That's Investi-Gator on the left, and Insti-Gator on the right.
Investi-Gator: The Case of the Big Crime is a point-and-click adventure game by Games by Bees.
The game follows Investi-Gator, a detective alligator who is plucky and cheerful, but hilariously incompetent. He solves cases with the "help" of his brother Insti-Gator, who commits crimes behind Investi-Gator's back.
The game's story revolves around a series of crimes that happen to Mr. Crime, a rich polar bear. Investi-Gator investigates these crimes, while his own blissful ignorance and a mysterious conspiracy make things increasingly chaotic. Needless to say, Hilarity Ensues.
The game has three episodes, divided into scenes. The first episode has one scene, the second has three, and the third has five. In gameplay, players explore a 3D world, using the WASD keys to move around and the mouse to interact with objects and characters.
You can buy it on Steam here
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No relation to BROK the InvestiGator, another point and click game about a detective alligator, or to the InvestiGators graphic novels.
Tropes found in this game include:
- Affably Evil:
- Downplayed and Played for Laughs. Polly the schoolteacher is very kind and upfront throughout the game, and yet she has been embezzling money from the school. It's never quite made clear why.
- Also downplayed, but less played for laughs. Mr. Crime is the victim of most of the crimes in the game. He's a loving father to his daughter Grizzelda, and quite polite in general. But it's all but stated near the end of the game that he runs a smuggling ring. Investi-Gator and the Chief, being rather incompetent, don't seem to notice.
- And Now for Someone Completely Different: In one segment of episode 3, you play as Insti-Gator, as he sneaks into the evidence room at the police station.
- Anti-Villain: Salmon Salmon and Red Herring plot to keep Insti-Gator from going to jail because they're actually Investi-Gator's biggest fans, and they only want to make sure there are crimes for Investi-Gator to investigate.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Red Herring is revealed to be working alongside a mysterious, shadowy fish for a mysterious plan. As it turns out, the mysterious fish's name is Salmon Salmon. He is Red Herring's brother, and they set things up so that Insti-Gator would not go to jail for his crimes, so that he could keep committing crimes, and Investi-Gator could keep solving cases.
- Broken Pedestal: Somewhat Played for Laughs. Red Herring is a huge fan of Investi-Gator because of the In-Universe books about him. He confesses at the end that he was thrilled to work alongside him, but felt that Investi-Gator was very Innocently Insensitive towards him.
- Canis Latinicus: While acting as Investi-Gator's lawyer, Insti-Gator has trouble thinking of an argument, so he starts using random Latin words, ending with "Danny DeVito" to sound knowledgable.
- Clueless Detective: Investi-Gator is Super Gullible and ditzy, and never notices the obvious solutions to each case.
- Comically Missing the Point: As a Clueless Detective, Investi-Gator does this frequently. For example, in episode 2, Insti-Gator (disguised as the chief) asks Investi-Gator if Insti-Gator has been involved in any crimes (so Insti-Gator can destroy any records of the crimes he's committed.) Investi-Gator says no, no one has committed any crimes against him.Insti-Gator: That's not what I- you know what, glad to hear it.
- Cop/Criminal Family: Played for Laughs with the Gator family:
- Done via Punny Names. The protagonist, Investi-Gator, is a detective who thoroughly enjoys solving cases and bringing justice. The problem is that he's outrageously gullible and incompetent. His brother, Insti-Gator, often commits crimes, but is significantly smarter. Although Insti-Gator often worries about being caught, his fears are dashed by Investi-Gator seeing him as only his beloved brother, and never realizing that Insti-Gator could possibly be committing crimes. Things get hilariously inverted and muddy when Investi-Gator gets himself arrested despite committing no crime, and Insti-Gator takes it upon himself to investigate some suspicious new characters who he suspects are behind everything (and they are), and then acts as Investi-Gator's lawyer in court. This has the benefit of showing that Insti-Gator really does love his brother, and doesn't just use him to get away with crimes.
- Investi-Gator reveals that his great-grandfather was the famous detective Sherlock Gator, and his great-grand uncle was Moriarty Gator, indicating that the latter was a criminal mastermind just like James Moriarty.
- Detective Animal: Investi-Gator, a detective alligator.
