Duck Detective: The Secret Salami | iOS Review

April 19, 2025 Scott Clark

I can’t tell you that I don’t play mobile games. After all, my Balatro addiction is still a severe problem for me since it found its way on iOS. Still, most of the titles I play on that platform are more along the lines of arcade experiences. You know what I’m talking about: pick-up-and-play titles that are often played in short bursts and don’t involve a narrative. But after hearing Zack and Alyssa talk about Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I had to jump at the chance to play it. Now that it’s available on mobile devices, I was eager to try it out. Although it’s a very short experience, it’s absolutely charming and begs for more content.

Solve a Mystery, Or Rewrite History

You are Eugene McQuacklin, a private duck detective down on his luck. His wife left him, and he has barely the money for a bus fare to his next case. Someone contacts him asking for help with a mystery at a local business, and thus begins our story.

The mystery in question? Who stole someone’s lunch. Yes, someone actually called a detective to learn the identify of the thief responsible for missing deli meat. As expected, a deeper mystery is at play, but this playful setup is just ridiculous enough to put a smile on my face. Upon arriving at the office, our Duck Detective meets a collection of likely suspects. Your job is to have Eugene investigate the “crime scene”, interrogate everyone, and make “deducktions” to solve the case.

Absolutely nothing is taken seriously here, and the overall tone is very tongue-in-cheek. The noir stylization and voice acting adds to the humor in an absolutely charming way, and it carries throughout the two-hour playthrough of this case.

Danger Lurks Behind You

The gameplay in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is akin to a point-and-click adventure. You have the option to investigate and question every suspect, which unveils new clue words to add to your notebook. In order to solve the case, you simply have to choose the correct words to fill in the blanks of a prewritten sentence. You won’t be able to complete those sentences until you have acquired all the necessary words from your investigations.

It’s a simple concept with absolutely zero penalty for any error. If you choose the wrong word, you’re alerted as such and can simply try a different word. There’s even a hint system that does a fantastic job of pointing you in the right direction without telling you exactly what to do. Using the hint system has no negative effects on the outcome of your story, proving that Happy Broccoli Games simply wants you to enjoy the experience and not be bogged down by puzzles.

The voice performances are perfect for the tone of this game. Each character is heavily exaggerated in fun ways, reminding you that you’re not supposed to take the story too seriously. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami Final Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough of Duck Detective: The Secret Salami. Your mobile device serves as a perfect place to play a game like this, and I’m thankful it’s made its way to that platform. It’s a refreshing change of pace to the typical games that I’ve played on my phone, but I don’t see myself playing through it again. But if a single playthrough is one of this game’s only downfalls, it makes for an easy recommend, especially since the price is half the cost of a movie theater ticket. It’s a great little “weekend” game that deserves more attention than it’s gotten so far, and I hope you’ll give it a shot.

To hear Zack and Alyssa talk more about Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, be sure to listen to the June 25th, 2024 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:49:37 time stamp.

This review is based on an iOS review of Duck Detective: The Secret Salami provided by Games Branding for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Google Play, and PC via Steam and GOG.