The Shapeshifting Detective (2018) was the second game released by D'Avekki Studios, following The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker (2017).
Chris Jones (as Tex Murphy) can be heard reading the story on the in-game radio station that plays between scenes. The story, "Vanessa", was written by Tim Cowles and Lynda Cowles on their 21st wedding anniversary, specifically for Chris to read. Under a Killing Moon (1994) was the first FMV game the couple played together when they were dating in the early 1990s.
This is the first appearance of Radio August hosts John 'Poe' Pope (played by Klemens Koehring and Ellis Munro (played by Leah Cunard. The pair would go on to star in D'Avekki Studios next game Dark Nights with Poe and Munro (2020).