Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes Review: Quirky Smalltown Folk Who Don't Like Oil

Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes? That's a stage name if there ever was one, but it rolls off the tongue, as do many of the other names in this quirky detective story set in - you guessed it, Twin Lakes. From Wamill, who previously released the cryptocurrency sim Blockchain Tycoon, you play as a detective sent to a small town to investigate the disappearance of a young woman involved with a group of protestors named No More Oil, run by music icon Moby.

What were the circumstances? Is there a motive? A fire? It must be arson! Empty bullet casings - murder! An amateur artist with a filthy-rich associate willing to buy her collection? She's scarpered. It could be any of these speculations. Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is most definitely a walking simulator, and by that, I mean you'll be doing a lot of steps, and it's a sim. Luckily, there are expectations from the player to interact with the locals and, hopefully, solve a crime.

For our 'It's X meets Y' pitch, the promotional material points to Twin Peaks and Monty Python, but I don't see the similarities other than this being a quirky town made up of weirdos, and despite them giving you the run-around, they're relatively coherent. My pitch would be a more interactive College Kings 2 without the dicks (well, you are a P.I.) meets a low-budget True Detective and a hint of The Truman Show as Twin Lakes seems a little staged.

That College Kings 2 comparison is related to the graphics, as the character modelling is excellent, though it did brick my Steam Deck. Switching to epic settings on a laptop, it looked the part, paired with full voice acting and decent, albeit sporadic, music. As well-presented as it was, it was nothing like Flight Simulator, so I was surprised why the laptop fan was going apeshit. Note: the game had zero technical issues and worked fine aside from the Deck.

On with the story, Jukes arrives in town and is greeted by the lazy Sheriff and his bumbling Deputy. After a cliche splurge of 'city folk' and 'round these parts', you're free to wander around town. Not one for following the guides, I attempted to get in my car as I didn't fancy commuting on a skateboard. Alas, no. Get on your best walking shoes. Fortunately, a German Shepherd was lying outside and promptly gave me the rundown on how Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes works. Yes, the dog is your guide. Ha - guide dog!

So, Jukes trots around town to speak with the locals. Icons represent a dialogue tree, and clicking them reveals clues and additional questions. Pending they're a suspect or have evidence to help with the case, you'll be notified that a search warrant can be obtained. Head back to the Deputy, and if you have due grounds, you can get the warrant, inform the suspect, and then enter their premises for a snoop.

Most of the properties are bare-bone and don't offer much activity. Points of interest are highlighted with a popping bokeh illumination (which is a bit weird in itself), and these lead to new clues or drop into your inventory. Unlike a good point and click, you can't interact with your inventory or receive hints. Their purpose is served when an item can be used to open a door, lure a fox, or sift through pig shit. Don't ask.

Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is bland to begin with, though stick with it, and the character interactions are entertaining, revealing some intriguing plot twists and home truths, further cementing how bizarre a tight-knit community can be. What doesn't work so much are the fetch quest activities. From the menu, there is a large world map to get your bearings, but Jukes' arrow always faces the wrong way, so you must use the mini-map. That said, the map isn't overwhelming and straightforward enough to get around.

Unfortunately, as interesting as some paths become, completing the tasks without knowing where to find the required objects can be challenging. We've been spoilt with recent games with hotspot indicators and scanners, and it's missed here. All I wanted was a shovel. And an axe. And my car keys... still, Sammy Jukes: Twin Lakes is quite a unique experience, and bear in mind that this isn't a big ol' AAA production, it gives it some perspective. Something it does get right is the representation of No More Oil protestors. Man, they're so unlikeable - especially the bald vegans.

Sammy Juke: Twin Lakes is available on Steam from the 19th of September 2024.