DecaPolice

About DecaPolice

DecaPolice is a role-playing game from LEVEL-5, known for the Layton series. It drops you into a near-future city where rookie detective Harvard toggles between real-world crime scenes and a digital clone called DecaSim to solve cases. The game launched December 31, 2026, across PlayStation 4, PS5, PC, and Switch. It’s a single-player story where your choices shape investigations. Think of it as a noir mystery with a cyberpunk twist, part procedural cop show, part interactive puzzle box. The virtual world DecaSim isn’t just a copy; it’s a memory vault for crimes, letting you rewind timelines to find clues you missed. The goal? Piece together the truth in a city that never sleeps, and never forgets.

Gameplay

The core loop alternates between physical and digital spaces. You start in the real city, gathering evidence, interrogating suspects, and filing reports. When stuck, you jump into DecaSim, a glitchy, neon-lit version of the city where you relive crimes through fragmented memories. Here, you use a scanner to highlight clues, backtrack through time loops, and manipulate virtual environments to uncover hidden details. Combat is minimal but exists, think quick-time fights during stakeouts. A typical session blends 30 minutes of dialogue-heavy investigation with 20 minutes of puzzle-solving in the simulation. The UI feels clunky, but the dual-world design keeps the pace fresh. Controls are standard for RPGs, but the lack of a save system outside key chapters adds tension.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate DecaPolice 8.9/10, matching Metacritic’s 84. Completion rate is 62%, with average playtime at 24 hours. Most praise the dual-world setup: “Solving clues in DecaSim feels like hacking a noir mystery” (93% user). But some critics call the combat “uninspired” and the open-world grind “repetitive.” The game’s price point of $39.99 splits opinions, seen as fair for the story but overpriced for the side content. 78% of players feel the 35 achievements (including “Find the First Clue in DecaSim”) are balanced. Community moods skew intrigued (45%) and satisfied (33%), with 22% frustrated by technical hiccups. One review sums it up: “DecaPolice isn’t perfect, but it’s the closest thing to a detective’s notebook in game form.”

PlayPile's Take

DecaPolice is a solid pick for fans of narrative-driven RPGs and mystery fans who like piecing together clues. The $39.99 price tag fits its mid-length story and 35 achievements, though the combat and side quests feel tacked on. If you enjoy games like Disco Elysium or Phoenix Wright where choices matter, this one’s worth the risk. Skip it if you crave action or vast open worlds, it’s more about clever puzzles than scale. The 24-hour average playtime suggests a focused, if imperfect, experience. It’s not a modern classic, but the dual-reality gimmick keeps it memorable.

Storyline

DecaSim, a virtual world created from a perfect copy of reality. More than just a simulation, it's a complete copy of a real city, a forbidden place where memories of every past crime lie dormant. "Clues" found in DecaSim can help unravel the riddles of the real world.