Methods: The Detective Competition

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 773 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 11.1h for positive, 7.8h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (61.6% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Story milestones aren't labeled yet; all achievements are listed below.

All achievements (108)

• Action Called, But I'm On Hold Completed Chapter 1! 100%
• Scaredy Mouse Completed Chapter 2! 97%
• Gathering Snippets Completed Chapter 3! 90%
• These Glasses Hide Steely Eyes Completed Chapter 4! 87%
• Hackett Will Never Die! Detective Hackett gets to stay in the contest! 87%
• The Watching Room, Part I Completed Chapter 5! 85%
• Trickster vs. Tricks Completed Chapter 6! 82%
• A Red July in Winter Completed Chapter 7! 79%
• Emergency Protocol Completed Chapter 8! 77%
• Insanity Completed Chapter 9! 74%
• The Watching Room, Part II Completed Chapter 10! 72%
• The Best Detective Completed Chapter 11! 71%
• Green Buttons Completed Chapter 12! 68%
• The Mystery of the Martini Olive Completed Chapter 13! 67%
• The Nap With No End Completed Chapter 14! 66%
• The Watching Room, Part III Completed Chapter 15! 65%
• Loose at the Seems Completed Chapter 16! 64%
• Meeting the Game-master Completed Chapter 17! 62%
• Lord Loomy and the Clue of the Missing Nail Completed Chapter 18! 61%
• Double Murder in the Dark Completed Chapter 19! 58%
• The Watching Room, Part IV Completed Chapter 20! 58%
• The Careful Splice Completed Chapter 21! 57%
• Reinstated Completed Chapter 22! 56%
• Someone to Talk To Completed Chapter 23! 54%
• A Certain Artificial Illness Completed Chapter 24! 53%
• The Watching Room, Part V Completed Chapter 25! 53%
• Blackmail Completed Chapter 26! 53%
• Locking the Door Completed Chapter 27! 52%
• It's His Antic's Fault He's Not Popular! Completed Chapter 28! 51%
• Mellie's Successful Infiltration Mellie successfully infiltrated T.A.D.S.! 51%
• First Class Completed Chapter 29! 51%
• The Watching Room, Part VI Completed Chapter 30! 50%
• Inspecting Detectives Completed Chapter 31! 50%
• Red Line Completed Chapter 32! 49%
• Shifting Rules Completed Chapter 33! 48%
• Not The Plan Expected Completed Chapter 34! 47%
• Nell Gained Respect Nell's correct answer made the top detectives respect her. 47%
• The Watching Room, Part VII Completed Chapter 35! 47%
• Five Uncomfortable Minutes Completed Chapter 36! 46%
• The Inclusion Split Completed Chapter 37! 46%
• The Secret Completed Chapter 38! 46%
• Skeletons in the Closet Completed Chapter 39! 45%
• The Watching Room, Part VIII Completed Chapter 40! 45%
• When I Feel Emotions, They Are Strong Emotions Completed Chapter 41! 44%
• The Plot Completed Chapter 42! 44%
• Incompatible is My Middle Name Completed Chapter 43! 44%
• Unraveling Things Completed Chapter 44! 44%
• The Watching Room, Part IX Completed Chapter 45! 43%
• Trying Trying Completed Chapter 46! 43%
• The World is Constantly Turning Completed Chapter 47! 42%
• The Suspects Are Slowly Surfacing Completed Chapter 48! 42%
• The Criminals Are Horribly Contained Completed Chapter 49! 42%
• The Watching Room, Part X Completed Chapter 50! 42%
• Immunity Completed Chapter 51! 42%
• The Empire Crumbles Completed Chapter 52! 42%
• The Prime Person Completed Chapter 53! 42%
• The Man Who Was Invisible Completed Chapter 54! 42%
• The Watching Room, Part XI Completed Chapter 55! 41%
• Island Living Completed Chapter 56! 41%
• Skin Suit Completed Chapter 57! 41%
• Desperate Times Completed Chapter 58! 41%
• Desperate Measures Completed Chapter 59! 40%
• The Killing Room, Part XII Completed Chapter 60! 40%
• Beth Completed Chapter 61! 40%
• Pinpoint Completed Chapter 62! 40%
• Cattletale Completed Chapter 63! 40%
• Questions and Answers Completed Chapter 64! 40%
• The Killing Room, Part XIII Completed Chapter 65! 40%
• Competition Competition Completed Chapter 66! 40%
• Jeopardized Completed Chapter 67! 40%
• Detexit Completed Chapter 68! 40%
• Puzzled Completed Chapter 69! 40%
• The Killing Room, Part XIV Completed Chapter 70! 40%
• The Mansion Awaits Completed Chapter 71! 40%
• Unblink Completed Chapter 72! 39%
• My Friends Are Dead People Completed Chapter 73! 39%
• Stabbing Crime in the Neck! Completed Chapter 74! 39%
• The Watching Room, Part XV Completed Chapter 75! 39%
• Cool I Guess Completed Chapter 76! 39%
• Seven-Whatever's Big Adventure! Completed Chapter 77! 39%
• Alone Completed Chapter 78! 39%
• Dreamcatcher Completed Chapter 79! 39%
• The Killing Room, Part XVI Completed Chapter 80! 39%
• Left Out Completed Chapter 81! 39%
• Where in the World Is Red July? Completed Chapter 82! 39%
• Full Osmosis Completed Chapter 83! 39%
• The Worst Best Completed Chapter 84! 39%
• The Watching Room, Part XVII Completed Chapter 85! 39%
• Mysteryville Completed Chapter 86! 39%
• The Winning Room, Part XX Completed Chapter 100! 39%
• Half-Houses Completed Chapter 87! 39%
• Submit! Completed Chapter 98! 39%
• Familiar Faces Completed Chapter 99! 39%
• Armchair Shuffle Completed Chapter 88! 39%
• Truth Untangled Completed Chapter 89! 39%
• The Watching Room, Part XVIII Completed Chapter 90! 39%
• Juxtaposed Murders in Deliberate Sequence Completed Chapter 91! 39%
• True Crime Completed Chapter 92! 39%
• Neutral Party Completed Chapter 93! 39%
• Defeat Completed Chapter 94! 39%
• The Watching Room, Part XIX Completed Chapter 95! 39%
• Breaking the System Completed Chapter 96! 39%
• Twisty Twisty Twist Completed Chapter 97! 39%
• Nell Lost Respect Nell's bad answer to the mystery lost her some respect with the top detectives. 38%
• Ashdown Stayed Ashdown stayed in the contest, to try his best at winning! 38%
• Ashdown Left Ashdown left the contest, which ultimately made him happier! 27%
• Hackett Eliminated Hackett was eliminated from the competition! 17%
• Mellie's Unsuccessful Infiltration Mellie was ousted from T.A.D.S.! 15%