Desktop Detective (2026)

Developer: Conradical Games
Publisher: Playsaurus
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Genres: Casual, Indie, RPG
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 165 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 21 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A low-stakes detective game that gently progresses in the background while you do other things, rewarding patient accumulation of clues and stat growth.

idlecasuallow-effortincrementalinvestigativebackgroundprogressionquiet

What players say

Players enjoy it as a cozy background companion with 3D art, an Antimatter Dimensions style upgrade tree, and gear that shapes builds, and they say it can lag other games while running. Long-time players warn the achievement hunt is a heavy grind with hundreds of active hours and many rebirths.

Screenshots

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More by Conradical Games

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.