Shadows of Doubt has dropped into 1.0 following a reasonable stay in Early Access. As a sandbox murder mystery game, it's quite something to sink your teeth into. Read our Shadows of Doubt walkthrough for heaps of useful info to help you on your journey towards retirement.
All Social Credit Perks, Ranked in Shadows of Doubt
Social Credit is your 'level' as far as a game mechanic is concerned, and you earn Social Credit by completing any case. Social Credit levels each grant you a small permanent perk, which can range from minor quality of life features, to gameplay changing effects.
Social Credit Level 2 - Apartments
The Level 2 perk is one of the handiest in the list, as it allows you to purchase apartments. That's all there is to it, really. Prior to this, you can still find apartment advertisements on the job boards located at some businesses, but you'll be unable to purchase them.
However, Level 2 is also when you start getting targeted by random NPC muggers, so be careful when walking the streets.
Social Credit Level 3 - Loitering
The Level 3 perk is handier than you'd expect, despite sounding somewhat... strange. Level 3 allows you to loiter in bars and restaurants without buying anything, which is great for times in which you have to wait out a suspect, or wait for another murder to happen.
Without this perk, you can loiter in these businesses for (I believe, based on some minor testing) around an hour.
Social Credit Level 4 - Fast Travel to Locations
Allows you to fast travel from your apartment to any location you've previously visited. This can be handy in fringe cases, such as needing to go to one of the illegal businesses with names you can't quite remember, but honestly, I find fast travelling to remove some of the allure of this game.
Social Credit Level 5 - Fast Travel to Apartment
Level 5 allows you to fast travel to your apartment from anywhere. Another pretty immersion breaking perk, but handy in a pinch, especially in combination with the perks for Level 6 and Level 10.
Social Credit Level 6 - Apartment Debuff Removal (Partial)
Level 6 means going to your apartment removes some of the basic negative effects. From testing, I believe this to be any negative effects that aren't related to injury (bleeding, broken leg, bruised), or eating and drinking (hungry, thirsty).
Social Credit Level 7 - Echelon Zone Access
Level 7 is yet another incredibly handy perk, as it grants access to 'Echelon' living areas. Echelon Zones are reserved for the more elite Citizens in Shadows of Doubt, which means you're not even allowed to go in and knock on their doors. This makes investigating cases tied to these areas a bit of a hassle, so this perk is mighty rewarding indeed.
Social Credit Level 8 - Crime Scene Access
Level 8 should be the most useful perk on the list, but frankly I find it a little high up in the social credit tree to be too useful. Level 8 means that Enforcers will allow you to access to crime scenes, which as a detective, is pretty important. I believe this perk should be replaced entirely, and think introducing some kind of P.I License for purchase to the City Hall would be an infinitely better way of introducing this mechanic.
Social Credit Level 9 - Home Invasion
Level 9 means citizens are more likely to allow you into their homes with this perk. This can prove exceptionally handy for the thieves out there, though potential murderers are still more likely to prevent you from coming in.
Social Credit Level 10 - Apartment Debuff Removal (Complete)
Level 10 means visiting your apartment will now remove all negative effects. That includes injury and survival mechanic ones, which basically removes your need for medical attention or food at all. Level 10 is also the Social Credit tier that allows you to 'Retire' if playing on the correct game length, which is effectively the completion of your run.
Social Credit Level 11 - Stalking is Easy
Level 11 means that Citizens are less likely to get angry or scared if you're tailing them. Tailing suspects doesn't even really trigger this often, so long as you keep distance and don't just drone your way towards them. Bit of a useless perk, all in all.
Social Credit Level 12 - Trespassing Grace Period
Level 12 grants you a longer period of 'grace' when trespassing somewhere. I don't have exact numbers, but it basically means security cameras will take longer to set off the alarm, and citizens will take longer to get angry or run to pull the alarm themselves. This doesn't feel... particularly rewarding for the very last social credit perk.
How to Retire
Retirement is effectively the ending of your run in Shadows of Doubt, and requires you reaching Social Credit Level 10 to achieve it. However, what requires explanation here is how to even be able to reach Social Credit Level 10 to begin with, because without checking your settings, you'll never be able to. This is because the game length setting directly influences what the maximum Social Credit level is, with it being at minimum 3 on a 'Very Short' game, and a maximum of '12' on a 'Very Long' game.
In order to be able to reach Social Credit Level 10, and therefore Retire, you'll need to go into the 'Gameplay' settings tab, and change the 'Game Length' setting to at least 'Long'.
