Methods: The Detective Competition

Finally, I can write my review of this game! I first purchased this game a year ago, then decided to play it later due to its unexpected length (I forgot oof), but now I have rediscovered it and I am glad that I did.

I have a fondness for "weird" visual novels, and this game scratched the "weird" itch extremely well. Each character was an oddball in their own way, and I found it very endearing to watch their antics as they navigated their own ways through the detective competition, whether they be detective, criminal or gamemaster. The art itself is distinctive, with a lot of angular lines, corners, shapes and vivid colors, which made them very interesting to look at. Not a single one looked similar to another, and even the detectives/criminals with lesser screen time made an impact through their neon pink hair, or what had they. And of course, I liked the many poses the characters contorted their bodies into, and all the CGs. It helped the world feel more alive. The soundtrack complemented the story and characters perfectly. I especially enjoyed "Office Games" and "Moving On".

I enjoyed the story as well, and one of the highest compliments I can give it is that I was hooked until the end, and I never felt the urge to just skip the "boring parts". Especially the ending and last few chapters/sections. In my experience, many visual novels sort of drag out towards the end (which I usually accept as a given) but this game is one of the exceptions. The detective competition itself kept the story on a nice pace, I felt. I felt sorry to leave the perspective of one character, but it kept things moving. 

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, and I certainly felt I got my money's worth.

==SPOILERS ABOUND==

My favorite part was definitely when Roel faced off with Catscratcher. I was really, really surprised when Roel actually won. I really expected Red July to win, but Roel definitely made sense--you do need people skills, after all. I also liked this decision because it made me feel suddenly uncertain as to how the story might end. I fell for all the Red July hype, lol, so I thought it would be a given that she would win. So I said to myself, "Well, now I definitely need to know what happens."

I thought the mystery Roel solved was a gripping one, and the setting in which she solved it really heightened the stakes. I became really anxious when Catscratcher made his appearance, and when he was trying to fool her into accepting his testimony as the witnesses', I almost couldn't watch it all play out because I was so invested, lol.

When Roel "lost" and signed the contract with Catscratcher, I was sad, and when she turned it around, it was the best feeling. I was really happy for her!! I know I really did Roel dirty in my mind, thinking she'd never be able to hack it, but she pulled through, and became best girl imo. Also her outfits are slay.

This part was really well written too. I liked all the philosophical discussion about who is deserving, etc. Overall this was this bit that pushed the game from "really good" to "one of the best titles I've seen in a while".

As I got closer to the end of the game, I began to worry that the ending would be unsatisfying. After spending so much time playing the game, and being extremely invested in Roel, I got anxious. I realized few chapters remained until the end, and with every chapter finished, it seemed less likely that the story would come to a satisfying end. My biggest worry would be--and I felt that this reason had been alluded to--that the competition was being held as amusement for rich people, or that it was done at just the whims of a billionaire with too much money. Primarily because such a reason would have been really, really depressing and maybe a little bit too realistic.

I thought there would definitely be an element of this, given how much Conver loved puzzles, but I was really hoping there would be a deeper meaning behind it all. And there was! I don't even mind it ended on a cliffhanger, lol. Even if Conver is lying, I’m still happy the competition has a deeper meaning, no matter what it is. 

So, very good job with this game! I can't wait to see what you have in store next!

Dear Mr / Mrs,

I am a student in Translation from the University of Mons in Belgium. I recently discovered your game entitled Methods, and I would like to use it for my thesis. Indeed, my thesis will consist on translating and localising a videogame from English to French, which is my mother tongue. Thus, I would like to ask you your permission to work on this game. I will use it only for an academic purpose, which means that I do not intend to commercialise it in any way. Unfortunately, I can not find any word count for this game and I need it to confirm that it fits the instructions that I got.

I hope this message will find you well, and I hope to get your answer and approval soon.

Best regards,

Capucin Cousin

Methods has been on my radar ever since I played (and loved) Prison of Lies and I'm so glad I finally got around the playing it!! I really can't give this game enough praise. From the art to the music to the gameplay everything is so jam-packed with charm and creativity. It's a game that keeps you guessing and not just about the story; every time I began to think the detective competition was getting a bit formulaic it introduced some new mechanic or concept. It's genuinely impressive how many different well-executed ideas LockedOn managed to fit into a single, relatively short game. 

