A Hat in Crime is an A Hat in Time Game Mod developed by Elsie, parodying Ace Attorney series. Hat Kid becomes a defense attorney who, not unlike Phoenix Wright, bluffs her way to discover the truth in court whenever an innocent gets accused.
Currently, there are three cases that can be played.
A Hat in Crime: The base mod that basically dramatizes the events of the Murder on the Owl Express. The Conductor serves as the prosecutor who tries to get Hat Kid's uncle's sister guilty on murder charges, while DJ Grooves acts as the defense council (as the spokesperson) to Hat Kid.
A Mafia-styled Turnabout: The second case/new mod, that introduces a new case. Mustache Girl serves as the prosecutor trying to get Luca (the glasses Mafia) guilty for murder, and Luca himself acts as the council/spokesperson for Hat Kid.
The Alpine Turnabout:
This mod provides examples of:
- Adaptational Heroism: While Mafia and Mustache Girl don't really like each other, they co-exist peacefully and Mafia Boss gives her a fair trial.
- Amoral Attorney: The Conductor and Mustache Girl have shades of this, but they're downplayed example in that they're more jerkasses than amoral. Claudio Moneta, however, is an actual amoral attorney and the culpit of the case.Bow Kid, while friendly, is a soulless prosecutor who orchestrates The Alpine Turnabout involving SEVEN victims to lure out the serial killer.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Hat Kid is a humanoid alien who has either an assistant or client do most of the talking for her when she does the trials.
- Dead All Along: The real Pah'lees Mayika was killed by Abu'rah Kada'vra, who then masquaraded as him since the beginning of the case.
- Easily Forgiven: Bow Kid, manipulating a serial killer into performing another killing spree to arrest him, gets seven people killed, but at the end of The Alpine Turnabout she peacefully watches TV with Hat Kid. It's even acknowledged!Narration:Despite all of this...Hat Kid invited Bow Kid back to the spaceship.
- First Installment Weirdness: the base A Hat in Crime doesn't feature an original storyline, only dramatizing the events of the Murder on Owl Express events, it also has first person view cutscenes before and after the trial itself, unlike later cases that have overworlds in existing A Hat in Time locations.
- Friendly Rival: Bow Kid is the friendliest prosecutor.
- Karma Houdini: Bow Kid, while an accomplice of Abu'rah Kada'vra and the one who manipulted him into starting the second killing spree involving seven victims, gets away scot-free.
- Lack of Empathy: Bow Kid lost it when she became a Subcon Prosecutor, that allowed her not to feel any guilt about her acts during the Alpine Turnabout.
- Named by the Adaptation: The weird Mafia is named Luca Botale in this mod.
- Remember the New Guy?: Pah'lees Mayika insists that he was one of the villagers helping Hat Kid during The Illness Has Spread portion of the original A Hat in Time. Considering the reveal that he's Abu'rah Kada'vra, this may be intentional...
- Smug Snake: Bow Kid has become this due to her time in Subcon.
- Villainous Breakdown: While not as dramatic as Ace Attorney culpits, A Hat in Crime culpits do have unique breakdowns.
- Deid Byrd has a short damage animation combined with A Hat in Time boss explosion animation.
- Claudio Moneta becomes a terrified emotional wreck once his contradictions pile up.
- When Abu'rah Kada'vra reveals himself, he summons huge blue fireballs. When he finally breaks, the screen spins and shows him upside-down.
