Rust
Rust
Game
Game2026
Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division
Developer Thomas Hsu
Solve criminal cases through the power of SQL queries! Help out the city of Los Zorangeles by becoming a Database Detective in this new (unpaid) work from home opportunity. From the Steam store page
352 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
96
LovedLoved
306 positive · 14 negative
95% range 93–97%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 306 | 14 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 12 | 1 | 18 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
843 of 871 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
96% recommend · 273 yes, 12 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 285 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (1,013 of 1,040 positive).
Players find the game hilarious and educational, even if the SQL scenarios are unrealistic. [1][2][3] Many say it is great for learning SQL, though the difficulty spikes sharply in later cases. [4][5][6] Some experienced SQL users enjoy the challenge, but a few criticize missing features and poor UX. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
I’ve been a Data Engineer for 5 years, and this game is wildly unrealistic. The data is clean. It’s available when you need it. The stakeholders know exactly what they want. Completely breaks immersion. Anyway, I’ve had more fun in one hour than in my entire career. 10/10 would quit job
- [2]
The game setting is farcical, but the SQL queries are no joke. This game is both hilarious and educational. I feel a lot more confident about writing SQL after playing this game. The sheer amount of content packed into this game is impressive; especially on the MMORPG assignment, which has you searching through the profiles and forum posts of over 200 NPCs on a delightfully demented in-game internet. My only gripe …
- [6]
Very well made and entertaining game with a nice story and a refreshing concept, though it does have some flaws. No prior SQL knowledge is required, but I do think if you have zero experience, you'll probably start getting a bit lost in the later cases. My main gripe is that the difficulty ramps up a LOT in the later cases, and it's not really because of the SQL. The SQL does get more complex, but the bigger jump is …
- [3]
I work as a data engineer and this game is very unrealistic. All the data we receive is too clean. Still give positive review just because...
- [4]
Great game for teaching a beginner how to use SQL, but considering it's designed for beginners I wish there were more cases that utilized the information you already have instead of moving you on to new concepts when you may not be sure of what you learned in the last chapter. If there were two cases per chapter of information, you could spend the first one learning and making errors, and the second one solidifying …
Summarised from 34 of the 316 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division talk about hilarious and engaging writing with clever references; those who didn't talk about difficulty spikes too much in later cases. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 352 · most liked firstI’ve been a Data Engineer for 5 years, and this game is wildly unrealistic. The data is clean. It’s available when you need it. The stakeholders know exactly what they want. Completely breaks immersion. Anyway, I’ve had more fun in one hour than in my entire career. 10/10 would quit job
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game for teaching a beginner how to use SQL, but considering it's designed for beginners I wish there were more cases that utilized the information you already have instead of moving you on to new concepts when you may not be sure of what you learned in the last chapter. If there were two cases per chapter of information, you could spend the first one learning and making errors, and the second one solidifying the concepts and corroborating the logic so that you can fill in the gaps left…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the immersive experience of the whole game freezing when I write an inefficient SQL query.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, well, well. This was a ride. I start my new SQL job in exactly 4 days, and I spent the last week playing this game as "preparation." I cried a lot. And I'm looking forward to crying even more when I start my new job. Thanks! LMAO!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Most people don't know that a lot of police officers actually need SQL to do investigations. Google "40% of police" to learn more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →INSERT INTO steam_reviews VALUES ( "Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division", "Positive", "Great game, great puzzles, absolutely no nefarious dictator activity whatsoever." ); -- PLZ! LMAO! Okay, with that SQL cheekiness out of the way: I absolutely adore this game. Allow me some ramblin' on, to tell you why. I first stumbled across Jay's Walkin' (a tiny 15–30 minute game) back in May that apparently started as a college game-dev course capstone project. I was genuinely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As an complete SQL beginner, the game hand-held me through basic concepts and gives teaching scenarios that are engaging and practical. Trodding the (minorly) dangerous streets Los Zorangeles will have you nabbing criminals like the guy who stole the sandwich from the work fridge while learning a decently useful real-life skill. I put in roughly 15 hours during the playtest and only finished 3/4ths of the case levels, with the case levels towards the ends of the game increasing DRAMATICALLY…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so much fun, even if you DO know SQL. It’s incredibly well made, and it’s honestly amazing that it was created by a single developer. If you take your time to really dig into the cases and read everything that’s available, it gets hilarious. There are so many references, little details, and connections between things. Absolutely loved it. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game setting is farcical, but the SQL queries are no joke. This game is both hilarious and educational. I feel a lot more confident about writing SQL after playing this game. The sheer amount of content packed into this game is impressive; especially on the MMORPG assignment, which has you searching through the profiles and forum posts of over 200 NPCs on a delightfully demented in-game internet. My only gripe is that the window management gets very frustrating as the game progresses…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I work as a data engineer and this game is very unrealistic. All the data we receive is too clean. Still give positive review just because...