Detective Dotson Is A Homegrown Murder Mystery Video Game Built Around Indian Pop Culture

Detective Dotson follows the journey of Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who reluctantly steps into the shoes of a detective following his father's mysterious death. Masala Games

Published on:

31 Jul 2024, 6:51 am

3 min read

Is there anything more Bollywood than a hero's foray into a journey to find the truth after his father's mysterious death? Masala Games, an independent game studio, based their upcoming mystery-adventure game, ‘Detective Dotson’, on the same trope. The game, available on the Xbox series of consoles and PC promises to immerse players in a beautifully stylized version of modern-day India, blending 2D and 3D aesthetics to create a unique and engaging experience.

Detective Dotson follows the journey of Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who reluctantly steps into the shoes of a detective following his father's mysterious death. Dotson’s dream of dazzling on the silver screen is put on hold as he navigates the cosy alleys behind colourful temples, solves mysteries, and even engages in lively Bollywood dance-offs.

Detective Dotson follows the journey of Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who reluctantly steps into the shoes of a detective following his father's mysterious death. Masala Games

The game’s core mechanic revolves around an evidence board, reminiscent of a sentence with all the crucial nouns (clues) missing. Players must explore the richly detailed streets of India, interact with an intriguing cast of characters, and gather clues to complete each case. The gameplay is designed to be both intuitive and immersive, with players encouraged to use disguises to gather information and manipulate objects in creative ways to solve puzzles.

Detective Dotson pulls you in with its authentic representation of Indian culture. You experience the joy of Indian festivals, the warmth of family weddings, and the allure of Indian cuisine, all while uncovering secrets in the bustling streets. With nostalgic pixelated graphics, the game draws inspiration from modern Indian pop culture, including Bollywood and popular crime dramas like ‘CID’, providing a fresh, fun and culturally relatable narrative.

Detective Dotson follows the journey of Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who reluctantly steps into the shoes of a detective following his father's mysterious death. Masala Games

The game was developed in Unity and offers a single-player episodic story as well as 2-player couch co-op levels. Complementing the engaging gameplay is an original soundtrack created in collaboration with Nikhil Rao of Indian Ocean, a pioneer in the Indian rock scene.

Ahmedabad-based Masala Games, the studio behind Detective Dotson, was founded by Shalin Shodhan, a musician and game designer with a background in education. Shodhan’s impressive resume includes work on three Oscar-winning films, a BAFTA-winning game, and top-charting apps. His passion for creating unique games that delight and educate is evident in Detective Dotson. Shodhan’s mission is to fill the void of Indian representation in video game culture. He is aiming to train the next generation of technology wizards and create exceptional gaming experiences.

Detective Dotson follows the journey of Dotson, an aspiring Bollywood star who reluctantly steps into the shoes of a detective following his father's mysterious death. Masala Games

Shodhan and his team at Masala Games, which includes veterans from Pixar, Electronic Arts, and Prana, are committed to showcasing the richness of Indian culture through interactive media. Their previous work includes the creation of India’s first playground on Fortnite, ‘Loot Biskoot’.

With Detective Dotson, Masala Games invites players worldwide to embark on a thrilling adventure set in the most interesting place on Earth: modern-day India. As Dotson, players will navigate a world brimming with colour, intrigue, and desi easter eggs, making this game a must-play for adventure enthusiasts and anyone who's been missing an Indian representation in their video games.