And of course the character writing and sense of humor are top-notch, like I genuinely laughed out loud regularly. My favorite characters are Detective 7XX, Nell, Slakes, Killersoul... the list goes on! Admittedly the POV-switching was a bit jarring at first, but it's a clever way to introduce such a large cast and let you see the game from several different perspectives (though a part of me wishes we spent a bit more time with some characters). The extras menu is also very extensive and lots of fun to go through. 

Overall Methods definitely lived up to my expectations. I got it on sale but I think it's well worth the $20 and I'm excited to try out the Canada Files! 

I played this game when it first came out(version 1.0) 2 years ago and got this, and broken minds for free during the covid sale. I absolutely adored both of these games and prison of lies, the way the stories are written are so complex and amazing and the game mechanics make it so much more interactive and fun. Every character in these games stand out as their own, even in a cast of maybe 60 to 70 characters. I can't help but love every character because even side characters who are barely used still seemed to have a lot of thought put into them and felt very fleshed out.  I have a lot of personal favorites but one detective I hope we see more of is Detective Noose. I'm also a HUGE fan of Detective Selete and how her dialogue was written in her chapter. One of my favorite parts of your writing is how you are able to write different perspectives that perfectly reflect the characters. I still have my original Methods save on my old computer that I replay maybe twice every year. I decided to revisit LockedOn to check out any new projects you might've been working on and I was so excited to see the new content released for Methods, the prequel announcement, and the sequel announcements for Methods and broken minds. I will definitely keep tabs on all the new games being worked on in the coming years. Unfortunately with receiving games for free or through bundles it can be pretty complicated to access the new downloads or added content. On the main game page there is a header that says you own this visual novel with a download button below it. The download button above is available but the place where you would download the game from normally is locked behind the paywall still. (I wasn't able to download the game just now through the page the above button linked to but after using the itch.io app instead it worked fine, definitely just other itch.io problem in general.) This isn't a huge problem as I can still access the game but when trying to download the Red July story DLC the paywall is still there and it doesn't register like I own the main game. Should I put in a ticket to Itch.io through 'I already own this game' to fix this? It's okay if there isn't a work around through Itch.io or to access the DLC I am more that happy enough with the main game but it would still be nice to play through the new chapters. I don't know if anyone else has had a problem with this, Itch.io can be pretty buggy with paid games. When I first got the game I thought that Methods: the detective competition was one of the best games I had ever played. It was so rich with content and I can't stress enough how put together this game is from the solid memorable art style, screen format, really fun and constantly changing gameplay mechanics, soundtrack, amazingly written story, in-depth characters, and just the amount of love I can see that was put into the game. I still think it is probably one of the best, and most entertaining games I'll ever get to play. It's one of those games where you can keep coming back to it and you'll enjoy even more than the last time you played. I am such a huge fan of your work and I am so glad I decided to get Methods and broken minds 2 years ago. I can't wait to see the new projects you are working on and how much your work has improved over the years. So sorry if this was a lot! A lot of this would have probably been better sent over email or dm but comments are the next best thing

Hi there ! All your games and projects look very cool ! I wanted to give it a try with Methods demo, if I plan on buying it afterwards will my save be imported ? Thanks !

Hi, I bought the game on Steam and it's been an amazing experience, with all the plot twists and the endearing characters (as annoying as 7something-something is at the beginning, I ended up being quite fond of him, especially in the last chapter). But I've found something that looks like a bug in the extra chapter with R.J. When this puzzle appears:

When I click on the keyhole to submit my answer, it does nothing. So I'm completely stuck and can't do anything else in the game. Am I doing something wrong?

Anyway, congrats on the amazing job with this VN! I can't recommend it enough.

This game is absolutely amazing. As an aspiring writer/developer with a passion for mysteries this just touched all the right spots, and the behind-the-scenes extras are hitting me on a personal level - thanks for sharing the wisdom. It's not often I get to say this but this game genuinely gave me hope. I have some projects to work on now, and you have a new fan. Thank you so much.

I played this game and finished it within the span of a few days, I was so hooked on it. I'm a huge fan of visual novels already, and this is, without a doubt, one of the best! I can only hope this game will continue to get the recognition it deserves!

This is the best game I have ever played! LOOOOOOOOVE the plots and characters. It's just like the game I have ever imagined and I will definitely recommend it to my friends who interested in VN! 

Just for curious, what game engine u used for Methods? since I'm developing my game with Unity and I want to try some others.  

