Duck Detective: The Secret Salami puts your faith in the mantra "I want shorter games with worse graphics made by people who are paid more to work less and I'm not kidding" to the test. Its length seems designed just to outlast Steam’s refund window, but the polish and charm can't be denied.

This noir adventure features a duck detective on a single case. From the start, the game makes a strong impression. First, the detective duck’s voice—a deep, tragic tone reminiscent of Max Payne—adds a surprising depth that is hilarious coming from the cartoon duck. Second, the visual style stands out: cutscenes play like a moving slideshow over 2D illustrations, which are both beautiful and consistent with the game’s assets. Outside cutscenes, it evokes Paper Mario, with 2D characters in a simple, cartoonish 3D world.

The gameplay diverges from expectations. Instead of the puzzle progression seen in games like "The Darkside Detective," Duck Detective offers a different experience. The duck interviews suspects, asks about others or evidence, analyzes environments, and investigates objects, gathering keywords along the way. Solving the case involves filling in incomplete deduction phrases with these keywords, making each clue part of a logical puzzle.

The story is decent, reminiscent of an opening case in Ace Attorney with a touch of American Vandal. You're called to investigate a declining bus company, only to uncover a bigger conspiracy. The office clues are sufficient for a keen observer to identify the culprit.

I enjoyed Duck Detective and would love to see a version with at least three cases, similar to the Frog Detective trilogy. The game feels pricey for its length—especially at launch—but it's a charming experience worth picking up on sale. Plus, its kid-friendly nature makes it great for families.

"En Garde!" is a rare gem of a game, reminiscent of "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger." This comparison might seem odd, but the rarity I refer to is simplicity. "En Garde!" focuses on two core elements: engaging combat and competent jumping, climbing, and rope-swinging mechanics. Rather than incorporating features from RPGs and open-world games, it excels as a linear series of challenges using these polished mechanics. This is what made me think of "Gunslinger," which is also a straightforward arcade-style action game. In an era where levels, equipment, crafting, and conquerable camps dominate action game design, it's refreshing to find a game that relies solely on its core mechanics.

The combat in "En Garde!" feels like "Batman Arkham" if a group of talented designers modified the combat loop to fit a swashbuckling character. Enemies telegraph their moves: blue attacks require parries, red attacks require dodges. When attacked by groups, simply responding adequately isn't enough. You must assess whether you have time to counter multiple quasi-simultaneous attacks. You'll need to run, jump, set traps, and isolate enemies to control the fight.

The game introduces new enemy types (grenadiers, elite duelists, tanky foes, and more). These additions force you to adjust your strategies, adding enough variety to keep the combat loop fresh.

How long does the game stay fresh? For three or four hours, which is fortunate because that's exactly how long it lasts. It’s a short, enjoyable experience.

Regarding environments, music, and voice acting, they're decent. The Spanish-inspired settings remind me of Overwatch's Dorado, featuring ports, 16th-century cities, prisons, and haciendas. I won’t comment on the music since, admittedly, I played the game mostly while listening to other content.

"En Garde!" is challenging in a fun way, and its simplicity prevents frustration. I dislike getting lost in repetitive 3D environments and games that fail to clearly distinguish between main paths and side quests. "En Garde!" avoids these pitfalls with no hidden optional treasures or irrelevant puzzles. I enjoyed the game and believe that a sequel with additional features would be well-received.