A fair while ago Steam starting getting on par with GOG and allowing a 'complete your collection' type of bundle. Where you only buy games from a bundle you don't have, rather wasting money on games you already do and can't claim the spare key for.

Detour was from one of those packs. So it worked out to about 35 cents per title. Looking for something small in file size (shitty Aussie internet) and quick to pick up and play, Detour is the first unplayed game I've tried this year.

Immediately the game feels clunky to use. The mix of default fonts don't quite fit with the game, are bland, and in odd positions. While the sound design sounds clunky. While this is hard to push against in a game with construction aspects, they just don't sound polished enough and feel like placeholders.

Navigation through the games menus has a similar issue. There's icons and data over the screen, and getting through them, or just remembering where each option is kept, is more work than it should be. They're not only tiny and unclear, but to get feedback on anything you need to hover the mouse over it and press 'F'.

The use of hotkeys is also weird considering how much of it is just run by the mouse. I suppose if you got into this competitively you could toggle back and forth fast but it is still an area that needs work.

The basic aim is to build a road from your factory to the opposite side of the map. Obstacles are in your way, such as hills where you need to place tunnels, and rivers where you need to build bridges.

Once down you need to launch a truck. And in a non obvious way even though it is part of the UI some maps require several trucks to be sent.

There's a $$$ counter ticking away on the screen and each tile you place will use up some of your credit. Using in game tiles such as 'gold mine' that looks like a giant bolder on a crossroads, you can increase the credit slightly and get an extra truck running.

And that's it. Build a road and click on a button. The only challenge here is from competitive AIs or other players in a MP mode. And the AIs are utter bastards when there is more then one. Most of the time...

Aside from your own roads, there are those set as 'unclaimed' by the map. Attaching your road first allows you to claim it. The AI can do the same and block you off.

But most of the time it will just sit idle. I reran a few maps and... Well it did not even bother placing its own tiles until I had 2 trucks with completed runs and the final one on its way.

But when it wants to, especially when you are facing off more than one, it will simply gang up on you.

Along with placing roads you can place radar to scout unseen land and fire bombs at locations on the map. Place dynamite on enemy roads. Or set up turrets to destroy enemy trucks.

And the AI will do this to you. As soon as it is a 3-on-1 map and these options are available. Then the map just explodes into constant madness as it turtles its own trucks along and constantly blows up your own infrastructure.
The only way I could get around this was to reset the map until it was in a quieter mood like with some of the 1v1 maps.

Otherwise I just could not get ahead and found the difficulty spike greatly annoying.

Would I recommend? No. The game is just too inconsistent and the AI either a mindless loser or a total arsehole. Depending on the RNG god.

Somewhere deep inside this thing is an interesting game. But it is such a pain in the arse to play it you are better off with other titles.

Game Acquisition: Steam - Bundled Pack.
Platform Used: Steam
Tweet Threads: 1 - 8 January 2017
PC Used: Scorptec Venom 2009 MK2

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8
Processor: 1 GHz
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 160 MB
Video Card: DirectX 9 and Shader Model 1.1 support. 512 MB required.
Sound: DirectX 9 Compatible Sound Card