- Devil in Plain Sight: Insti-Gator is obviously a criminal, from his name to his shifty behavior. But Investi-Gator is blissfully unaware of this.
- The Dreaded: Played for Laughs twice.
- Investi-Gator is terrified of the prison warden, and has to be convinced by Insti-Gator into talking to him. The reason? All we see of the warden is a photorealistic human arm.
- Polly, the secretary at the police station, does not put up with Insti-Gator's crap and can easily intimidate him. Because of this, he's absolutely terrified of her.
- Entertainingly Wrong: In Case 2, Investi-Gator investigates the disappearance of Mr. Crime's daughter, Grizzelda. The characters believe Grizzelda has been kidnapped, but it quickly becomes obvious to the player that Grizzelda faked her kidnapping to guilt-trip her father. After his investigation, Investi-Gator concludes that there is no evidence that anyone else kidnapped Grizzelda. This leads him to believe that he is the kidnapper, somehow. He even admits that he doesn't know how this can be possible, but he still believes it's true and allows himself to be arrested.
- Fake Mystery: Played for Laughs. In Episode 2, Mr. Crime puts Investi-Gator on a case to figure out who kidnapped his daughter, Grizzelda. From the get-go, it is hilariously obvious to the audience that Grizzelda faked her own kidnapping to guilt-trip her father into buying her a pony, but none of the characters realize this. Things go awry when Investi-Gator realizes that no one he knows could have kidnapped Grizzelda, so he somehow concludes that he is the kidnapper, even though he knows he didn't do it, and allows himself to be arrested. Grizzelda protests, saying she never meant for that to happen, but no one listens to her.
- Furry Confusion: Played for Laughs, and as a Running Gag. Nobody is certain on whether or not horses and ponies are also sentient in this World of Funny Animals. We never actually see one.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: Played for Laughs. Roxy sometimes acts threatening towards Insti-Gator, and when she does, her eyes glow behind her sunglasses.
- Good Colors, Evil Colors: The kind Investi-Gator is a deep, rich shade of green, while his evil brother Insti-Gator is more of a sickly, pale yellowish-green.
- Green Gators: See Good Colors, Evil Colors above. The Gator brothers, who are anthropomorphic alligators, are colored different shades of green that highlight their personalities. Investi-Gator is a lush, dark green, which fits his friendly, easygoing nature. Insti-Gator is a pale yellowish green, which fits him as more of a sneaky, shifty type.
- I Should Write a Book About This: Roxy the secretary makes "like a billion dollars," according to the narration, writing books about Investi-Gator based directly on the court records she writes for his cases. This actually kickstarts the plot. Salmon Salmon and Red Herring set up a conspiracy to secretly help Investi-Gator because they love his books, and that leads to a whole lot of trouble.
- Idiot Hero: Investi-Gator, the protagonist, is a blissfully Clueless Detective. A good portion of the conflict is caused by his own incompetence.
- Insane Troll Logic: Investi-Gator operates on hilariously silly logic, as seen a few times throughout the game:
- In Case 2, Grizzelda fakes her own kidnapping. Investi-Gator realizes that there's no evidence that anyone kidnapped Grizzelda, which is true, but this leads him to conclude that he himself is the kidnapper, somehow.
- In Case 3, Investi-Gator learns that he and Red Herring can escape prison if they have enough JailBux. Red Herring attempts running on the hamster wheel to get JailBux, only to give up after getting only 000,000,001. Investi-Gator flips the number around so it reads 100,000,000. This works.
- Also in Case 3, Investi-Gator needs a red keycard to open the door to the Big Bad's room. There is a red keycard behind some glass, but after getting the keycard out, Investi-Gator realizes that it's actually a blue keycard that appeared red because the glass was red. So he dips the blue keycard in ketchup to make it red. The keypad accepts this.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: What Insti-Gator really is. He initially seems like just a jerk who gets away with crimes because his brother believes his lies, but as the game goes on, we see that Insti-Gator really does care about his brother. In episode 3, he does his very best to help Investi-Gator escape from prison, to investigate Red Herring, who he is suspicious of, and to clear his brother's name in court.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Double subverted. There is a character named Mr. Crime, but he's actually the victim of most of the crimes that happen in the game. However, it is heavily implied near the end that he is secretly running a smuggling ring.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: Downplayed with Insti-Gator, who is sneaky and up to no good, but not a vicious killer. Totally averted with Investi-Gator, who is as sweet, cheerful, and kind as can be.
