Mo didn't breakdance

cute & extremely short game about being a frog and detecting the heck out of some stuff. totally brainless but that's not a bad thing!

I know I'm giving this a 'do not recommend,' but that's not because it's bad. The game doesn't claim to be something it's not. It's just not for me, and I don't think I'll remember enough about this game to actually recommend it to anyone. (that sounds so harsh... it's just not for me...)

Anyway if u wanna spend 5 bucks to watch some cute character models dance around all goofy-like, i sincerely am happy for u

Bought it after seeing it has lots of positive comments, which now makes me wonder if they're not mostly from the developers friends or their facebook group.
It's not good. I was expecting a lighthearted little adventure with a little bit of depth to it, but it's... bland. Devs have just done the bare minimum for everything, I was fine with it initially as I was expecting they put most of their efforts in the story and character development, but well... it's basically a walking simulator, the tag "adventure" is misleading, you just go back and forth between all the characters standing idle in this tiny place, verbose without being engaging for an adult like me, the constant cuts during dialogs is making me feel sick after a while, it's too basic and boring.
For adult players looking for a good mystery story with a little depth, just pass that one.

I did not expect much from Frog Detective. What I got was barely anything at all.
It did not make me smile, it did not make me curious, it did not show me anything interesting.

The entire, short experience is kinda like scrolling through one of those "Funny Image Dumps From Twitter/Tumblr" on your phone. You're reading a message chain which ends with words "I CANT BREATHE", "STOP ITS TOO FUNNY" or the punchline repeated in all caps, meanwhile you're hardly cracking a smile.

The art is barebones and detailless. You could find similiar designs in your local kindergarden.
The "gameplay" consists of walking back and forth between NPCs to exchange items and read their "funny" dialogues.
I'm sorry to say that Frog Detective did not work for me at any level. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over the age of 3.

The art style is well done, sound design is fitting, and an effort to give each character a unique personality was made.

However, the gameplay bored me to tears. It consists entirely of clicking through dialogue trees with a series of fetch quests.

Perhaps it's not my kind of humor but I just didn't find any of it funny and the plot was predictable.
It's so simple enough that a young child may enjoy it but I can't recommend this to anyone else.

A super cute and charming little game but just sadly didn't really capture me as much as it seems to have done with others in the community.
Not a lot to talk about since at it's core it's a walking simulator.

I can't entirely recommend it but I do wish the developers the best and hopefully in the future they can make a little more expansive non-episodic title!

Kind of a waste of time in my opinion.
The writing is at times a bit humorous, but I didn't get more than a chuckle or two out of it.
For a game that is exclusively about dialogue, too much it feels redundant and unenjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_kUoBnxwQc

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I only became aware of The Haunted Island, A Frog Detective Game (FD) when it showed up in a Humble Bundle monthly deal. The reviews were widely positive, and what I took from the game was that although it'd be on the short side, it'd still be a funny and interesting little mystery to play through. Something I overlooked though was how many reviews said this would be a good game for kids, instead of older gamers. However, having gone through it myself, I wouldn't suggest it's for children either, because it's not even a game.


All that takes place in the game is speaking with the NPCs on the island, picking up a few items, and trading them for something else. There's no need to think about what's going on or why, you just walk around and interact with the items that have a highlighted ring around them until you're done. By the way, that'll only take a few minutes of your time, because the game is incredibly short. It'll take a bit longer than reading this review, but not as much as you might expect from a $5 game.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2365660064
With the game consisting of only movement and interacting with the environment with one button, I figured it'd have supported mouse and keyboard controls alone. However, you can use a controller as well. You can zoom in with the magnifying glass, but it serves no purpose whatsoever, and may as well not be included.


You play as an unnamed frog, who is the titular Frog Detective, sent out by his boss to an island where a sloth is freaked out because he's hearing spooky noises. You'll interact primarily with phony ghost scientists, not because they're trying to cash in on an easy payday, but because everyone is really incompetent. I guess this amounts to comedy in this game. One character only showed up because they thought the position was for toast scientists, another riveting example of this game's humor.

When even the NPCs act awkward and have a hard time talking with each other, that might be a sign the humor is really forced, not that you've struck comedic gold. Anyone remember what the 2016 Ghostbusters was like? Another example of painfully unfunny writing stems from the sheep, who didn't know that people turn wool into clothing. What a zinger. If there had been a cow, maybe they could have been surprised that people drink milk. It just writes itself.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2365660320
The 3D visuals in FD do the job, though the models and backgrounds are rather simplistic. It does have a unique aesthetic that makes me think of a pop-up book, which is kind of neat. The unchanging expressions on the characters' faces is a bit off-putting though, and were everything not so silly, could almost be creepy. Maybe somebody should spoof this title with a bad horror game. No wait, Five Nights at Freddy's already exists.


Matching the detective part of FD, the music does have a film noir vibe to it, as it plays a slow, moody jazz song. Since the game doesn't take itself seriously, it doesn't really fall in line with everything else though, as it's too serious for goofy animal antics. With the game emphasizing spooky noises as part of its story, there's a distinct lack of said noises to let players know what everyone on the island is hearing. I'm sure you've heard of the phrase, “Show don't tell,” when it comes to writing, and this is the same idea. Aside from the music though, there aren't any other sound effects, which makes this stand out even more.


🌟 Everyone is so happy.


❌ My playtime in FD would be much shorter if I hadn't hammed up my interactions for video content. It can be knocked out in a few minutes, and that's not from the mindset of trying to speedrun the game either. There's simply that little dialogue and content.
❌ It's overly simple and boring. As someone who played games as a child, the idea that this would be a good title for them is ridiculous. I wouldn't want toddlers to play video games, and that's about the age range that'd find this entertaining.


🔍 Talk to all the NPCs, exhausting their dialogue options, then pick up the miscellaneous background objects. You'll quickly know where to take them to advance in the game.


I think that those who recommend FD as a children's game are mixing up something that's child-friendly with what would be interesting to a child. It's true that some games are overly violent and should be played by older audiences, but simply omitting violence or sexually suggestive material doesn't mean a game is a good choice for kids. The same also applies to a game with no way to fail. Unless you earnestly believe in never giving kids challenges or letting them experience failure, a game like this isn't something you'd suggest for them. I've played games I'd suggest for younger audiences, but it was an entertaining game first, and child-friendly second.

If I'd played this as a kid, I don't think I'd have even finished it, because I'd be wondering where the gameplay is. Even as a child, I had standards. In general, games I'd suggest for kids would be something like sports or racing games, as they tend to be replayable, and offer much more to do. They're also games, and are fun to play. FD, on the other hand, is something I'd expect to see for free on a gaming site, as more of a prototype to gauge interest and test gameplay mechanics, than a full release. Seeing it priced for $5 is ludicrous. I need to hire Lobster Cop to try and figure out why this game got such accolades, because it's a mystery to me.

A short cute game you could finish in less than an hour

If it is free I would have given it a thumbs up. But since it's a paid game my expectations are a little higher

Might make a good gift for a toddler.

Its a really cute game, but its also really really short. The creators warned that it was short, but its more like tiny.

I finished it in a half hour. You might not want to pay 5 bucks for a half hour of fun. Puzzles were really straight forward and it was pretty cute. If you want something that will keep you busy for at least an hour, you're not going to get that with this game.

I don't think I can recommend it knowing how short and simplistic it is.