Author: C.E. Forman, Graeme Cree, and Stuart Moore
Year: 1995
Development System: Inform
Cruelty Rating: Merciful
Length of Play: 30 Minutes

My Rating: 7

One of the few games that has made me legit laugh out loud, Detective was the perfect game to get the MSTK3 treatment. It was a seriously earnest mystery written by a 12-year old Matt Barringer and he made nearly every possible mistake one could make–instant death rooms, unimplemented objects, doors that only go one-way, etc.–but since there are really no puzzles, the game can be won in a short time.

Normally I’m not a fan of punching down. But for the most part the mocking done by Servo, Crow, and the gang is light-hearted and it helped me play a game I never would have touched otherwise. That Barringer retroactively gave his blessing for this also helps. I have never seen a full episode of MSTK3, but I still very much enjoyed myself. And I’ve come back to this a few times whenever I need a laugh.