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JENNY LECLUE: DETECTIVU
review | SWITCH
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Publisher: Mografi.
Developer: Mografi. Released: August 2020. Genre: Investigation. Other versions: IOS; PC. Posted 4th November 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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Released in 2019 on Apple Arcade and PC after a successful Kickstarter, Jenny LeClue’s only console port would arrive on Nintendo Switch in the summer of 2020. We witness Arthur K. Finklestein, author of the Jenny LeClue children’s detective novel series, fighting a battle of wills with his publisher, pressured to arrest a trend of dwindling sales by bringing grit, darkness, and murder to the once idyllic town of Arthurton. This manifests as Jenny discovering the local school principal has been killed, and her mother being identified as the main suspect. The player is both an observer of this tale and an omnipotent influence over its direction. You’ll shape the author’s decisions and influence Jenny’s responses to characters, holding sway over fateful decisions.
Jenny LeClue: Detectivú is a lovely game, brimming with quality. Its investigation is aimed at youngsters, but has enough charm to ensure a riveting mystery for fans of low-peril mysteries. It’s got buckets of charm: sparkling, picture-book visuals, expressive cartoon animations, and a vividly crafted setting. Whilst investigation games normally err on the slower side, JLD is dynamic, allowing players to pore over environments, interrogate characters, and recount unfolding events in her beautiful journal, all in a fluid, streamlined fashion. It’s never a trudge.
Another perfect day in Arthurton... or maybe not? Jenny LeClue will need all her resolve to uncover the secrets her town is hiding
Interrogations, as well as piecing together Jenny’s findings, provide some of the most enjoyable moments. Often, the intrepid investigator will comb over a crime scene or look for unusual signs on a person of interest: a note with numerous crossings out, a spoon instead of a pen nestled in a breast pocket, pointing to a person who’s distracted. Simple, logical deductions are displayed in energetic visual form, and the manner in which the connections are displayed is really satisfying. It’s a shame the game veers away from these interactions too soon, because all of its greatest strengths are exhibited most clearly in the first few hours of the adventure.
In the early stages, JLD is awash with nicely realised scenarios. There’s a tutorial where Jenny helps her mother stage a mock crime scene; the thought-provoking navigation of a library using moveable bookshelf ladders; a plan to escape her cousin’s nightmarishly saccharin bedroom, and piloting a speedboat around an awesome, spooky lake by night. It’s easy to get behind Jenny, who fights for her mum, like a passive-aggressive Hercule Poirot. Determined, tenacious, and stubborn, the detective-in-training is forced to confront her fears. She also has time to reflect on her uncompromising, go-it-alone mentality and bulldozer-like approach to building (or breaking) a rapport with locals.
In the early stages, JLD is awash with nicely realised scenarios. There’s a tutorial where Jenny helps her mother stage a mock crime scene; the thought-provoking navigation of a library using moveable bookshelf ladders; a plan to escape her cousin’s nightmarishly saccharin bedroom, and piloting a speedboat around an awesome, spooky lake by night. It’s easy to get behind Jenny, who fights for her mum, like a passive-aggressive Hercule Poirot. Determined, tenacious, and stubborn, the detective-in-training is forced to confront her fears. She also has time to reflect on her uncompromising, go-it-alone mentality and bulldozer-like approach to building (or breaking) a rapport with locals.
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Matters are helped hugely by Elinor Lawless’s admirable voice performances as Jenny and Julie LeClue, whilst Ben Tillet’s narration adds warmth to an inviting story. It’s especially good fun seeing the heroine and the author engaging in a verbal tug-of-war as to her next actions: Finklestein is typically more cautious, Jenny more willing to take risks. Secondary characters are given excellent turns by the voice actors, with Stuart Crug’s run as paranoid conspiracy theorist C.J. proving a notable highlight.
Whilst it would be harsh to suggest the game loses focus during its second half, it does move away from its core strengths. Jenny’s detective mystery becomes more like an escape plot, as she finds herself skulking through a graveyard, followed by a mine, then an underground bunker, and finally a sewer. In isolation, some of these are pretty good, particularly the mines, where Jenny is given a helping hand by the ghostly apparitions of miners who lost their lives in a cave-in. Tackled one after another, however, you’ll find an abundance of arbitrary platforming, shuffling through tunnels, and climbing ladders, during which it loses some of its verve. It’s as though the developers protracted the experience to tick a ‘ten hours of content’ box. Compared to grilling the locals and hunting for clues in lively Arthurton, these sections feel like they’re missing something.
Whilst it would be harsh to suggest the game loses focus during its second half, it does move away from its core strengths. Jenny’s detective mystery becomes more like an escape plot, as she finds herself skulking through a graveyard, followed by a mine, then an underground bunker, and finally a sewer. In isolation, some of these are pretty good, particularly the mines, where Jenny is given a helping hand by the ghostly apparitions of miners who lost their lives in a cave-in. Tackled one after another, however, you’ll find an abundance of arbitrary platforming, shuffling through tunnels, and climbing ladders, during which it loses some of its verve. It’s as though the developers protracted the experience to tick a ‘ten hours of content’ box. Compared to grilling the locals and hunting for clues in lively Arthurton, these sections feel like they’re missing something.
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Perhaps the biggest disappointment, however, is the game’s conclusion. It may be made with children in mind, but even younger gamers want closure to a tense mystery, and sadly, Jenny LeClue resoundingly fails to deliver it. Not only is the ending incredibly abrupt, but we’re given the illusion of a ‘big’ choice, though none of the three options alter the story’s conclusion. We can’t really blame release date pressures: the Switch version is a revised update, released just shy of a year after the PC and mobile versions. The cliffhanger ending was likely made with the intention of expanding from the fallout in a sequel. Still, I’m not here to make excuses for the game: as any Storytelling 101 will tell you, a good narrative must have a clear beginning, middle, and end. All manner of strands are left entirely unresolved, and it becomes apparent that the litany of either-or choices that shift the profile and perception of Jenny, have no bearing on the ending.
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The art style is really pretty, and alongside excellent voicing, it helps bring Jenny LeClue's world to life
Jenny LeClue: Detectivú is a fun, absorbing mystery. Fantastic voicing helps enliven a memorable cast of characters, whilst quality writing, and beautiful cartoon presentation make it a good fit for younger gamers. Despite a strong start, both gameplay and plot feel like they’ve been stretched a little thin by the end. This is compounded by a disappointing ending that lacks closure and, through its abruptness, feels rushed. Jenny LeClue is a great character, and we’ve our fingers crossed that the sequel, announced back in 2022, one day comes to fruition.
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VERDICT"An investigation game with lots of heart and quality. Great voicing, lively storytelling and top presentation make it a decent option for kids, but its arbitrary platforming and abrupt, lacklustre ending will leave some disappointed."
OVERALL: 6/10 |
OTHER PORTABLE-FRIENDLY INVESTIGATION GAMES REVIEWED
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2010, DS)
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Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (2014, PlayStation Vita)
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