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really clever game, I've thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue. Game is melting my brain as a novice SQL-er. If the developer ever decided to expand this concept out to other programming languages they'd have me as a buy day 1.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is fire ngl. Wanted to train my sql knowledge and discovered a jewel of a game. You know sql? Go for it! You heard of sql but don't know anything? Go for it! A great manuel is here to help you learn step by step. You don't know why you're here or anything about sql? GO FOR IT! This is the kind of game we need, the humor of the dev and the hand-drawn graphics are really good and I hope this game will get the love it deserves. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been using SQL for well over 30 years and this is the first game I've seen that makes me want to do more outside of work time. Feels like a slightly dumbed down version of SQL though as I tried to simply rename a column in a table I had saved and got told off, but received an achievement for trying. Excellent manual included so I may have to set my progeny loose on this as they advance their computer studies at school.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a good game. The stories, humor and the setting are really enjoyable, but it's definitely not for everybody and is very different from what it is advertised as. Definitely a big NO if you're also a programmer. The SQL part is initially enjoyable. It's very simple, but first crimes are fully focused on it, which leads you to think that it will remain so. After a few crimes, it turns upside down and SQL becomes a background element, which is really sad. Later, the tasks are very difficult,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I do this for work, I shouldn't want to do this for fun, and yet... 10/10 incredibly fun and addictive.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was expecting a simple silly game where you use SQL queries to solve puzzles. I was NOT expecting to spend several hours looking through pages of MMO Wiki so I can dox a child. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I work with databases and my boss jokingly sent me the link to this game. Turns out I had an amazing time! The mysteries are very well-designed; I never found myself having to take a leap outside of logic at any point. The dialogue and writing were very funny and quirky. Clues are even often cleverly hidden inside this quirkiness. And then there's the SQL. I can't speak for how it teaches you, although the manual was a nice reference to skim through. But it was really fun to use my SQL skills…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Began the game thinking I knew nothing about SQL, ended it knowing I know nothing about SQL 11/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried the demo in Next Fest and loved it so much I had to come back for full release. It was as advertised in the best way. Not only have I picked up learning enough of the basics of SQL to feel dangerous using it in the real world, but my wife actually said I've never looked and sounded hotter. In fact, I've been turning the heads of many women around me. So many women. SO SO MANY WOMEN. I had to build a database to keep track of them all. AND GUESS WHAT, I can query that database…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is fun, atmospheric like a Win95 computer, funny and challenging at the same time. The cases increasing in difficulty both on the detective part and the SQL query side keeps you locked in with just the right amount of sillyness when you're stuck to keep you going until you crack the case. Great game, oozing with passion and love. 10/10 will continue to play it through fully. Oh and MacOS support is rare, not that it's graphically intense but it runs great on my M1 Pro. If…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Certified DBA here: I'm so hyped about this game that I'm reviewing it from its demo before it's even available. I hadn't had so much fun since BG3 - and that says it all. (PD: I had to wait till case 5 to review, but it still stands) SQL is one of the most enjoyable (and stable over time) languages around. Very powerful, and resolving complex queries will never be not satisfying. I guess that the learning curve could be a bit steep for SQL-newcomers, but I WISH this existed back in 2000: it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly great and pretty hilarious. Even if you are a SQL power-user, this is a good one in that you dont get to use some of the options you might normally use, like concat, coalesce, case statements, unions, havent tried CTEs. Its kind of a challenge mode in some ways! Puzzles start out incredibly easy but this isnt a pure sql coding game, there is a genuine sleuth/puzzle aspect to finding data dumps and understanding what they might be used for, in addition to the coding constraints. It's a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very well made and entertaining game with a nice story and a refreshing concept, though it does have some flaws. No prior SQL knowledge is required, but I do think if you have zero experience, you'll probably start getting a bit lost in the later cases. My main gripe is that the difficulty ramps up a LOT in the later cases, and it's not really because of the SQL. The SQL does get more complex, but the bigger jump is in the deduction itself. A lot of clues feel pretty assumption-based, and you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best indie games I've played so far. Even with strong SQL knowledge, the game is challenging because the main part isn't writing queries - it's the investigation. You feel like you're dealing with some strange production issue that you have to resolve, but without any input data or steps to reproduce it. Step by step, you get closer to the answer, on a journey full of humor and references. Absolutely incredible work, thanks Thomas Hsu.