You'll then need to head to City Hall and collect a Resolution Form. You know... the ones you use to solve murders. How strange; if only there was some kind of message in that.
How to buy an Apartment
As stated previously, you'll need to first hit Social Credit Rank 2 to be able to purchase an apartment. Then, go to any location that contains a phone and job board. Examples of these are diners, restaurants, and City Hall. You might end up having to check a few, as not every board contains an apartment listing. You're looking for any square card that has a house icon on it.
Interact with the card, and it'll present you with the details, location, and button to buy the apartment.
How to find the Citizens Database in Shadows of Doubt
The Citizens Database in Shadows of Doubt is one of the most powerful tools at not-quite your disposal. This database contains the fingerprints, birthdates, physical descriptors and even addresses of every single generated citizen in your city. Finding and using this extremely powerful tool is also shockingly easy, despite technically being an illegal action.
Please be aware that using this tool can very quickly make your game extremely easy, as I remember on my second ever playthrough going through a bunch of names to try and find someone from only an initial. This had the unintended side effect of me knowing the names and fingerprints of a good 50% of the population, which made most of my murder cases a complete joke. If that's your jam, that's your jam, but if you'd like to keep some of the challenge, I'd suggest only using this system when you've got at least a little bit of information already. (Ideally either a full forename or surname.)
Thankfully, despite the procedurally generated nature of every Shadows of Doubt city, there is always a City Hall, and it is always laid out in the exact same way.
In order to find the Citizens Database, you'll first want to head to City Hall. From the front desk, you'll want to head up the stairs you can see at the very back of the room.
Take the stairs up until you reach the first landing (don't go all the way to the top) and take the door immediately on your left when you get there.
Head into the office, and head into the room with the blue door marked with a CCTV camera. This door is typically unlocked, but if you get unlucky, you'll need to use a Codebreaker (discussed more below).
When you enter this room, do not turn on the light. It is very unlikely there'll be anyone in this room, but there is always a camera. Thankfully, so long as you leave the light off, the camera won't be able to see you.
The computer in that room contains the Citizen Database. This computer being unlocked also seems to be luck based, and if it is indeed locked, you can go and get a Codebreaker straight from City Hall itself. Go to any of the 'Locker' vending machines located in City Hall to purchase one for 75 Crows. There's usually one directly across from the Database room. Handy indeed.
How to use the Citizens Database in Shadows of Doubt
Using the Citizens Database is really quite simple. First, interact with the computer and log in if you haven't already (using a Codebreaker if needed). Then, select the 'Gov Database' application.
This will present you with an empty text field and a keyboard. You can either type yourself or use your mouse to select each key. You'll need at least two letters to present you with any results, and the results will pull from both forenames and surnames.
You'll then need to select any entry, and then hit the 'Print' button that'll show up on the bottom left of the keyboard section. This will cause a paper copy of the entry to print from the Computer, which you can then peruse and pin to your caseboard at your leisure.
All Murder Case Types in Shadows of Doubt
As we all know by now, the big bit of Shadows of Doubt is the murder cases, but the side cases can be just as fun, if not more so. Here I'll break down each murder type, so you know what they entail and how to identify them. Each murder in Shadows of Doubt follow a 'type', which is to say they have key characteristics that identify them. Knowing how to identify a murder type can greatly assist you, as you'll know what evidence to look for.
The Corporate Killers
Now these ones are very easy to identify, and frankly tend to be very easy to solve. These killers will often leave behind a message on a business card near the body, something along the lines of 'DIDN'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES'. Once again, this card will usually have a fingerprint, and the suspect is always a member of the same company as the victim.
Sometimes, they'll be smart, and there'll be no fingerprints. In these instances, look around for any notes from the victim about a 'stalker'. One of these notes or v-mails will typically contain a brief physical description, which can help you whittle them down. (The V-Love Sync Disc discussed earlier is exceptionally useful for these cases.)
You can find them very quickly by finding where the victim works, then breaking into the employee files and matching the fingerprint from the card.
The Red Gums Killers
Red Gums killers are strange, and are the most 'mental' of the bunch. These guys worship the Kola corporation, and more specifically, its now dead founder. Their murder scenes can be identified by red, 'cultish' markings near or around the body of the victim.
The killer will also leave a 'note' of some kind, which will typically contain a phrase like 'FIND ME' or 'LETS PLAY', followed by a jumbled anagram of their name. This note will usually have a fingerprint on it, so be sure to check it over.
The Dating Service Killers
Ah, the creeps. No game is complete without 'em.
