At three hours long, A Case of Distrust held my attention all the way, but that’s not to say it’s without imperfections. The main character, I think, lacks the energy of her associates. She’s rightly angry about how she was treated as a woman on the force, but her feminism falls somewhere between overly earnest and glib. Despite a strong backstory, she lacks emotional force and presence. Even so, this is a damned fine game. Murder-mystery books and TV shows can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore, rolling through familiar procedures as they wend their way toward the whodunit. It’s a sign of the times that a point-and-click dialogue tree narrative adventure gives flight to a genre that’s been so thoroughly tilled in other media. I’m looking forward to playing more games like A Case of Distrust.

Atmospheric and visually compelling Whodunit movie noir thriller turned into an interactive visual novel adventure in the San Francisco of the 20s.

Essentially, A Case of Distrust is everything a narrative adventure game should be. It's engaging, humorous, and progressive. The characters are likeable and relatable, even though they're 95% silhouette and 5% deliciously vintage, and the story is entertaining. It's chic and fresh at the same time, and it's impossible to not love your character. Throw in a few quirky cab drivers, and the title becomes something special.

For all practical intents and purposes, this is L.A. Noire’s pocket sized, train-hoppin’, indie tramp cousin. Featuring highly stylized visuals and a soundtrack to match, Phyllis Malone’s investigation in the dark underbelly of 1924 San Francisco may be short but will leave detective mystery fans with a very warm aftertaste, much like the finest bootlegged liquor.

A well-formed slice of noir mystery, beautifully presented. Some writing issues aside, A Case of Distrust is well worth your time.

A Case of Distrust is a charming and gripping noir interactive text adventure. Halfway between 80 Days and Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, Ben Wander’s game tells us about the roaring 20s in a very stylish way. If you can turn a blind eye to some cumbersome mechanics and a couple of trivial choices you’ll spend three lovely thrilling hours hanging around San Francisco.

A dearth of hints, an enormous plethora of potential leads and an overall lack of narrative urgency means that only the dedicated players will see the game through to the end. A good detective novel can spellbind its readers with only words. A Case of Distrust can too, if you have the patience and concentration to make it through the whole way.

A stylish and satisfying detective adventure. [Issue#198, p.81]

Hopefully Wander is able to focus on getting the story right in his next effort, because there’s a ton of potential in A Case of Distrust. So much so that it’s worth checking out despite its flaws. Its art style alone could warrant a purchase and coupled with the animation, transitions and music, it has a really great noire feel to it. The story is just OK, but A Case of Distrust is cool and different, and it deserves a look.

The story's ending does not land. While it's logically sound, it doesn't register with its intended gravity. I'm not sure how you'd figure out its finer points on your own; as a detective, it feels like you've been taken off the case, and are instead reading how some other detective figured it out via the case file after the fact. It also works from without rather than from within because it relies on sentiments for a character that I didn't feel.

A Case of Distrust is a stylish and solid mystery adventure, but with no chance to solve it yourself, you may be left wondering what your role in this game actually is.