Crazy Sandbox Detective Game Shadows of Doubt Snags a Huge ‘Modifiers’ Update

Shadows of Doubt, the often deeply intriguing (and comically chaotic) sandbox detective game that launched on PS5 last year, just got a big ol’ update.

Suitably titled ‘Modifiers’, the patch adds a bunch of… well, modifiers to the title, which can spice up your playthrough in various ways. One tweak adds a noir filter, for example, while another forces you to keep your eyes peeled for a snail assassin who’ll slowly track you down across the city.

Oh, and you can now assume the form of a rat. Mental.

Here’s the official breakdown of the modifiers, which are now available via the free update:

• Ironman – Prove yourself as the ultimate detective with the greatest challenge of all: Ironman. If you die, your save file is deleted, wiping your progress and forcing you to start again from scratch. Good luck, detectives.
• Permadeath – Fancy a challenge but aren’t quite ready for Ironman? With the Permadeath modifier, you’ll no longer wake up in the hospital after dying. Instead, you’ll need to reload your save and try not to make the same mistakes again…
• Snail Nemesis – You are an immortal detective with only one fatal weakness: a deadly snail that is endlessly pursuing you across the city. Somewhere, the snail is slowly, relentlessly following you, and one touch is enough to kill. Crack the case, not the shell.
• Rat Detective – You are a 20cm tall rat detective, with all the abilities that entails. Climb up walls and ceilings, and literally be as quiet as a mouse to sneak past people more easily. But being a rat detective isn’t always simple: certain objects are now non-interactable and, if you’re spotted, some of the city’s residents may just try to stamp on you…
• Fame & Fortune – Become a world-famous detective just trying to do their job. As you investigate each crime, adoring fans will chase you through the city streets in the hope of getting your autograph. But raving fans may not be the best mix for an ongoing investigation…
• Short-Sighted – As a short-sighted detective, make sure to keep glasses in your inventory in order to see the world clearly. But beware of getting into fights: a spot of fisticuffs isn’t always the best way to care for a set of glasses.
• Gambling Debt – Begin your career with a gambling debt from a loan shark. If you fail to pay the debt back in time, the loan shark’s henchmen will track you down to take matters into their own hands.
• House Arrest – Buying an apartment means living in your apartment. Permanently. Once you own an apartment, anytime you try to leave, security and the police will treat you as a hostile threat.
• Film Noir – Immerse yourself in a classic film noir setting with the new black and white filter.

If you’re unfamiliar with Shadows of Doubt, it’s worth noting that the base experience is already procedurally generated — you crack randomised cases, and the whole system ensures that no two jobs are ever quite the same.

So, as you can imagine, these modifiers have the potential to make things even more unpredictable.

Are you a fan of Shadows of Doubt? We think it’s time to become a Rat Detective in the comments section below.