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game if you don't already know SQL but many features are lacking to make this game a great experience I'd recommend I feel like the devs could have easily implemented huge QoL features but did not think enough of the UX when developping the game. Here are my biggest pet peeves : Doesn't support enough SQL commands imo. Part of the fun of SQL is the variety of ways you can solve a problem. For instance, I was very surprised to see that BETWEEN and CASE WHEN are not supported. You can…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A solid detective game on its own, and you get to learn a new skill (SQL) while you play through it. This game is such a treat, it deserves to be voted as a "Labor of Love" on the next Steam Awards.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →picked this game during Steam Programming fest under the assumption that its a cute looking SQL programming only type game, didn't expect it'll become an OSINT game with SQL as its main way of solving each levels. Its very cute!!!! mind has been blown several times!!!! some later puzzles are lowkey kinda tiring to solve though. as a programmer, a lot of times i wish that I can just code the solution my way out of problems in my preferred programming languages, but simply can't because the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The dev behind this game is a really clever and creative person. Good job, mr. mister
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone who works with data all day, this game was made for my problem-solving brain and relearning SQL through this game was so nice. So much charm in the websites and the case setups were truly absurd but fitting for the game's world building. My only complaint is that I wish if you got something wrong, you still had your data tables set up. It's difficult to parse what you get wrong if you lose the progress that you made along the way. Otherwise, wonderful experience!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Apparently the key to get me to do literally anything is turn it into a game Steam has a programming fest going on and I'm realizing that I'm about to buy quite a few of these if I don't already have them. I saw a game called 'Database Detective' and it was just over from there.
positive · AI labelView post →Zoran has ruled over Los Zorangeles for exactly HALF my life and exactly NOTHING has improved. Overall he is okay. Rating 3/5
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division does not have a fishing minigame :(( #databasedetectiveminorcrimesdivision #indiegame #gaming #videogames #fishing #fishingminigame
negative · AI labelView post →It can be really entertaining but unfortunately, in Chapter 5 the spike in complexity is just too much for my non-programmer brain. The manual becomes a bit useless as it's missing examples for the most confusing parts, leaving me stuck trying again and again. All that would be fine if not for the most irritating part: once you submit a decision (and fail), you cannot go back to what you did. You have to start ALL OVER AGAIN. Maybe for IT people it's okay, but as someone using SQL for the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yeah sure, this was a good time, not a lot of cases but certainly enough to fill up a good amount of time! It's a little silly, which is great, the only complaint is that to get 100% Achievements you have to tell them he made a bad game, I have to LIE! That is ILLEGAL!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I came here to s*** on this game with over ten years experience as a backend software engineer. And I'm ready for the SQL. 10/10 would recommend.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a tech student I seriously love games like this, they're super beginner friendly and they teach you important skills and make learning feel fun and effortless. Huge thanks to the dev. I really enjoyed this game !!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Please play this game, I am begging you. It cannot be left on the wayside, It is TOO cute and quirky for that. + you might learn something about SQL Anyway, play this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Honestly, this game is an absolute gem and a fantastic learning tool. I recently changed positions at my work to the applications side where it's a SQL based system, and I had no training or experience in the system for it. I've picked up a few things from my co-workers explaining things as we worked, but this game has elevated that knowledge considerably in a few short hours. I've felt like I've been learning a ton of new information, and the way the manual is broken down, the helpful…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really, really enjoyed the beginning cases of the game. It's hilarious, fun, and is good to refresh on SQL. The later cases I find I'm getting more and more frustrated. In the earlier cases, it's about filtering down data, joining tables, all to narrow down to a suspect. In the later cases, the nature of the game changes and you are mostly looking for little clues on websites which just isn't what I wanted from the game. I'm sure if you persist, the payoff is really good as the game seems very…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone that has had zero SQL experience I've found that this game scratches both the learning itch, and the puzzle itch. Game doesn't take itself too seriously and has some pretty witty writing in it. If you're looking for a semi-educational game to get your feet wet in the world of databases and SQL, look no further!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall a good game with strong concept. When I first got it I could not stop playing, but by chapter seven the game becomes a trivial mystery game whereby you are searching websites for clues and learning very little in the way of SQL. I stopped playing at that point because it became such a chore.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shame on you, Thomas Hsu, for making me really like the sixth suspect after so much time spent stalking them and then havig to put them under arrest! Great game! This is my first contact ever with SQL, or SQLite, and I'm loving it!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An investigation game that is also an SQL tutorial and the dev knocks it out of the park on both counts. The humorous setting really allows for some outlandish puzzles that are extremely satisfying to solve. There are no leaps of logic required to solve any of the puzzles, only persistence and an attentive eye. On the couple of times I used a hint, I kicked myself because I could have figured the next step if I had just paid more attention. This game really let me feel those 'aha' moments that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →not enough typing for you, though? maybe check out DATABASE DETECTIVE, a similar sort of deduction game. While idk if the writing will be as good, i CAN vouch that you have to write actual, working sql code to play this game. which is REALLY funny and a great idea.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm dropping the game sadly. The game is clearly done with lots of love, but after chapter 5 it becomes more about assuming clues than writing SQL queries. The in-game hint system is useless, not having tabs or history on the browser is so annoying, some puzzles are plays on words that if you are not English native you won't get (plus the clue system doesn't anticipate this?) some other puzzles are literally you assuming that something is unique, or happened in a time frame, I was just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Decent puzzle game, don't be afraid of SQL, everything is well explained
