Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division

Released Jul 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.

97% positive · 1,034 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $14.99

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Evaluation

Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division launched on July 17, 2026 as a complete, self-contained game containing all ten cases, developed solo by Thomas Hsu over five years. The launch post described a finished product with a defined scope — 10 cases, 200+ webpages across 40 websites, and roughly 8+ hours of content. Since launch, the developer has been actively shipping quality-of-life and bug-fix updates at a rapid pace (14 updates through August 24, 2026), but these are polish and maintenance updates rather than new content additions. On August 24, 2026, the developer posted a [development_status] update (Update 1.14) explicitly describing where development stands: they are "pretty happy with how things are at the moment" and will start working on "some larger updates," while warning that "there will probably be longer times between updates." They stated their immediate next steps are Steam Community Items (Trading Cards, Points Shop) and Workshop Support integration — these are platform features, not story content expansions. The launch post was candid that future content additions (localizations, additional SQL-focused cases) are ideas rather than commitments, with the developer saying "it might be a while before this happens (if it does)." No DLC has been listed, no roadmap has been published, and no specific content has been promised. The game launched as a complete product and remains one. With 39 days of post-launch activity now visible and no content commitments made, the game can be assessed as complete as of its July 17, 2026 release date.

Evidence

Developer states they are 'pretty happy with how things are at the moment' and will move to 'larger updates' with longer gaps between them. Next steps are Steam Community Items and Workshop Support — platform features rather than new story content. No new cases or DLC announced.

news post · Aug 24, 2026 source ambiguous

high

Launch post confirms all ten cases are available. Developer states no concrete plans for future content but expresses openness to localizations, custom level support, and additional SQL content — explicitly noting 'it might be a while before this happens (if it does).' Closes with 'I'm not going to be walking away any time soon' and describes the game as something they'd 'come back to in moments of inspiration.'

news post · Jul 17, 2026 source ambiguous

high

Media

Details

Developer

Thomas Hsu

Publisher

Thomas Hsu

Achievements

Platform

Windows, macOS, Linux

Controller

—

Steam Deck

Playable

Players

Single-player

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About this game

There’s been a backlog of unsolved cases piling up in the Minor Crimes Division of the Los Zorangeles Police Department and we’ll need a Database Detective to help solve them.

We’ll need you to analyze clues and manipulate data using SQL, a database querying language, to figure out who perpetrated crimes from as minor as littering to as serious as not checking out of a hotel after the check-out time.

Don’t worry! This role is intended to be accessible for those without any SQL experience, so each Database Detective is given an introductory textbook when they start! This short textbook is less than 20 pages and explains everything that’s needed to solve each case.

If you still have trouble writing queries, our comprehensive error messaging system will tell you exactly where your query went wrong, making it easy to correct your mistakes.

Still not enough? Each Database Detective is assigned an assistant who’s ready to answer any questions you might have, whether they be about the case itself or the SQL queries you’ll need to write!

Understanding how to manipulate data using SQL is not the only part of being a Database Detective! Your job will also require you to piece together evidence and clues, just like a real detective! Further on in your Database Detective career, you’ll have to sleuth through the internet and piece cases together yourself.