The first title in the adventure game genre that was produced in Poland, its plot revolves around a fictional Interpol agent named John Pollack trying to solve a mystery associated with the thefts of ancient artifacts around the world.

To catch the thief, Interpol chooses their best trainee, protagonist and playable character John Pollack, a young American of Polish descent.

[8] The group realised they could service the untapped Polish software market, where many people had PCs but were unable to become immersed in adventure games because they did not understand English.

[12] While Tajemnica Statuetki was initially supposed to have hand-drawn graphics, during development the game was altered to instead use digitised photographs as static screen backgrounds.

[18] According to Antyweb, the game's development was successful despite a shoestring budget, noting Chmielarz' "initiative" of using "home-made methods" when he did not have access to multiple Elwro and IMB XT computers.

[20] Photographs in the game were taken at the Côte d'Azur, Saint Tropez,[21][22] Monte Carlo, Nice and the abandoned Calvinist church and cemetery in Jędrzychowice, Strzelin.

[7] A "youthful fantasy" can be observed during a meeting with the main opponent, performing a magical ritual in a fiery circle made of birthday candles.

[31] Geezmo thought the game's commercial success was largely due to a "deliberate, well-thought-out media campaign" that included the sale of CDs attached to a popular magazine.

[2][11] At a time where democracy and capitalism were being introduced to Poland,[40] and in which The Software Protection Act was coming into effect in 1994, players were not used to paying high amounts for original games.

[17] SS-NG (Secret Service - Next Generation) puts Tajemnica Statuetki's success in a piracy-prone market to it being reasonably cheap and comparable in quality to English-language adventure games.

Tajemnica Statuetki's plot and writing were highly praised; according to Video Games Around the World, its overall positive reception was mostly due to the strength of its script.

[15] GameDot said the title "still surprises with its brilliance in the description of the surroundings and the structure of dialogues (very modeled on LucasArts productions) that bring to mind solid literary material".

[11] SS-NG wrote that the Polish language was "professionally implemented" without spelling and stylistic errors and thought the game struck a balance between humour and bleak, horror-filled scenarios.

[26] SS-NG also said the narrative and gameplay were well thought-out and hold up, and added that the clever mix of humour and drama effectively break the suspense with laugh-out-loud moments.

[3] According to Benchmark, the "professional, tense thriller" is highly original and owes much of its success to the period in which it was released, when technological imperfections were compensated for by strong concepts.

[50] While noting its lack of a complicated plot and well-constructed characters, Polskie Gry Wideo wrote that the game offers hours of entertainment.

Gry Online opined the game is demanding and requires players to have patience and an open mind to find absurd solutions to puzzles.

[17] Polygamia wrote that while the game is not technically proficient, it was appreciated by players for its engaging scenario, high-class criminal intrigue, and careful performance.

[17] Secret Service described the gameplay as being reminiscent of Infocom products, in particular The Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, noting that players are required to be sharp and perceptive when interacting with found objects, which often must be used in ways contradictory to their original purposes.

Citing examples such as a coin on a beach, a hairpin on a sofa, and a hook on an anchor, Secret Service noted that such items were one-pixel size and are not visible on the screen, necessitating pixel hunting with the mouse, "creating unnecessary downtime".

[4] Benchmark noted that looking for details and objects relevant to advancing through the plot requires players to strain their eyes,[45] a sentiment echoed by Orange.

[49] While Secret Service said Tajemnica Statuetki is more modestly constructed that its Western counterparts, it concluded that it was solidly made without lags or having game-breaking bugs.

[58] According to Radio Szczecin, by 2014 standards, the game is "unkempt" due to its static photographs, lack of animation and music, and expository subtitles, all of which might "scare off the younger players".

[60] Describing the game as a "strong textbook with pretty images", Secret Service expressed disappointment that it did not include music in the introduction or a line-by-line voiceover.

[3] Video Games Around the World deemed the production values "Spartan" because of the use of digitised photographs, lack of animations and music, and minimal sound effects.

[43] Polskie Gry Wideo wrote that the game's graphics contrasted with those of its western contemporaries such as Mystery House (1980), Maniac Mansion (1987), The Secret of Monkey Island (1990), and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (1992).

[17] Despite the magazine's reservations, Secret Service deemed Tajemnica Statuetkia good game, recommending it because of its affordability and accessibility; it also said, "the patriotic duty of all players should be to buy it from the producer and finish it".

[67] Radio Szczecin also said the title is unforgettable due to its cultural relevance, in the sense that a game with Polish artists and subtitles made a dent on the world stage.

[81] Adam Juszczak's text Polski Rynek Gier Wideo – Sytuacja Obecna Oraz Perspektywy Na Przyszłość noted the "breakthrough" nature of Tajemnica Statuetki in a wider context; the Polish gaming market had been delayed because of the socialist system and the lack of widespread access to computers and consoles; as a result it had only begun to develop in the 1980s.

[4] The history of early Polish video game development, and specifically the creation of Tajemnica Statuetki, was addressed in the Polish-language book Nie tylko Wiedźmin: Historia polskich gier komputerowych.