[2][3] The goal of the game is to discover the identity of the culprit in a whodunit-style mystery.

Gameplay proceeds in turns where the player moves through the board game-like setting, searching for clues.

The Commodore's nemesis, a master criminal named Mr. Valentine, knows that he is retiring.

Valentine launches their ultimate crime spree, and it's up to the Dickens Detective Agency to stop him.

Justin Cheng of Nintendo Power found the motion-controlled minigames "simple yet entertaining (though repetitive)" but was caught off guard by the game's comedic writing, saying that he was "pleasantly surprised to discover that Guilty Party had some genuinely funny moments".