Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes

Alright. [i]Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes[/i] is done and dusted. This is a kinda ridiculous Twin Peaks meets Monty Python-esque game as mentioned in the product description. I'm not really seeing the True Detective part of their influences, but such is life, lol. In real life, I actually live one town over from the actual Twin Lakes, Colorado. So, you know I was definitely going to give this game a look. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341812401 A little about the actual town. There are in fact two lakes, separated by a mostly thin strip of land. And Twin Lakes is also where avid hikers and bushcrafters such as myself will go to easily access Mount Elbert and the various trailheads thereabout. Quaint and very cool little town. I would guess the devs selected that as the location of this game because it was close enough to Twin Peaks name-wise, but it could also be that they live there and are a bit jaded, lol. Regardless, the in-game Twin Lakes is obviously nothing like the real life one. Which, of course. Gameplay is simple point and click investigations, set in a semi open world format. With the additional wrinkle of being a federal officer and being required to follow the rules. Such as needing to obtain and present a search warrant in order to search somebody's home, absent their direct permission. There is a lot of running back and forth and all around this little town, as a result. And since you will potentially end up solving quite a few mysteries, this will need to be something you are comfortable with. The actual PnC stuff is more logical than normal, but the actual locations of objects can and is often pretty random. Spending the first hour or so simply wandering everywhere you can will help you acquire a fair few necessary items long before you need them though, which is handy. There is a manual save function with this game, which was appreciated. So, the story set-up is an anti-oil activist, Tammy Taylor, goes missing while protesting the Big Oil coming into Twin Lakes, buying up as much land as possible, and building a pipeline through the town. You, the titular Sammy Jukes, are sent in to assist local law enforcement in finding Tammy and/or solving the mystery of her disappearance. But, as it turns out, Tammy's disappearance isn't the only problem in this idyllic little town. No. Pretty much everybody in town has some sort of skeleton in their closet, from fraud to murder to extreme stupidity, lol. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341260218 Speaking of stupidity, everyone in town is some form of stupid, lol. And you ain't much better as Sammy Jukes. The dialogue in this game is hilarious as a result though. In fact, I was laughing throughout my playthrough. It's genuinely funny even as the game is also kind of stupid. Intentionally so I think. Actually, I'd say everything is exaggerated to poke fun at many aspects of our modern world, from insane MAGA dbags to the equally dysfunctional extreme left activists who don't really understand the things they are working against. And everything in between. This game is pretty irreverent, and nobody is safe from a bit of playful ribbing. The music tracks in this game are all fun, and there are enough of them to never really get bored. Plus, they are triggered by proximity to specific places. And every character is fully voice acted. And this is done in the exaggerated fashion you should expect from a game that emphasizes exaggeration of everything to comical effect. As a result, the voice acting itself is also pretty hilarious. In the intentional, so bad it's good, type of way. There were a few bugs. The most impactful of which being the fact that the cursor is always pointing the wrong way when you look at the map. That ish is annoying AF. Additionally, there are times when you simply can't close the journal or interaction menus and have to ctrlaltdelete your way out. And doors will at times trap you behind them, also requiring a restart. Also, the Fireworks investigation seemed to be bugged. I don't believe I missed anything, and yet the dialogue never advanced beyond a certain point, and I was unable to finish it. Beyond that, there is a certain amount of jank with the game in general, but it's not so much so that I felt it had a real impact on the experience. It is worth noting though. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3341260112 All in all, it is the game's irreverence, and "nobody spared from being playfully shredded" attitude that I especially appreciated, and it's what really made me really enjoy this game. In fact, I'll be keeping an eye out for the next game in the series. It took me a bit less than six hours to complete with one investigation incomplete and possibly a side activity or two. I don't really think I would have wanted to pay $19.99 for it. I think you could easily wait until it's on sale for that $7.99-$9.99 range. Which would be a very fair price for the game. Regardless though, it's a game that is mostly enjoyable and definitely has a strong fun factor attached to it. So, give it a look. [b]I received this license via our IndieGems Curator program.[/b] [code]If you found this review helpful and would be interested in supporting my Curator group, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32549618/]Robilar's Reviews[/url], it would be appreciated. Cheers.[/code] [code]Also follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]IndieGems[/url] for more reviews like this one.[/code]

