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Gifty the Detective

A cozy mystery adventure for kids — no ads, no stress, no violence

Finished 12/19/2023

Released Site Launch Date

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Screenshots

About the Game

Gifty the Detective is a free cozy puzzle game for kids and casual gamers. Available for Windows, Linux, and browser, this indie detective adventure is perfect for fans of low-stress mystery puzzles.

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Who is this game for?

Gifty the Detective is perfect for fans of puzzle games like A Little To The Left or Unpacking, or cozy games like TOEM: A Photo Adventure and Assemble with Care. If you enjoy wholesome, low-stress games with cute characters and light storytelling, Gifty is made for you.

Download Free Cozy Detective Game for Windows!

GiftyDetective_1.4_Win.zip ✅ Developer-provided download

Download for Linux GiftyDetective_1.4_Linux.zip ✅ Developer-provided download

Download for macOS GiftyDetective_1.4_macOS.zip ✅ Developer-provided download

🍎 macOS users: Click here if you have trouble opening the game

This game was built on Windows and has not been signed or notarized by Apple, so you may see a standard security warning on first launch. If you downloaded the game from kittykittystudios.net, this is expected.

Can't open the app?

• "Cannot verify developer"
  
  • On macOS 13 Ventura and earlier: Right- or control-click the
    .app > Open > Open anyway.
  • On macOS 14 Sonoma and later: Open System Settings >
    Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
• If the game won't launch:
  
  • Open Terminal and enter chmod +x , then drag the game
    .app into the Terminal window, add "/Contents/MacOS/
    Gifty\ the\ Detective", then press return.
• If macOS says the app is damaged:
  
  • Open Terminal and enter xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine ,
    then drag the game .app into the Terminal window, then press return.

One download works with both Intel and Apple Silicon Mac's.

FAQ

Is Gifty the Detective free?
Yes, Gifty the Detective is completely free with no ads, no sign-ups, and no tracking.

Is it kid-friendly?
Yes, Gifty the Detective was built for gamers of all ages.

How long does it take to play?
It takes 15-30 minutes to complete Gifty the Detective.

Share Gifty's World

Tell your friends or the public about Gifty the Detective! Post this page on SMS, Discord, r/CozyGamers subreddit, etc with parents' permission.

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About Gifty

Cozy Art

Gifty and Boxbro with happy reactions

Download artwork

System Requirements

Windows:

OS: Windows 10 or later

Disk Space: 200MB Minimum

RAM: 4GB; 8GB recommended

DirectX: 11

GPU: Integrated graphics minimum

CPU: Intel Pentium minimum

Linux:

Distro: Ubuntu 20.04 or later / or equivalent distro

Disk Space: 200MB Minimum

RAM: 4GB; 8GB recommended

GPU: Any OpenGL 3.2+ capable GPU

CPU: Intel Pentium minimum

macOS:

OS: macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later

Disk Space: 200MB Minimum

RAM: 4GB; 8GB recommended

GPU: Metal-capable GPU

CPU: Intel Core i-series / any Apple Silicon minimum

Keyboard/Mouse Controls Notice

This game supports both keyboard/mouse and controller. Please note that the control icons visible in the game are toward Xbox. USB-powered and Bluetooth controllers are fully supported for this game. For USB please make sure you are using a USB data transfer cable (most new devices include one nowadays).

Game Tags

Cute, Mystery, Cartoon

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How to Install

Windows:

1. Click "Download now!"

2. When the download has finished, open it and open README.txt

3. Follow the README's instructions carefully.

What happens if I double click the game exe when still compressed?

Linux:

1. Click "Download for Linux"

2. When the download has finished, open the tarball in Archive Manager or similar

3. Extract the tarball

4. Open the extracted folder and double click GiftyDetective.x86_64

Create a link to the x86_64 file on your desktop for easy access. If the game does not launch, open the terminal at the game's location and type chmod +x GameName.x86_64

macOS:

1. Click "Download for macOS"

2. When the download has finished, double click it to extract it

3. Double click the .app, then let's play!

For easy access, you can drag the .app to your Applications folder so it shows up in your Launchpad!

Changelog

Version 1.4 (Major Release)

This update brings a bunch of improvements and bug fixes!!

