The Frog Detective Extravaganza

I must inform you that my Frog detective odyssey has come to an end. I must inform you as well that it was a thing that was happening.

The Holidays are right here and upon us at the same time, and as a treat, I wanted to bring here my two little write-ups about the first two Frog Detective games I made back when I played them, on top of finally tackling the third one I waited over a year to play it for no reason other than I’m terrible at organizing my shit.

Part of me wished I had something grander or more unique for these festivities, but other, bigger part is just happy to compile something so innocent and laid-back as Frog Detective, and honestly, isn’t that what we deserve after this whole year kept throwing rocks at everyone and everything? Frog Detective was at the end waiting for me with a smile, even if I made him wait a whole year (3 technically), so it’s only fair I return the favor…

Frog Detective 1: The Haunted Island Review (Originally published on April 13^th, 2024)

-''I'm a bit nervous''

-''Me too!''

They say as their killer smiles aren't even fazed. That's the kind of attitude I aspire to have when setting off dangerous explosives.

Frog Detective 1 is the perfect example of that breed of videogames I like to refer as ''candy games''; shorter and more laid-back experiences more focused on the adventure of meeting people, doing silly stuff and the interactions that come from it. Or in other, simpler words, lil' goofy treats.

This right here is that entire base idea made into a game. It’s basically just a stroll across this not-so-spooky islands and interacting with the scientists to solve the most daunting case to ever be, and it’s cute! There are some pretty charming interactions here and there, some funnier than others for sure — Larry and Martin had the best moments by far—, tho overall they felt a bit repetitive at times and at worst some bits felt a bit awkward in a non-intentional way. The style of comedy it goes for isn’t anything new but at its best it really knows how to pull some novel or really funny bits, I just wish some others landed better.

And that’s about it, honestly!!! Aside from dialogue, the other thing you can do is to explore the island and use your magnifying glass for the fun of it, and as much as I love using a fish-eye lens in some of these Muppet looking motherfuckers, it also gets old fast. It’s an idea for more possible visual gags that aren’t explored further, which is how I feel about many other moments in this short mystery. The mouse doesn’t even get to break-dance at the end! What a ripoff!

It's hard for me to get even a bit grumpy about it, and if I started saying that I wished it was more ‘in-depth’ would be straight up silly. It’s a tale about a frog detective, plain and simple, and the enjoyment you’ll get out of it will entirely depend on how much you get charmed by it.

It doesn’t last long, it isn’t much, but it is sweet… just like a piece of candy!

Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard Review (Originally published on October 28^th, 2024)

In a world of Lobster Cops stans, the real frog detective fans await for their approaching glory days...

It may sound silly to say this considering how in many ways this is basically the first game but with another code of paint and a whole set of new interactions... but I think I like this one a tad bit less than the previous one?

It starts off presenting some cool ideas like Lobster Cop being an actual character (that phrase out of context is probably the weirdest shit ever) and the notebook being a thing, but both of those ideas stop being endearing as soon as you get out of the office.

The notebook is a cool lil thing to have to know which character you need to go after getting an item , but considering the small size of the cast that ain't a huge help in the first place, and even if the notes are a bit funny, I'd rather not have them than having to go through a little slide show every single time you get an item. And sure, it may be fun to place stickers on it at the beginning 'cause I'm hard-wired to find stuff like that adorable as fuck, but it isn’t as entertainingly useless as using the magnifying glass can be, not by a long shot.

The conversations may be funny and don't drag as much as some on the original did, but they feel like they follow the same beat as the original, in that I could feel the déjà vu in how the detective played off some of the townsfolk the exact same ways he did with the scientists on the haunted islands

It's still a neat time, some of the dialogue is fun and cute, I enjoy how it seems to be building up to something grander for the third entry, and the spooky setting is always fun to see. But I also don't feel like its charm managed to wave off some of the caveats as much as the first game could, and again, probably in great part is because of how similar it felt to the previous mystery.

I laughed, I enjoyed it, and I probably had to go around in circles wayyyy less, but please oh god don't make me go look for another 5 pies again pleasepleaseplease.

Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County Review

Kinda shocked at myself with how long I took to play this, guess the search for 5 pies really did traumatize me that badly, but worry not, they finally fixed it for the final installment.


You now only need FOUR scattered items instead!


