game reviews | frog detective #2: the case of the invisible wizard

the little odds + ends

you're a detective, and a frog, and it's time to solve a mystery. also there's a wizard.

game title: frog detective #2: the case of the invisible wizard
​developed by: grace bruxner and thomas bowker
published by: worm club
game trailer: watch the trailer
release date: december 2019
genre: short, simple, point-and-click, comedy, mystery
platform(s): steam
player(s): single-player
for fans of: ooblets, lil gator game, phogs

the vibe check

• silly
• short
• spooky
• family-friendly

game features

• an invisible wizard, obviously!
• fetch quests from cute, sassy animals
• first-person sleuthing
• steam achievements to impress your pals
• two different endings to the case!

#1 | did I genuinely enjoy playing this game?

This sequel gave me more of what I loved about the first frog detective game and added a bit more gameplay variety. For instance, now Frog Detective gets to carry around his own handy dandy notebook. This allows the player to keep track of what they learn about each animal as they are questioned and to see what items they are currently carrying in their inventory. I thought it was hilarious that I could even mark animals as “suspicious”, stamping a giant purple label over their profile photo in my notes.

​The witty dialogue humor kept me fully entertained for the duration of this bite-sized mystery and I’m looking forward to helping frog detective solve his next case soon!

​#2 | was the story memorable or the game concept unique?

When an invisible wizard moves into town, the villagers of Warlock Woods decide to throw the wizard a welcome parade! Unfortunately, someone trashes all of the parade preparations in the middle of the night so it’s up to Frog Detective to figure out whodunnit!

If you’re someone like me who doesn’t particularly love being jumpscared to death in games but still enjoys creepy stories and atmospheres, this is the perfect “spooky, not scary” game to play when October rolls around.

#3 | did I feel immersed in the game world?

The entire world for this game was limited to a few self-contained locations. I really appreciated that this time we got a glimpse into the detective agency where Frog Detective works. The majority of this game takes place in a forest town called Warlock Woods, a place inhabited by a handful of animals.

The residents live in a quaint cul-de-sac surrounded by gloomy pine trees. breaking up the monotony of homes is a general store, owned and operated by a zebra that lives in town. The general store was actually one of my favorite things about the village since it contained a number of throwback items from the first game, like the smiling starfish you see on the island beaches.

​The same jazzy soundtrack from the first game was back, so you can expect to hear the same laid-back sleuthing tunes that you may be familiar with.

#4 | did the characters make me feel something?

The characters I met in Frog Detective #2 were more polarizing for me than they had been in the first game. I either loved them, or I pretty much glossed over them. Each animal had a simple item fetch quest for me to complete, and while these tasks were basically spoon-fed to the player, the quests did give me a little more of a personal connection to each animal which I appreciated.

What really surprised me was that there were some moments in this game that genuinely made me feel uneasy. My first encounter with the invisible wizard was way more suspenseful than I had expected plus I found an easter egg while exploring that gave me the feeling that I was being watched.. in fact, I hadn’t realized what I saw was an easter egg until I googled what had happened out of paranoia!

#5 | was there enough content to justify the price?

This one hour mystery-adventure retails for $4.99 on steam. This feels more than fair for the silly, spooky experience you'll have questioning these animals and cracking the case.

You can also purchase all three frog detective games as a bundle for $13.47 on steam. If you haven’t played any of the games before, I would recommend waiting until the bundle is on sale just to save some extra money!

my game rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

what I enjoyed

• the “small village in the woods” setting
• learning more about frog detective’s workplace relationships
• decorating my dectective notebook with stickers!!
• many laugh-out-loud moments

what I didn't enjoy

• there was still very little incentive for me to use the magnifying glass which bummed me out!
• not having lobster cop as my partner in crime during the case (I’m kind of obsessed with him??)
• I was minorly jumpscared by an easter egg (just kidding, I actually loved this even though I had to keep looking over my shoulder the entire game!)

If Frog Detective #2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard Sounds interesting to you, please support the game developer(s) and add this game to your steam wishlist!

If you’ve already played, I would love to hear your thoughts on the game in the comments below!