Methods vs The Darkside Detective
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Methods
Engage in a crime investigation visual novel where you examine evidence and answer multiple-choice questions to solve cases. This is the first part of a series, featuring 20 chapters of a compelling storyline and interactive crime scenes.
- Interactive crime scenes
- Multiple-choice puzzles
- Intriguing storyline
- Original soundtrack
- Distinctive artwork
- 20 Chapters
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The first chapter in the Methods Visual Novel series. Methods is a visual novel with simple crime investigation gameplay where you examine evidence and answer multiple-choice questions about the solution. And the whole game has been split into five apps for the mobile release, with 'Methods: Detective Competition' being the first, and containing Chapters 1-20. Part 2- Methods2: Secrets and Death, now available for pre-order. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ One hundred detectives compete against each other in a mysterious competition, solving crimes created by the world's smartest criminals. The detective who wins receives one million dollars and the opportunity of a lifetime. If a criminal wins, however, they will also receive a million dollars... and parole, no matter the severity of their crime. Search for clues, and find out the truth with your unique methods! Who...will become the world's number one detective? Yours, The Game-master Key features ■ Very Positive in Steam ■ Over 25 interactive crime scenes ■ Contains 20 Chapters ■ Original soundtrack ■ intriguing storyline ■ Distinctive artwork ■ Independent developer Twitter: Methods_Official Instagram: methodsvn https://discord.gg/UmtD5zascA
The Darkside Detective
Investigate bizarre and dangerous cases in Twin Lakes City as a paranormal detective. Solve mysteries involving tentacles, zombies, and occult phenomena. This comedic serial adventure features bite-sized cases and witty puzzles.
- 9 paranormal micro cases
- Comedic serial adventure
- Point-and-click investigation
- High definition pixels
- Original music score
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Grab your trench coat, tune your sixth sense and join the Darkside Division as they investigate the outright bizarre, the downright dangerous and the confusing cases of Twin Lakes. Flesh-hungry tentacles, mafian zombies, and the occasional missing sock are no match for The Darkside Detective. "Where cultists crawl, where demons dwell, where the occult… occults? *ahem* That's where you’ll find Detective Francis McQueen, the lead investigator of the criminally underfunded Darkside Division. When evil darkens the doorsteps of Twin Lakes City – hell, even when it just loiters around shop fronts or hangs out in shady alleyways – he’s there, ready to investigate the cases that nobody else will. He is The Darkside Detective. ----- The COMPLETE SEASON ONE collection of this multi award-winning comedic serial adventure sees Detective McQueen and his sidekick, Officer Patrick Dooley, investigating cases plaguing Twin Lakes and its colorful citizens. Point at everything in sight, click around mysterious and eerie locations, and use your wits (or borrow a friend’s) to lay these cases to rest! Feature List • 9 paranormal bite-sized micro cases to investigate around Twin Lakes City, including a Christmas Spectacular Special • At least three jokes • Cutting edge, high definition pixels • One free curse-removal, up to and including mid-level witch hexes • Music from Ben Prunty, the audiomancer behind gems such as Into the Breach, Subnautica, and FTL
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Methods at 100% against The Darkside Detective's 77%. Methods also leads on price ($2.99 vs $6.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). The Darkside Detective's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (48 vs 9). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Methods costs $2.99 and The Darkside Detective $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
The Darkside Detective holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Darkside Detective has 48 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Methods's written reviews are positive against 77% of The Darkside Detective's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Methods ships an update fortnightly, The Darkside Detective every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Methods | The Darkside Detective |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (9 ratings) | 4.9 (48 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 76.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 48 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 744 MB | 992 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | QI YU SG. PTE. LTD. | Akupara Games, LLC |
Customer experience
Methods
The Darkside Detective
In-app purchases
Methods
No in-app purchases
The Darkside Detective
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Methods free?
Is The Darkside Detective free?
Which has better reviews, Methods or The Darkside Detective?
Do Methods or The Darkside Detective have ads?
Which is updated more often, Methods or The Darkside Detective?
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