- No Cartoon Fish: Averted. Fish are just as anthropomorphized as land animals. They can walk on land via Tailfin Walking.
- Non-Standard Character Design:
- More like Non-Standard Object Design, with the "Inexplicably Photo-Realistic Trash" can in Mr. Crime's house. This is in a game with an otherwise colorful and cartoony style.
- Also, the prison warden. We only see his arm, but apparently he's a photorealistic human.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: In the beginning of episode 2, Insti-Gator infiltrates Investi-Gator's office, posing first as the secretary, then as the chief, both times using few enough accessories that the player can tell it's him, but Investi-Gator, being Super Gullible, doesn't.
- Poster Patchup: When Investi-Gator and Red Herring are in prison, Red Herring suggests escaping by digging a tunnel through the wall and hiding it with a poster, as a Shout-Out to The Shawshank Redemption. However, he never actually gets to execute this plan, as Investi-Gator finds another way out.
- Punny Name: Investi-Gator is a detective alligator, Insti-Gator is a criminal alligator.
- Red Herring: Played with. At first it seems like Investi-Gator is going to accuse Insti-Gator of the crime in the first episode... but he's actually pointing at a literal red herring that walks into the room. The red herring, simply named Red Herring, confesses to the crime. He is released on parole in episode 2 and becomes an ally to Investi-Gator, though it soon becomes clear that he has a much bigger role in the game's events than Investi-Gator realizes.
- Rhino Rampage: The police chief is a big, hulking rhino. He's a Boisterous Bruiser who enjoys breaking and throwing things.
- Rule of Cool: In-Universe example. Mr. Crime is so impressed by the Chief smashing through the wall of Crime Manor to enter that he's not upset about the property damage.
- Shout-Out:
- While speaking Latin in court, Insti-Gator ends with "Danny DeVito".
- Red Herring's plan to get him and Investi-Gator out of jail is the same as Andy Dufresne's, hiding an escape tunnel behind a poster. Red Herring even mentions that he saw it in a movie.
- Looking at some crystals in a cave, Investi-Gator says "The crystals! Of course!"
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Investi-Gator and Insti-Gator are brothers. Respectively, one is a detective who seeks to solve cases and help people, and the other is a criminal who steals things and manipulates his brother for his own gain.
- Simple Score of Sadness: Lampshaded in Episode 3. Sad guitar music plays in the jail. When Red Herring expresses sorrow about being in jail, Investi-Gator, who is Herring's cellmate, comments on the music.Investi-Gator: But really, jail isn't so bad. I like the sad guitar ambience!
- Simpleton Voice: Investi-Gator, who is rather incompetent, has a deep, goofy-sounding voice for his Speaking Simlish.
- Speaking Simlish: Each character has their own voice sounds that play as their dialogue appears as text.
- Stylistic Suck:
- Some of the sound effects sound like people making the sounds with their voices.
- The Speaking Simlish for Roxy, a bird, is just a person saying "chirp chirp" over and over in a deadpan tone.
- The sky background outside the jail has a bunch of "STOCK-EM-UP IMAGES" watermarks on it.
- Super Gullible: Deconstructed. Investi-Gator blissfully believes all sorts of lies, and never sees through a Paper-Thin Disguise. But at the beginning of episode 2, Red Herring points out that Investi-Gator shouldn't believe everything he's told. This introduces a game mechanic where the player can decide if something they're told is true, doubtful, or a lie.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Happens frequently, such as Insti-Gator claiming that there's nothing inside the room that he's keeping Investi-Gator from entering, or Polly claiming that, despite thinking it's important to know about financial crime, she hasn't been embezzling money from the school or anything.
- There Was a Door: The Chief enters Mr. Crime's house by smashing through the wall. Mr. Crime says he would be upset, but he found it really cool.
- Threatening Shark: Discussed and Played for Laughs. The Big Bad claims that fish "invented" sharks to get back at land creatures for fishing.
- Token Human: The prison warden. The photorealistic detail in his arm (which is all we see of him) makes it even more jarring.
- World of Funny Animals: The characters are all cartoony animals.