''Two million money is a small price to pay for art!''

There isn't much that can go wrong in Frog Detective, the first two entries exist within the same realm of comfy simplicity without much of a degree of separation, and lo and behold —and as anti-climatic as it might be—, the same is true for this one!

If it had to end at any point tho, I am really glad it was at Corruption at Cowboy County , because this is easily the cast and ideas that make up this world of perpetual smiles operating at their best, even if that best doesn't necessarily go that far either.

I could be a boring bum and repeat the same gripes I've stated two times already, how not all of the jokes don't land that well and kinda feel formulaic at worst or how it doesn't really do any clever things with the fetch quest idea that makes up the real core of the game, but we've reached a point where, if I were to state this things for a third time as meaningful points, I don't think I'd be able to look myself at the mirror comfortably.

When you do the same shit three times straight and it still feels as charming as it did the first time instead of grating, I can only look at the weird paced lines and awkward jokes and, at the very least, smile. There's a true sincerity operating at every Frog Detective game that hits its stride here; it has by far the funniest interactions, my favorite cast (even if it isn't by much tbh), the zaniness ramped up to eleven, a goddam fake credits scene with a sad song and a gives Frog Detective a sad face. I felt SOMETHING when I saw that smile upside down, my little heart broke a bit, free my sweet boy he didn't do ANYTHING! I KNEW LOBSTER COP SUCKED!

The fact it made me feel something beyond mere bizarre interested and tapped into ACTUAL investment... I mean it still doesn't put it that far above the other two but DUDE.

If I had to point to actual, sincere gripe that's exclusive to this one, is that I wish it went ever further with the concepts it does introduce, and I don't mean it in a mechanical way. Like, sure, it'd be cool that the scooter had more space to operate and a world design that used the surprisingly fun movement options and jump, but I'm more-so offended by the fact that the game that puts a final ribbon to this accidental trilogy SEVERELY overlooks the second one. Like, the whole cast is there for the final scene, and that's awesome, but Mystery Monkey is given a whole ass major role while no-one from Invisible Wizard gets anything, and considering how one of the segments of the climax is a false sneak section to free Frog, how could would it have been to see Lola return as well?

I feel like such a dork for bringing this up in this way, but for a game whose whole implied message (besides the fact that jails as they function in modern society are fucking cringe, which, based ngl) is how it was Frog's kindness and methods that made him establish those positive connections that didn't enable destructive behavior and jealousy, only focusing on one guy, a cool guy, but only one nonetheless, feels like a huge let down and a very big missed opportunity.

Still, my pedantry cannot get in the way of how much this succeeds both as a finally and as a third Frog Detective on its own right; it feels as sweet as it ever did and it has even more energy to back it up, a lil' charming and adorable project that is at its best when you let yourself get lost in it a bit, admiring the silly critters on giving voices to the characters.

It continues the middling aspects of the other two, and doesn't really improve upon things like the notebook, but again, those are what make Frog Detective what it is, not amazing, but holy is it endearing.

I mentioned in my Invisible Wizard review that they seemed to be building towards something truly special for this one, an while it isn't what I expected or wished it to, it is what it needed to be. The kind of art so happy about what it is I cannot physically bring myself to dislike, much less not enjoy it wholeheartedly.

Fuck Lobster Cop tho... but Delivery Lobster? Now there's a great and cool guy!

''Always give your banking information to anyone who asks for it.''

Looking Back

It feels weird to re-read my Haunted Island review and see myself taking the idea and concept of what was meant to be an incredibly silly, simple and joyful stroll so seriously… tho I’m also glad I did.

The Frog Detective Trilogy is one of those experiences that is so unserious about itself that it cannot be anything else but sincere about what it is, from start to a likely unplanned end, it knew what it wanted to be, even if that something wasn’t always up to par, the core objective is always there.

It was to make you smile by making something it can feel proud of.

And it is that kind of earnest glee that kept me coming back, whether it was 12 days, 6 months or a year, I was always gonna see this Frog’s final case, ‘cause I was not gonna say no I HAVE A SOUL, DAMMIT!

There’s a timeline where these games fell into ironic, self-deprecating humor that devalued the whole experience.

Our timeline may not be perfect, but at least we got Frog Detective, and art like it, while not perfect… is priceless.

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!

Thank you so much for reaching this point.