How to arrest people in Shadows of Doubt

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To arrest a suspect in Shadows of Doubt requires handcuffs

Shadows of Doubt
(Image credit: Fireshine Games)

The Shadows of Doubt arrest mechanic is an essential one to getting bonus money in your cases. However, learning how to arrest people is something the game isn't quick to explain, as the process beyond shouting and handcuffs is left frustratingly obscure at times. Likewise, arresting the wrong person can result in a devastating fine, so it's important to understand exactly how the process works. With that in mind, here's the full process of how to arrest people in Shadows of Doubt.

Arresting suspects in Shadows of Doubt explained

Shadows of Doubt

(Image credit: Fireshine Games)

If a case in Shadows of Doubt has an optional goal to arrest the suspect, you can complete it in the following way:

  1. Buy a set of handcuffs from the Vending Machine in City Hall (or find them in the world).
  2. Identify the suspect you want to arrest and find them in the world.
  3. Enter their name into the case form as the one guilty of the crime.
  4. Select the handcuffs in your inventory so you have them equipped and in your hands.
  5. Put the handcuffs on the suspect. You can do this either by sneaking up behind them and selecting their hands, or knocking them unconscious with any of the  Shadows of Doubt guns and weapons.
  6. Once they're cuffed and kneeling on the ground, tell them in dialogue that they're under arrest for murder (or whatever crime you're investigating).
  7. They are now arrested. They'll stay there handcuffed, and can still be questioned. Don't worry about moving them or bringing them with you.
  8. Head to the City Hall when you're done with the investigation and submit the case form as normal.
  9. If you arrest the right person, you'll receive a bonus (with the authorities presumably going to pick them up off-screen from wherever you cuffed them).

Shadows of Doubt

(Image credit: Fireshine Games)
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The obvious downside from this process is that, yes, you lose the Handcuffs and will have to obtain more if you want to arrest somebody else. It's also entirely possible to handcuff somebody without arresting them - this generally makes them very compliant about answering your questions, but if they're not being arrested in dialogue, they'll only be cuffed for two hours in-game before being automatically freed. After all, if they're not a criminal you can't just have them tied up somewhere indefinitely.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.