Player spawns in a warehouse with two enemies, items are scattered around which can be collected and further used for crafting stuff
On hovering over an item , we see the description telling us what it is , giving clues about what it could be combined with

The Secret Detective

Inspiration

Traditional educational games often prioritize learning over fun, making them feel more like digital textbooks than actual games. We wanted to reverse that idea.

Our goal was to build a game that players would enjoy first, while naturally developing important skills such as observation, logical reasoning, planning, and problem-solving. In the future, these detective mechanics can also be expanded to teach STEM concepts like physics, chemistry, and scientific investigation through immersive gameplay.

What it does

The Secret Detective is an educational detective adventure where players must investigate environments, avoid enemy guards, collect useful items, craft gadgets, and complete missions using strategy rather than brute force. The core gameplay mechanic is crafting , when facing an enemy the player must choose to fight but for that it must craft a weapon using items it collects and which forces the player to identify and understand which item combination would lead to what.

For example, upon collecting a KNO3 and sugar , the player can create a mixture which when contained in a tin can , will allow player to create a smoke bomb.

Instead of directly teaching concepts through quizzes or lectures, the game encourages players to observe carefully, think critically, experiment with different approaches, and make logical decisions.

Our vision is to create an educational experience disguised as an exciting detective game, where learning becomes a natural part of gameplay rather than the primary focus.

How we built it

The project was built using the Godot Engine with GDScript.

Current features include:

Player movement
Enemy AI with vision cones
Inventory system
Crafting system
Throwable gadgets (Smoke Bomb & EMP)
Health system
Interactive environment
Stealth gameplay mechanics

Challenges we ran into

Balancing fun with educational value was our biggest challenge. We wanted the game to feel like an enjoyable adventure rather than a traditional educational application.

Another challenge was implementing AI that felt challenging but fair, while ensuring that gadgets and inventory mechanics worked together smoothly.