Tag: Database Detective

Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar – Demo Impressions

Quantum zoomies.

Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar

Developer: Abandoned Sheep

Release Date: 21 May 2026

Portal with cats – Become entangled in a quantum puzzle adventure! Mittens gains the incredible power to be in two places at once. Explore twisted test chambers, make mischief and evade capture by a whisker! 🐈🐈‍⬛

Every cat game that I see triggers my scepticism and I don’t know where that has come from, I can’t think of a single cat game that I have tried that has actually dissapointed me. In fact, they generally tend to be full of heart, humour, and quality in their own way. Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar continues that streak delightfully.

Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar takes the concept of Schrodinger’s Cat, and a literal cat burglar, and fuses them together into a puzzle game in a way that feels like it was born with the universe. For those who are familiar with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, this game controls similarly. One half of the gamepad controls one cat and in an instant, you can split into two cats, the second being controlled by the other half. It takes a bit of brain rewiring to start with – I can see why it is part of the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase – but soon enough it feels natural, and the speed and agility of the cats encourage getting stuck straight in. Zero pussyfooting around here.

The opening cutscene set the tone for the game, displaying the exact amount of seriousness necessary for a concept such as this. Lazy Susan is our hedgehog handler as we infiltrate a facility, solving puzzles of permanence, quantum physics, and steal cash to spend on fashion. Whether or not the fur density is actually fur density is down to interpretation but either way, the customisation is a joy and the bonus of this being Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar is that you have two cats to dress up rather than just one. Purrfection really.

It could just be big bones.

The puzzles were mind bending enough that I had to pause a couple of times to figure it out, and the addition of optional puzzles is a treat. If you take the time and go the extra mile you will be rewarded with currencies, which as far as I could tell so far, go towards the aforementioned fashion. If you don’t then it is no big deal, the rest of the story awaits. A fantastic demo that I had installed for far too long before finally playing. I stand corrected about putting it off and recommend any puzzle heads and/or cat fans to check it out!

Demo Length – 1hr
At a glance
+ TWO cats
+ Fantastic use of the concept
+ Feels great in the hands
+ Optional puzzles count towards optional fashion
+ The customisation is lovely
+ There is a built in hint system
+ Animations feel fluid and sharp, especially when splitting the cat.
+/- The demo made me pause to think, I have no idea how complexity will continue to increase

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Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division – Demo Impressions

The most engaging, useful, hilarious online course I have ever taken.

Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division

Developer: Thomas Hsu

Release Date: July 2026

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.

Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division is truly the type game that I have wanted for my entire life.

It is your first day on the job as a Database Detective, which entails examining evidence and searching through databases to solve who commited these most heinous crimes, taking them off of the streets for good. You can then sleep soundly at night knowing that that elderly lady will never litter, ever again.

The game teaches you SQL, a real life programming language used to interact with databases. Through the brilliantly written manual for dummies and contextual practice, you will learn the basics. Each case adds on a new feature. Using those new features alongside what you have already learned allows you to find the data that you are looking for, and find that pesky perpetrator.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the best online course that I have ever taken. I am currently 3 chapters into a Python course and the entire process so far has consisted of ‘watch me do this’ and ‘copy that’. The reason Database Detective works so well is that even from the very first case, it does not tell you the answers directly. The instructions are very clear on what you have to do but you have to engage your own brain to input the commands relevent to the tables that you are working with. The entire process feels less like learning and more like solving a really satisfying puzzle.

The learning part is outstanding, but that isn’t the only thing that impressed me so thoroughly. The entire package of this game is a delight. You aren’t just solving any cases, you are solving the pettiest of crimes. The entire process feels completely ridiculous, not least when the air horns go off and confetti fills your screen on a successful arrest. It is a hilarious time that will make jumping back in to learn so much more of an easier process than picking up a book or watching a video would. The CopOS that you are navigating is thematically perfect, and I can feel a passion for not only teaching, but teaching through a quality product oozing through every interaction. 

I have no SQL experience and the demo took 1 hour. I wouldn’t say I am competent by now but the handbook is a fantastic reference and I presume any future cases will allow you to build on the basics while also introducing more complexity.

Some games are worthwhile because they make you feel something, help you see the world in a new light, or provide invaluable distraction. Database Detective is valuable as it showcases the astronomical potential for educational games, with the genuine potential to change the course of lives by making learning accessible, engaging, interactive and fun. I truly see the future of learning being infinitely better because of projects like this.

Demo Length – 1hr
At a glance
+ Genuinely educational
+ Great humour
+ Builds on itself
+ Seamless
+ Learning disguised as a puzzle

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