[English version: see below] *** Hervorragender Krimi, aber nichts für Grafik-Enthusiasten. *** Durch die amerikanische Kleinstadt Twin Lakes soll eine Pipeline gebaut werden. Natürlich ruft das Aktivisten auf den Plan, die dagegen protestieren. Als die Anführerin der Gruppe plötzlich verschwindet, werden wir als Detective Sammy Jukes nach Twin Lakes geschickt, um den dortigen Sheriff bei der Aufklärung des Falls zu unterstützen. Doch während der Gespräche mit den Bewohnern des Städtchens stellt sich heraus, dass viele davon einigen Dreck am Stecken haben. Und so verfolgen wir nicht nur den Hauptfall, sondern überführen nebenbei auch noch andere Straftäter – immer ohne Gewalt, lediglich durch Befragung und das Sammeln von Hinweisen. Die Story ist ein sehr gut gemachter Krimi, bei dem wir den Fall bis zum Ende verfolgen müssen, um herauszufinden, welcher der abwechslungsreichen Charaktere der Täter. Der Knackpunkt an dem Spiel ist allerdings die teilweise amateurhafte Präsentation, denn vor allem die Animationen der Charaktere lassen zu wünschen übrig – wenn es denn überhaupt eine Animation gibt. Die meisten stehen einfach Tag ein, Tag aus an der gleichen Stelle herum, ohne sich jemals zu bewegen, oder sie machen immer wieder die gleichen Bewegungen. Auch hätte der Umgebung noch Feinschliff an der Beleuchtung gutgetan und die UI könnte die Hand eines professionellen Designers gebrauchen. Wer darüber hinwegsehen kann, der bekommt einen sehr gut konstruierten, teilweise recht kniffeligen Krimi mit Wendungen, Sackgassen, kleineren Nebenfällen und abwechslungsreichen Charakteren, die hervorragend englisch vertont sind. Video-Review (deutsch/german): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSS-GYEG24M [Translated by Google – sorry for errors or misunderstandings] *** Excellent crime novel, but not for graphics enthusiasts. *** A pipeline is to be built through the small American town of Twin Lakes. Of course, this attracts activists to protest against it. When the leader of the group suddenly disappears, we as Detective Sammy Jukes are sent to Twin Lakes to support the sheriff there in solving the case. But during conversations with the town's residents, it turns out that many of them have a lot of dirt on them. And so we not only pursue the main case, but also convict other criminals - always without violence, just by questioning and collecting clues. The story is a very well-crafted crime thriller in which we have to follow the case to the end to find out which of the varied characters is the perpetrator. The crux of the game, however, is the sometimes amateurish presentation, because the animations of the characters in particular leave a lot to be desired - if there is any animation at all. Most people just stand in the same place day in and day out without ever moving or they make the same movements over and over again. The environment would also benefit from some fine-tuning of the lighting and the UI could use the hand of a professional designer. If you can overlook that, you will get a very well constructed, sometimes quite tricky crime thriller with twists, dead ends, smaller side cases and varied characters with excellent voice-over.

This is a bit of a hard review to write. I liked it but maybe because I enjoyed the best aspects of it that I gave a pass to the parts of the game that could have been improved. The story is that you are a very average detective sent to a small town to investigate a missing woman. There is a pipeline being built, protests, and very quirky townspeople to deal with. There are manual saves, which is always good. The graphics are just okay and the setting of all the houses you visit are sparse, cookie cutter type places. The town you investigate is relatively large and to find someone’s house, you need to look up their profile in your people tab and then look at the map for the best way to get there. The run speed is very good and there is a jump map for areas of the town that will get you close so that was okay. There aren’t any really hard puzzles. You find some inventory items and use them in places and any door/safe combinations are pretty easy to figure out. The gameplay is really in questioning people and taking those leads to investigate further, get search warrants, etc. And here’s where the game is really good. The voice acting was very well done. And you have a town of roundabouts 20 people give or take a couple. I was very impressed at the effort to make them unique. It was fun dealing with all these different personalities. It felt like you were investigating a real (weird, but real) town. So within the somewhat bland settings were a set of funny characters that were so different. The devs did a great job with that aspect. I ended up enjoying the experience and the investigation to find out what happened to the missing girl. The credits suggested another Sammy Jukes game could be coming and I would definitely support it when it comes out.

it's a bit rough, the npc are very static, there's not much movement on the street because they're all locked in their homes or offices so the city seems a bit empty but overall it's very nice. The story is very interesting, there are multiple ways to get to the solution and different endings based on the choices made, the replayability is a bit low but it's there, mostly if you want to see the other endings or try to solve the case by following different leads. Recommended

Ich könnte mich über viele Dinge in Twin Lakes ärgern. Ich weiß zum Beispiel gar nicht, wie viele uninteressante Räume ohne Interaktionsmöglichkeiten ich während meiner zehn Spielstunden besucht habe. Gefühlt die Hälfte der Zeit habe ich damit verbracht, nach Gegenständen zu suchen und durch den Ort zu laufen. Aber: Ich fand Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes durchaus faszinierend. Sollten die Entwickler tatsächlich die Frustmomente aus dem Spiel rauspatchen können, würde ich mich noch mehr auf die kommenden Abenteuer von Sammy Jukes freuen. Wenn ihr dem neuen Detective und vor allem den sympathischen Entwicklern eine Chance geben möchtet, dann bringt ein paar Englischkenntnisse, ein wenig Geduld und einen halbwegs aktuellen PC mit. Die vollständige Spiele-Besprechung findet ihr hier: https://www.dasklapptsonicht.de/sammy-jukes-twin-lakes/

