detectives is currently ~93% cheaper on Steam than The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (0.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark

Choose The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark if you want the Camera Comfort and Custom Volume Controls side of the pairing. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark launched in 2021.

Choose Defective Detectives

Choose Defective Detectives if you want an Action and RPG game with #category_playable_at_your_own_pace. On Steam, it's currently about 93% cheaper on the Steam Store. Defective Detectives launched in 2026.

Both The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark and Defective Detectives sit in Indie, Adventure, and Casual on Steam and both list Playable without Timed Input, Mouse Only Option, and Save Anytime, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Defective Detectives — Steam metadata comparison
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark — Steam game coverThe Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the DarkDefective Detectives — Steam game coverDefective Detectives
Released20212026
GenresIndie, Adventure, CasualAction, Indie, Adventure, RPG, Casual
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows
Steam DeckDeck VerifiedUnrated
Price14.99 USD0.99 USD
Steam reviews95.4% positive (877 reviews)5 reviews
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersSpooky DoorwayReanim Games

Side by side

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Defective Detectives — FAQ

Should I play The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark or Defective Detectives first?
If you want chronology, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark (2021) came out before Defective Detectives (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark and Defective Detectives similar?
They overlap on Indie, Adventure, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Does The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark run on Steam Deck?
Yes — The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Defective Detectives doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.
The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark vs Defective Detectives