Changes

• Rebind running to Left Shift key (keyboard)
• Added clear data button on browser

Bugs fixed

• (itch.io) Fullscreen does not cover entire screen
• Running hitbox moves resulting in glitching out of the area
• Camera clips through trees in the beginning cutscene
• Camera too low in second area

Platform changes

Due to camera movement issues in older Ubuntu versions, we have raised the distro requirement to Ubuntu 20.04 or later. The game may still open on older Ubuntu versions, but the camera may not work correctly.

Version 1.3 (Major Release)

The biggest update ever for Gifty the Detective has released! We have took the game to a whole new level with beautiful, clean landscapes, a new case, and a lot more!

Features

• Full controller support
• Gifty can now run and skip-press R on
  your keyboard or RB on your controller
• Beautiful new scenery and nature with
  cute flowers, rocks, and bushes
• Blob shadows under items
• Improved video options menu
• New case
• New end cutscene with credits

Changes

• Improved blob shadow projection
• Renamed "crime scenes" to "mystery spots"
• New main menu music
• Rewritten character controller from the ground up
• Improved main menu with cute animations
• New detective notes for each Mystery Spot
• New signs to read when walked up to
• Sandwich case fully decorated with a stage with
  adorable characters
• Typewriter animation in dialogue with a charming
  gibberish voice
• Changed the camera

Bugs fixed

• Can still interact even when game is paused
• Interaction bubbles shown on top of pause menu
• Blob shadows heavily clipped in tight slopes
• Pressing WASD still animates Gifty's walk even
  when unable to move
• Video options accessible in KKS Play version of
  the game
• Button text in the options menu is black
• Loading screen shows "Gifty's Tiny Tip" even though
  these are not tips
• Dialogue in the 6th case says "some" instead of
  "someone"

The Future of Gifty the Detective

We're bringing Gifty beyond the game with some cute new things!

• Soothing animated shorts
• Gifty coloring pages in the game "Color Kingdom" (unlockable)
• Printable paper cutouts and mini posters

Version 1.2 (Release)

Gifty gets a bit more cozy and squishy with the 1.2 release update!

Changes

• Not-as-noticable logo font change
  (GiFTY now uses Mulish, a Google font)
• Adorably squishy animations
• Playful, cozy iris transitions
• Blob shadows now align to ground (it's
  a bit sluggish as it clips through steep hills,
  but it will be fixed in a future update)
• Charming performance optimizations
• Reworded "crime scenes" as "Mystery Spots"
• Rewritten the tutorial with adorably plushy
  emojis
• Gifty now says brand new, adorably cozy and
  playful phrases
• Gifty becomes more expressive when
  completing the first case, with adorable, cozy,
  and playful tears of joy
• Gifty now makes analyzing Mystery Spots fun
  with an adorable, relaxing thinking face
• Windows: Replaced Inno Setup installer with
  portable zip

Known Regressions in KKS Play

• Video options menu can be opened in the KKS Play version of the game but it will make the game look stretched / pixelated

Version 1.0 (Major Release)

The very first initial release of Gifty the Detective comes and we are proud to announce it!

New features

Voice acting

Music and background SFX

Changes

Totally different mechanics, now similar to Part 2/3/4/5.

Gifty finally has proper walking animations like in Part 3-5.

Replaced point-and-click with walk-up-press-E.

Version 0.3 (Beta)

A technical update for Gifty the Detective, also adding some mandatory features.

New features

Hover feedback on NPC's and items

Add settings screen in main menu

Add quit button in main menu for easy access to close the game in fullscreen mode, without pressing Alt+F4

Technical changes

Cleaned up file structure for the game to avoid cluttered development files and reduce the disk cost of the game.

Bugs fixed

Gifty is in the air when climbing up slopes

Windows: Shadows are super blurry compared to beta 0.1

Custom magnifying glass cursor not showing

Download the installer on this page to update your current version.

This update only applies to Windows and Linux versions.

Version 0.2 (Beta)

Gifty the Detective's first hotfix update.

Bugs fixed

In area 3, Gifty can still walk while talking to NPC's

Camera clips through obstacles

Download the installer on this page to update your current version.

Version 0.1 (Beta)

First-ever version of the game.

Game News