Four years after the original release of indie game developer Grace Bruxner's The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game, Frog Detective 3 works as a cute and decently satisfying conclusion to the series. With nearly double the length of the first game, gamers once again get to don their trench coat and return to the adventures of their favorite amphibious detective. This time to investigate the case of the missing hats in Cowboy Country.

Before starting, players are asked to once again create their special notebook and are caught up to the events of the last game through the use of several clever monologues. So although the game can be played standalone, your enjoyment of it really relies on your familiarity with the existing frog-verse, its characters, and their motivations.

Starting off directly after the ending of Frog Detective 2, we're reintroduced to Lobster Cop and Frog Detective who join forces this time to investigate the lawless land. Along the way, we're introduced to new denizens who make up Cowboy Country with their own motives and desires for living there. Without wanting to spoil too much of the story, let's just say that there are a few unexpected twists that culminates in answering whether or not a crime is real in the conclusion to this charming series. And while the ending could be considered a little bit pretentious to some, I personally didn't find any large issues with it as the game takes it all in full stride.

Gameplay-wise, a lot of it will feel familiar to anyone who played the first two games. You talk to an NPC, get their request and then talk to another NPC to get an item to fulfill it. Still, there are a few new mechanics such as being able to zip around on a scooter across the wasteland and completing poetry. As the largest environment of the three games in the series, there was something really charming watching the Frog Detective roll around on a scooter and essentially perform jumps/flips around the environment.

As a fan of the series, I will say that I’ve looked forward to the third game for quite some time and that it did not disappoint. I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing what Grace Bruxner’s next project will be and thank her for creating this lovely and witty series.

SCORE: 8.5

Review copy courtesy of Worm Club