Brok the InvestiGator is a must-play indie game that blends puzzles, RPG, and beat ’em up action

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SHOULD I PLAY BROK THE INVESTIGATOR?

If you’re into puzzles, point-and-click adventures, light RPG elements, and beat ’em up action, then Brok the InvestiGator is the game to check out. It immediately drew me in with its beautiful hand-drawn animation, fully voiced dialogue, and snappy writing. The blended game elements fit together perfectly, making this a fun title with plenty of components to explore. Most importantly, I could play the first chapter entirely free of charge, though it’s totally worth the $7.99 investment for the full game.

TIME PLAYED

It took me around three hours to complete the first chapter of Brok the InvestiGator. During that time, I solved some puzzles, trained to build up Brok’s various stats, found hidden objects throughout the map, and earned two trophies.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT BROK THE INVESTIGATOR?

• An exciting mystery in a silly world. Playing in a world of anthropomorphic animals in a class-based society pulled me in well enough as a concept, but I was really hooked by the introduction of all the elements for a hard-boiled mystery, beginning with murder. The juxtaposition of the sinister themes against the backdrop of a seemingly cheerful animal world in Brok the InvestiGator intrigued me, and every twist and turn from that point proved even more compelling. But I was especially impressed by how much weight my choices held. I felt like I was doing actual detective work as I decided whether or not to save citizens and where to focus my investigation next.

• Fully voiced dialogue and hand-drawn animation. Each character I met in Brok the InvestiGator had a real personality, which was brought to life by full voice acting. The strong production values don’t stop there either. Brok the InvestiGator also looks great! The cartoon animation style helps create a vibrant and colorful world that encouraged me to point and click on as many objects as I could while eagerly exploring the game map.

• Mashed-up gameplay. Brok the InvestiGator mixes point-and-click adventure, RPG, and beat ’em up elements into a delicious stew. Switching from solving puzzles to beating down thugs kept me on my toes, and I could even invite friends to join me in the adventure thanks to the co-op mode.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT BROK THE INVESTIGATOR?

• Slow pacing. Brok the InvestiGator sometimes felt bogged down by the heavy dialogue. During these moments, I was ready to continue the adventure, but first I had to click through reams of voiced text that felt like they went on forever. The game provides an option to skip the dialogue, but I didn’t want to miss out on compelling story beats; I just wish it had flowed a little more quickly.

• Imprecise touch-screen controls. Playing Brok the InvestiGator on my iPhone 15 Pro meant using clunky touch-screen controls. At one point it got so bad that I accidentally exited an important scene before I meant to, which resulted in missing a mission objective. I would definitely suggest using a controller or playing on one of the non-mobile platforms the game has released on to get the best experience.

PLATFORM TESTED

iOS via iPhone 15 Pro.