Oh boy, where to start? I really wanted to meet this game half way, I expected there to be some questionable animations, problems, for it not the graphically or visually the most incredible thing ever and so on but I just can't recommend it for the price that it's at now. There are fundamental bugs that ruin the game, such as falling through the world, map not working properly and so on that are easy to fix and have made it to the full release. The voice-acting I appreciate, even if it isn't on a particularly high level, but it feels strangely cut out at some points. The world itself and the story is ineteresting enough to get you hooked, it's a simple detective story initially, go to a small town and find a missing person, and the bulk of the gameplay is talking to people and looking for clues, no action, shooting, etc. which I really like, it's a unique game and not many like it are out there, and the basic plot elements are also fine, but it's hard to enjoy and immerse yourself in a game like this with janky animations, strange facial expressions of characters who just cant keep eye-contact for some reason, making them all look incredibly silly at times. It feels like this game wanted to be an indie version of LA Noir or the Sherlock Holms series, and it has good ideas definitely but it needs more refinement for the asking price.

Graphics: Nothing exciting, but not too bad either. But it's more about the story after all - so no hard feelings ;-). The faces of the people are modelled okay, but they mostly don't look you in the eyes/camera, so it sometimes feels a bit weird when they're talking to you. But these are only some minor issues. Sound: The voiceover volume for the NPC's is mostly levelled really good (this is something I often find annoying in some other video games). The quality and believeability of the voices is also over average. I felt immersed through the hole game. The music sometimes stops abruptly when you wander around the area, which is a bit weird. It would be much better, if it faded out instead. Some small areas are missing footstep sounds, but I think the developers will fix this in the future. Story: The plot was interesting and full of twists and turns. The showdown was a bit over the top, but in the end it felt believable enough :-) Gameplay: There's a whole lot to explore and discover and you can run freely through the town. No problem for anyone who played a FPS before. For some fetch quests and to speak with everyone about everything you have to run a lot, but at leasts there are some fast travel spots to save you some miles :-). I was pretty good entertained and even if there were some little minor issues (as mentioned above) I'm very happy overall that I've bought and played this game! 65/100

I always like a good detective game. The story is interesting. The voice acting is good and dialogue is funny at times. There is fast travel to go back and forth to the station and other areas. I wish there was a little bit more guidance to show what I have already discovered and where to go next; just to keep track of things in case I have to go afk. Otherwise, a chill exploratory detective game.

Bonjour Le jeu à l'air très cool, mais le francais n'est pas disponible ... Je suis désolé mais je jouerais à votre jeu lorsque le francais sera dispo

[h1] 💌 Score: [b]8/10[/b] [/h1] [h1] 👍🏻 Pros [/h1] ✔️ All townies/NPCs have their own fair share of secrets! ✔️ I truly find that having the dog as your hint/clue-provider very immersive. ✔️ Music/soundtracks sounded nice! ✔️ Love how every townie/NPC are voiced by talented VAs! [h1] 👎🏻 Cons [/h1] ❌ The game needs better optimization as it can be a little laggy at times. ❌ Not too much townie/NPC activity happening, the village feels a bit dead. ❌ Some audio qualities of the townies/NPCs are kind of poor/of different quality. ❌ The ending is a bit underwhelming. [h1] 🌦️ Introduction [/h1] [i]First of all, I want to thank Wamill for providing me a copy of this fun game![/i] Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes offers a charming yet eerie journey into a small town full of secrets. For a debut entry into the adventure-RPG space by Wamill, it delivers a compelling mix of mystery, exploration, and character-driven storytelling. It’s a game that knows how to spark curiosity, rewarding players who enjoy digging into the hidden lives of a quirky community. [h1] 🖥️ Visuals [/h1] The game’s art direction captures the cozy-meets-creepy vibe of a mysterious rural town. The map design is notably well-crafted—large enough to encourage exploration without feeling overwhelming. While the overall aesthetic is appealing, the world can sometimes feel static. Giving NPCs routines or having them move around the town would add a much-needed sense of life and realism, similar to what games like Stardew Valley achieve. [h1] 🎮 Gameplay [/h1] Exploration is a highlight, with just enough secrets and hidden achievements scattered around to keep completionists engaged. The inclusion of a dog companion is a smart design choice—not only adorable, but also functional, offering subtle clues without breaking immersion. That said, performance issues occasionally get in the way. Lag during key moments can be frustrating and breaks the flow of the experience, pointing to a need for better optimization. [h1] 📖 Story [/h1] Uncovering the backstories of Twin Lakes’ townsfolk is one of the game’s strongest elements. Each character seems to be hiding something, making every interaction feel meaningful. The writing builds tension and intrigue throughout—but unfortunately, the payoff doesn’t quite match the buildup. The ending feels abrupt and doesn’t land as strongly as the rest of the narrative journey. [h1] 🥂 Overall [/h1] Despite some rough edges, Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is an enjoyable mystery adventure with a lot of heart. Its strong world-building, engaging exploration, and clever use of a canine sidekick make it a memorable experience. With improvements to performance and livelier NPC behavior, it could easily reach a higher level of polish. As it stands, it’s a solid debut—definitely worth checking out for fans of small-town mysteries. With a few tweaks, this could easily hit a 9 or even a 10.