These guys are not subtle, and will typically leave messages of obsession at the scene. Things like hearts drawn in lipstick, or 'VICTIM AND SUSPECT FOREVER' markings. Computers of the victims are the place to start looking here, as they'll tend to have messages from their killer on them.
The Apartment Snipers
These ones can be a doozy to find, as they tend to snipe their victims from other buildings. You'll need to look out for bullet holes (that you can inspect to determine the caliber) that can indicate where the shot came from, and you'll know very quickly if you're up against one of these guys if there are no indications of a suspect being in the area.
That means no bullet casings, no footprints that don't match the victim, and no fingerprints. You'll be looking for someone with either a Hamilton or Faucon rifle in their home, and that's about it. You can occassionaly find motive notes, or other clues to indicate to the suspect, but these ones can be tough.
The Revolutionary Killers
These killers tend to target specifically someone much younger than them, or someone much older than them. They tend to leave messages along with toy car objects saying something to the effect of 'MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW GENERATION'. Little trickier to find these folks, as there can be very few links from suspect to victim.
The Rooftop Snipers
These guys are even harder to nab than Apartment Snipers, as they'll shoot people in the street, and typically pretty close to where the victim is. Your best bet is to look around for the shorter rooftops in the area, and look around them for footprints and specifically bullet casings.
Bullet casings will typically have the fingerprint of the suspect, and you can track the footprints for quite some time. Whether or not they'll lead to anything useful is another matter. As the only info you can get from the scene is typically the caliber and a fingerprint, your best bet here is to ask citizens nearby the victim if they saw anybody suspicious. They'll occasionally give you physical descriptions of the suspect, which can help close the distance.
Kidnapping
Introduced in the 1.0 release of Shadows of Doubt, these cases can be identified very easily because you're directly told it's a kidnapping case. They present some real challenges, and tend to be far more difficult than your normal murder case, primarily due to a significant reduction in evidence. For one, you've got a time limit, because if you don't find the perp and victim before a set time, then the victim is killed.
However, here you have different ways to do things. You can pay off the perp by filling up a briefcase and leaving it where they so choose. Or, you can do things the old fashioned way and dish out some justice. Either way, these cases are a great addition, and really mix up the flow.
All Side Case Types in Shadows of Doubt
Side cases are some of the most fun to be had in Shadows of Doubt, and offer the greatest variety of case types. These can make you some serious money too, along with rewards like rare Sync Disks. They tend to hedge into the 'illegal' territory more often than not, but who really cares.
Note that side cases can vary wildly in difficult, and you can usually tell how hard a case will be based on the pay. The higher the pay, the higher the difficulty.
Outsourced Arrest Cases
Outsourced Arrest cases require you to identify, and arrest, a specific citizen. You'll be given a random assortment of information about the target, and this can range from plentiful, to minimal. I've had to do one of these with nothing but a first name initial, and a note that they enjoy 'house plants'.
Infidelity Cases
Ahh, but of course. The thing most modern PI's are hired for. Surely some of them wish they could do more murders, no?
These cases require you to find proof of a spouse cheating, and requires you to find information on the person they're cheating with. You'll also usually have to grab a photo of them, and for kicks, even throw some food in their face. Really fun cases, especially when it's a little trickier to figure out.
Humilation Cases
Strange ones, to be honest. These ones require you to throw food in the face of the target... but sometimes you have to figure out who yourself? Like, surely you know who you're humilating before you hire the PI with 300 Aggravated Assault charges under his belt.
Tailing Cases
These ones are the ones that REALLY let you do the whole noir detective thing. You're tasked with trailing a suspect carrying a briefcase as they go to meet someone, and tasked with taking a picture of the exchange.
You'll also have to figure out who it is they're meeting with, so these cases can stretch on. Really fun to pick up a newspaper or umbrella, and stalk folks through the streets before getting really bad photographs of them.
Corporate Theft Cases
Some of my favourite cases of all. Corporate Theft cases require you to meet with a business owner, and get information on a target. The target will be in possession of a brown and red envelope, which can either be held on their person, at their home, or even at their place of work.
You really have to do some digging on these cases, and they typically require a bunch of breaking and entering, which is my favourite passtime.
All Illegal Businesses in Shadows of Doubt (Benefits, Tips to find)
Illegal Businesses are a strange facet of Shadows of Doubt, but are undeniably important nonetheless. Each business has a set of benefits associated with them, but finding them can be tricky.
How to find Illegal Businesses
The best way to locate illegal businesses is to check basement areas, which can be identified by the images above. This is an example of streetside basement access, but you can also check them out by heading to any buildings elevator and checking for 'B' levels (B1 for example).