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lot of fun even if you already know SQL. I think there might have been a gas leak when the dev made the MMO chapter but the rest was inspired. p.s. union is implemented but not documented. it came in handy a couple of times
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →More puzzle than SQL game, which is fine, just not what I was looking for.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Database detective is a pretty charming game with 10 total cases. It says it takes between 4-10 hours to finish and honestly its going to be on the farther end if you are new to SQL like I am. First 8 cases are basically the tutorial lmao. Currently Im on case 9 and still picking though it. Overall the cases are fun and interesting. The objective isnt always clear on what you should be doing. So much of the time I have written SQL investigating an idea that turned into a deadend. I have…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Database Detective is a very unique game that more than likely has no equal - a detective game a-la The Roottrees are Dead/Return of the Obra Dinn, but where you write SQL queries to help you in solving each case. The game is very goofy & tongue in cheek, so if you're not expecting a serious story & good with that, and enjoy detective games and either know SQL or want to learn it (the game has a manual which is quite good), this game is perfect for you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so much fun, I would highly recommend it even if you have no previous SQL experience! I did not know any SQL before this game, but each case does a great job with building upon the previous one, the difficulty ramp feels well designed and the community in general is great at helping out other players who get stuck!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An excellent game and learning tool for SQL. I learned SQL in class but have not had many opportunities to apply it in practice, so this game has helped me refresh my knowledge and strengthen my skills in a fun, engaging environment. This is a great example of gamified learning done right.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a pretty conditional recommendation, which is you have to think the idea sounds fun. If you think the idea sounds fun, you'll probably enjoy it. As of this writing, on release day, I have encountered a glitch occasionally where the syntax highlighting for the SQL queries breaks. Leaving the game and restarting fixes it, and it hasn't happened often, so it's minor and I'm pretty sure they'll fix it. Writing is cute and funny and just a touch cynical. Puzzles are not exceptionally hard…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've bought this game just for the amazing voice acting and the great style and memes/references. The graphic is amazing, I truly wish I could have it as my main OS. The voice mails are just great, just as the manual. Even if I know little to nothing about programming, the tutorial is actually pretty good, it would be amazing to have a game similar to this but to learn something like C++ or Python... I'd buy it for full AAA price! This game feels like a Y2K internet culture memefest, but with a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am really living it up in indie game heaven rn, and the Steam sale right now is TARGETING ME Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division -- I WILL play the rest of you ASAP. What a delight. I look forward to logging off my SQL job and playing my SQL game.
positive · AI labelView post →A fantastic combination of actual SQL programming and fun detective work. You gather data and clues through given case-related images, testimonies, and scouring the internet, in the game's own 'copOS', and use queries to filter and manipulate the data into giving you the one guilty for the minor horrific crime case. The game feature 10 crime cases which get exponentially harder. Fortunately, the SQL programming itself doesn't necessarily over-complicate - it is mostly the amount of data, and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is pretty funny. The messages from the lead detective had my friend group cracking up. I work as a database analyst for my day job, so SQL every day, and this was a lot of fun to work through and solve. I would say this does a pretty good job of teaching SQL and the manual does a good job visually of teaching you the finer points of the syntax, such as how grouping works or the aggregation functions. I would love to see more levels, side quests, etc. 10/10!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →just played Database Detective. Really good game, and I'm smarter now!
positive · AI labelView post →This game genuinely surprised me. I really hope the developer releases more cases, because it’s a lot of fun. I already had some SQL knowledge before playing, but I still picked up a few useful tricks along the way. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys solving mysteries, the SQL never feels like an extra chore, but rather a natural part of the investigation. I’d also recommend checking out the game’s Discord channel, since some of the in-game clues can be a little too general.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love the way this game merges Roottrees-style investigative gameplay with SQL-based puzzles. As someone who had never used SQL previously, the in-game manual and assistant were enough for me to figure it out. That said, the game is definitely difficult in a good way! It's very satisfying when you write your last SQL query and end up with only one possible answer.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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