The frog detective – for you are he – doesn’t hop, but lopes around on his stratospheric legs, wearing cropped denim shorts and an architect’s long-sleeved turtleneck. He does not, in other words, cut a Sherlockian silhouette. Still, an unserious appearance can sometimes work in a detective’s favour, and few of the Noah’s Ark cast of animals in this whimsical whodunnit series seem much flustered by your presence or questions. Most of them willingly offer statements, evidence or leads – although, to be fair, most of these cases involve rather sweet, almost surreal misunderstandings. Nobody found guilty in this world is heading to the abattoir.
Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery collates the three cases in a series from Australian studio Worm Club that debuted in 2018 and soon became a sleeper indie hit. They are mechanically simple: you’re handed a case from your supervisor in your caretaker-sized office, head to the scene, magnifying glass in hand, then work your way from animal to animal searching for clues. The charm is in the dialogue, which is wry, knowing and heavily influenced by bright internet forum-style wit and patois.
The trilogy deepens and improves with each case. In the first and most basic, the characters speak too much alike. By the second and third case, when you’re given a notebook (which you can decorate with stickers before you head out; it’s the kind of world in which crack detectives love to journal) and even transport, things become more sophisticated in both setup and execution. Mostly, your role is to discover what each animal wants, then provide them with the item or information to relinquish the next clue needed to advance the plot. It’s a brisk, enjoyable package, ideal for a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon when you want to put your feet up and, every now and again, raise a smile.