You'll then want to start generally checking each door; most will be marked as either 'vacant address' or 'power room', but you'll occasionally find one with a strange name. In my run for example, I found 'Consult Inc', which was the Loan Shark illegal business, by checking the basement of the building seen above.
Two of the illegal businesses also require passwords to enter (the Blackmarket Trader and the Weapons Dealer). Finding these passwords require you to keep your eyes open in your run, as you'll have to locate these passwords by keeping an eye out for specific graffiti.
This is an example of the password for a Blackmarket Trader. The Weapons Dealer password will have an icon of a gun above the password.
Of course, each time you generate a new city, the locations, names and passwords for these businesses will change.
All Illegal Business Services
Each of the Illegal Businesses in Shadows of Doubt have different services on offer, and some are much more useful than others.
The Blackmarket Trader
The Blackmarket Trader is an absolute must find in any run for Shadows of Doubt, as it serves as a Pawn Shop, but remains open 24/7. They'll buy any stolen or not stolen goods from you, so long as you have the password to enter. They also sell a variety of goods, including some tools you can use, along with weapons and medication. You may need to check these guys out when you're on a case, and you're looking for gun purchases.
The Weapons Dealer
These guys also sell a variety of weapons, and a few tools you can use. However, most of their use comes from tracking down illegally purchased firearms on cases, so if the Blackmarket Trader didn't pan out, this would be your next stop.
The Illegal Sync Clinic
These places sell some very rare sync discs, ones that are much harder to find elsewhere, and are rarely rewarded from jobs. This includes the Tresspasser Sync Disc we discussed earlier. You can also install them here, freely, as you would any other Sync Clinic.
The Gambling Den
Sadly, the Gambling Den simply acts as another bar, and you sadly can't bet away all your hard earned Crows here. However, they are another spot that can contain job boards, so always worth a check if the others don't have anything to your liking.
The Loan Shark
Loan Sharks do what you'd expect, they lend you money. They'll give you a flat payment of 2000 Crows, and take 250 back per day, on top of a 250 Crow fee for the service. Frankly, you shouldn't need these guys. Doing a few quick jobs, and robbing married couples is a far greater way to earn a living.
Shadows of Doubt Tips
These are just some extra tips you can use to help yourself during your run, which cover things not particularly well explained in game.
The Detective Notebook
The notebook is one of the greatest tools in your arsenal, and I didn't know it existed until shockingly late into my 70 hour playtime. The Detective Notebook contains all publicly accessible knowledge, which means any public address, any business, and the details of every citizen you've met.
You can use this to direct yourself to anywhere you may need to go, and it'll remember every password you ever find (along with telling you to who/where it belongs). Below is an example of using the notebook to locate the place I need to meet a contact for a job.
You can use this by opening up your case board, and hitting the magnifying glass icon in the top left.
The Counter System
I'll be upfront. The tip here is to simply get a good melee weapon, and to not interact with this system at all. For all of this games magic, its combat leaves something to be desired. Which is fine, because it doesn't sell itself as some hardcore street brawler. I mean, just look at that UI. That is a LOT of information for someone who is about to hit the deck (me).
The countering mechanic is simply 'Right click when the red bar hits the blue bar' when you're in combat. Now this only works if your opponent is using their fists, and it won't save you from a WWI era saber, nor a Lazarus 8 semi-automatic handgun. Now, if done correctly, you'll prevent your opponent from hitting you. You'll also be unable to retaliate. So... just get a baseball bat.
How to sell items (Pawn Shops)
Pawn Shops are the place to go to sell all of those legally obtained pieces of evidence from crime scenes. You know, like diamonds from safes, fancy teacups, the afformentioned WWI era saber, etc.
First, you'll need to locate a Pawn Shop, which can be done by using your Detective Notebook as discussed earlier, or by just finding one naturally. The Blackmarker Trader also acts as a pawn shop, but it's far more useful as it's open 24/7.
In order to sell items, you'll want to talk to the clerk and select the 'I want to buy something' option. Then in the menu that pops up, hit the 'Sell' tab on the right of the clipboard.
Barging doors down
This is another one of those neat mechanics I didn't know existed until far too long into my playtime. If you sprint at a door in Shadows of Doubt, and press right click just as you're about to ram into it, you'll instead perform a barge. You might need to do this more than once, and it carries a risk of injury (typically bruising) so be careful not to overdo it.
Additional Guides
If you've found this walkthrough helpful, and you're looking for some more mystery game goodness from us here at Pro Game Guides, check out our Nancy Drew Mystery of the Seven Keys Walkthrough!
Published: Sep 26, 2024 06:00 am