Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game [Review]
Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game is a simple but satisfying title from female-led Indonesian developer Posh Cat. Rather than unraveling a grandiose mystery, the player solves day-to-day problems in the life of a college student named Mary. Don't be fooled by the smaller scope though — this game has some devious logic puzzles that I had a blast with.
TITLE: Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game
GENRE: Casual, Indie
DEVELOPER: Posh Cat Studios
PUBLISHER: Amplified Games
RELEASE DATE: Sep 9, 2025
The game’s formula is a combination of hidden object and logic puzzles. Each stage opens up with a scene, and it's the job of you, the player, to figure out what's going on. You can accomplish this by clicking on various interactable objects and collecting the word clues peppered throughout the world.
Once all the words have been gathered you will use them to fill in prompts to identify the characters, as well as summarize what was going on in the scene. While it sounds simple, it's not so straightforward. Piecing it together requires looking at various sources, such as chat logs on phones, flyers, IDs, etc. I found it involved quite a bit of sleuthing.
Furthermore, each stage has a bonus logic puzzles. This includes figuring out who each library book belongs to , and translating animal speech at the vet's office. While not required, they served as a nice breather from the main puzzle and were quite fun. Even better, I found solving them made solving the main puzzle much easier, and I usually solved the two side by side.
While there were a few instances where I got stuck, Little Problems has a hint system that is quite well done. It operates on a cooldown timer to prevent overuse. I found the hint system offered just enough information to help me push through when I got stuck, but didn't overdo it or solve it for me.
Little Problems not only plays well but is lovely to look at and interact with. It has a bright, cartoonish style that is easy on the eyes and suits the game well. I also quite liked the music, which provided a cozy ambience. Devs, if you are reading this, I'd be interested in the soundtrack.
The one thing to keep in mind about Little Problems is it is not a long experience, clocking in at about three hours. While I preferred to work on it a little bit at a time over multiple sessions, it can be easily completed within a single day. That said, the game is only $9.99 before tax. Given that it's a compelling three hours where players are hands-on with solving puzzles with no filler or fluff, the game is well worth the price.
With Little Problems, Posh Cat Studios elevates a simple concept and proves they are someone to keep an eye on. I am extremely excited to see what else they deliver in the future.
MY RATING: 8/10
