The Hard-Boiled and the Furry
The detective genre is no stranger to odd couples. We’ve seen mismatched buddy cops, consulting detectives with war veteran sidekicks, and cybernetic investigators with holographic AIs. But Octarine Arts has thrown a tennis ball into the machinery of the genre with Finch & Archie, a co-op mystery game that pairs a hard-nosed human detective with a literal police dog.
Released into Steam Early Access on January 16, 2026, this episodic noir adventure asks a simple question: Can you solve a murder when your partner’s primary method of communication is barking? Set against the grim backdrop of the Great Depression, Finch & Archie is equal parts gritty crime drama and wholesome canine chaos.
With a “Positive” reception from early adopters, this indie title is turning heads not for its graphics or explosions, but for its unique mechanics that force two players to bridge the species gap to catch a killer.
Ruffs and Toughs in the 1930s
The setting is classic noir. The glitz of the Roaring ‘20s has died, replaced by the poverty and desperation of the Great Depression. Enter Jack Finch, a weathered, reclusive detective who swore he would work alone. Enter Archie, a newly graduated police dog who is very much a “good boy”.
The narrative hook is instant: Finch doesn’t want a partner, especially not a four-legged one, but a mass murderer is on the loose, and the boss doesn’t care about Finch’s preferences. The game plays out episodically, with the current Early Access build featuring a tutorial case and the first major mystery, “A Shot in the Bark”.
The writing leans into the genre tropes—shadowy alleys, smoky rooms, and cynical monologues—but constantly subverts them through Archie’s presence. It is a tonal balancing act between the “careless romance” of the era and the “grimy streets” of reality, all viewed through two very different sets of eyes.
Asymmetrical Detective Work
The core loop of Finch & Archie is built entirely around asymmetrical co-op. You cannot play this alone; it requires two players, one controlling the human and the other controlling the dog.
The Detective (Finch):
Playing as Finch feels like a traditional adventure game. You have a magnifying glass, you can read documents, interrogate suspects, and understand human speech. Your job is to handle the “logic” of the world—suspect motives, alibis, and the legalities of the crime.
The Dog (Archie):
Playing as Archie is a sensory experience. You rely on your sense of smell to track scents, find hidden evidence that human eyes miss, and intimidate (or charm) suspects. You perceive the world differently, seeing trails and clues that are invisible to Finch.
The magic happens when these two perspectives collide. As one user review noted, “The division of responsibilities is done well, where it felt like both players always had something to do while helping each other out”. Finch might find a locked safe, but he doesn’t know the combination. Archie might smell gunpowder on a suspect, but he can’t ask them why they have it.
“Bark Once for Murder”
The defining mechanic of the game is the communication barrier. Since one player is a dog, you cannot simply share your inventory or thoughts effortlessly. The game forces you to be creative.
“Because you are a human-dog partnership, communication does not come easy,” the developer explains. “You will have to be creative to explain your findings to your partner”.
In practice, this leads to hilarious and chaotic exchanges over voice chat. Players describe the experience as “speaking to each other like cavemen” or playing the board game Incoherent. You have to verbally describe what you see, but the game mechanics limit how you can physically show that evidence to your partner. You might be barking at a wall where a clue is hidden, while your partner, playing Finch, stares at you in confusion, wondering if you just want a treat.
This friction is intentional. It transforms the frustration of miscommunication into a puzzle in gameplay. “I really loved how you had to tell each other your perspectives of the story to form a full picture,” wrote one player.
Poking Holes and Sniffing Clues
The actual detective work is surprisingly deep. You don’t just find clues; you have to verify them. The game features an interrogation system where suspects will lie to you. You must “poke holes in their testimonies” by presenting contradictory evidence.
However, this is where the asymmetry shines again. A suspect might lie to Finch with a straight face, but their scent might betray their fear to Archie. The “Evidence Board” becomes the central hub where players must piece together their disparate findings.
One reviewer highlighted the replay value: “Had to play it twice just to experience playing both characters… the game really rewards you with a very different perspective even if you already know the plot.” Seeing the crime scene through a dog’s eyes reveals layers of the narrative that the human detective completely missed.
The Accusation Phase
No Early Access game is without its flaws, and for Finch & Archie, the criticism centers on the finale of the cases: the Accusation Phase.
Multiple reviews point to this mechanic as a source of frustration. “When it came to the end of the accusation section, it was incredibly frustrating,” one user noted. “We figured out who did it… but the execution needs to be different”.
The issue seems to be a lack of feedback. Players can gather all the right clues and identify the culprit, but if they don’t link the evidence in the way the game logic requires, they hit a wall. One player mentioned getting stuck for an hour even though they knew the answer. The developers seem aware of this, with users noting that the team is “on top of bug fixes and responds well to feedback”.
A Noir Comic Come to Life
Artistically, the game punches above its weight. It uses an “ink-like art” style for cutscenes that perfectly fit the 1930s noir aesthetic. The world is stylized, grim, and atmospheric, leaning into the genre’s comic-book roots.
Technically, however, there are some growing pains. The game appears to be running on Unreal Engine 5, which has led to high GPU usage even on powerful cards (one user reported 99% usage on a 5070). There are also reports of bugs involving save files and evidence disappearing upon reload. These are standard Early Access teething issues, but they are worth noting for players with lower-end hardware or low patience for jank.
The Early Access Roadmap
Octarine Arts has been transparent about the road ahead. The game is expected to be in Early Access for about one year.
Current Content:
- Tutorial Case: “Barking Up the Wrong Alley”.
- Case 1: “A Shot in the Bark”.
Planned Content:
- Two brand new cases in new areas.
- advancement of the overarching story involving “The Jackal”.
- Localization into additional languages.
The developers are actively using their Discord and Steam Community Hub to gather feedback, which is crucial for a puzzle game that relies on logical clarity.
Breakdown: The Good, The Bad, & The Bark
| The Good | The Bad | The Ugly |
| Unique Asymmetry: Playing as a dog vs. a human offers genuinely different gameplay loops and perspectives. | Accusation Phase: The logic for locking in the final answer can be finicky and frustratingly strict. | Short Content: Only one main case and a tutorial currently available, though more are coming. |
| Atmosphere: The “ink-like” art and Great Depression setting create a fantastic noir vibe. | Bugs: Reports of disappearing evidence and UI glitches are present in the current build. | Short Content: Only one main case and a tutorial are currently available, though more are coming. |
| Communication Mechanic: Forcing players to “speak dog” creates hilarious and rewarding puzzle-solving moments. | Linearity: Once you solve the case, replayability is limited to switching roles. | |
| Price Point: At ~$12, it’s a fair entry point for an episodic indie title. |
Should You Play It?
Yes, if you loved We Were Here or Keep Talking, and Nobody Explodes, but want a narrative focus, or if you just really want to roleplay as a crime-solving dog.
No, if you are playing solo (it’s co-op only), or if you get easily frustrated by puzzle logic that requires specific inputs to progress.
Recommended for fans of: L.A. Noire, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, Operation: Tango.
Finch & Archie: Finch & Archie is a breath of fresh air in the co-op puzzle genre. It successfully captures the tension of a noir thriller while injecting the chaotic fun of trying to communicate across a species barrier. It is rough around the edges. The accusation mechanics need tuning, and the performance optimization isn't quite there yet. But for $11.99, it offers a co-op experience that tests your friendship and your logic in equal measure. If you have a friend who is good at communicating (or one who is good at barking), this is a mystery worth solving. Just don't fight over who gets to be the dog. (Spoiler: Being the dog is way more fun). – ColdMoon