Methods is my first LockedOn game and VN. It's fun to play a game which engages my intellect rather than focusing on the speed of execution. But the general atmosphere is what keeps me engaged. The mood music, the funny character names, and the lighthearted banter are consistent and enjoyable, the art is interesting rather than bland.

I immerse myself in the game, relax and forget all my troubles for awhile. Thanks, LockedOn!

I keep trying to install the game but 'failed-network error' and 'failed-forbidden' keep popping up when ever i try. I already restarted chrome and cleared my cache. is there anything i could do to get it to download?

This is literally one of my all time favorite games. I recommend it to everyone who is into mysteries and a fleshed out diverse cast. On another note, if you need a Turkish translator in the future  I would be more than happy to do the job :) Also when I was playing it seemed a bit long but now that I am finished im aching for more!

Hello! This game has been a blast so far and I'm been enjoying every moment of it. I seem to encounter a few problems, however:

-Chapter 23's Trigger Chain's submit button doesn't seem to do anything, or am I misunderstanding how the Trigger Chain mechanic works? I've tried several combinations and none seem to progress in any way.

-The Gallery is inaccessible, from either the main menu or the story. Not a major problem, but something I'd like to mention.

Other than that, though, it's working pretty smoothly. This is the first game of yours that I've played, and I'll also check out your other games as well.

Hi! This game looks intresting but I'd like to ask: are there any applicable trigger warnings beyond murder and death?

How do you update the game? It seems it keeps giving me error when I try to keep playing the updates :(

This is a short(ish) review for those interested in Methods. A full disclosure, I've followed LockedOn for awhile, but I'll try to do my best to be neutral - and avoid spoilers! 

On it's face, Methods is a story about detectives (and criminals!) competing for a cash prize - or freedom. Though it includes a heaping helping of mystery, the force of the story are the characters, interactions, and dialogue. If you've already experienced a LockedOn piece, you'll probably already know if it's for you.

For those new to the author, though, you can expect clever interactions, odd asides, and the occasional poignant moment. Methods is a mostly silly story, though that arguably makes the dramatic and tense moments more effective. 

The narrative switches regularly, and if you're the sort of reader that doesn't like stories that change perspective frequently, it may be a bit of a struggle. On the flipside, if you enjoy seeing things from a different angle, the changes in perspective are really well-done. Speaking from a personal note, the Game Master segments were near the bottom rung, and they're one of the pieces of the story I look forward to most, now.

Despite several jokes in-story about how the detectives/cast don't have time to stand out, I'd say that especially the focus cast stands out well. Further, as a LockedOn work, there is a lot of supplementary material, too. Bios will be familiar to anyone who's played Umineko or Higurashi, but also come with statistics charts that are usually worth a chuckle.

One of the reasons I feel the cast works so well, besides recognisable design and engaging dialogue, however, are the interviews. Though often funny, some of these provide a completely different take on the cast or their actions. To try to encapsulate how interesting they are to me, it's a bit like the difference between seeing someone's pre-recorded performance...

Then catching them behind the scenes, talking candidly with their staff.

With the shift in perpsectives, methods, and motivations, I feel like you could give the story a try whether you're interested in following the story for the story, or just outfoxing the cast -as there are mysteries, several in fact! But I'd strongly recommend Methods for anyone who enjoys humourous VN, mysteries-as-a-setting, or just likes seeing unusual characters play off of one another.

how many chapters will there be?

Nice interface. Good job!

I always love detective, crime scene games. This game similar to the favous Camen San Diego from the 1980s if I remember correctly.

just started playing it. loving it already 

This is a great game! I found you after playing of Prison of Lies and I'm really enjoying the deductions and the little gimmicks. And 772/773. He's the funniest guy.

I love the art style in the game and the music really set the mood, I truly felt like a detective! How long have you been working on this game? :D

I don't know if you've heard of Game Development World Championship before (gdwc2019) but it's a competition for indie game developers where they can submit their games and it's free! It's great if you want some more visibility for the game and it only takes a couple of minutes to join :)

JUST when I needed a pick-me-up, no kidding?! And the premise, I'm already diggin' it! Now the question (my little grey cells ask of me) - could it be that... Not everyone present... Is just a detective?

Heh, downloading right now.  Also, I know I've said this before, but it astounds me how well you can juggle projects.  More after I've actually played Release I!

OMG. Looking forward to this!