History VideoGame / LaytonBrothersMysteryRoom

''Layton Brothers'', unlike the other, more puzzle-oriented entries in the main franchise, plays much more like a visual novel. The game is played in a semi-episodic format, consisting of a number of cases which each take roughly half an hour to an hour to finish. A case typically -- but not always -- consists of alternating phases of crime scene investigation, questioning of one or more suspects, and discussing inconsistencies, and in many ways resembles a game from the ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' franchise, as everything is tied together with dialogue.

* PunnyName: Dear lord, this game could rival VisualNovel/AceAttorney in the PunnyName department. These include Dustin Scowers, a janitor, and [[BilingualBonus Micah Sasucasa]], a hotel owner. Many of these overlap with MeaningfulName.

* ContinuityNod: The nod to the Professor Layton games are Alfendi mentioning his father being a professor and [[spoiler: the Commissioner being Inspector Barton who even calls Hershel at the end of Case 09]]. A nod to this game as acknowledged canon now happened with VideoGame/LaytonsMysteryJourneyKatrielleAndTheMillionairesConspiracy where Katrielle writes Lucy letters [[spoiler: and asks her about her brother Alfendi in her last letter]].

* NonIndicativeName: ''Layton Brothers'' is only about ''one'' Layton brother, though he does mention the existence of the other one. This is subverted once you realise that the name of the game itself is symbolic and foreshadows the existence of Alfendi's second personality.

''Layton Brothers: Mystery Room'' is a puzzle VisualNovel for the UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}} and Android, created by Creator/{{Level 5}} and released in 2013. A spinoff to the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' game series, the game focuses on Professor Hershel Layton's son, Inspector Alfendi Layton, and his young assistant, Detective Constable Lucy Baker, who solve seemingly-impossible [[AlwaysMurder murder cases]] for the UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard. It received an ongoing manga adaptation in December of 2021, under the title of ''Reiton Burazazu: Misuteri Rumu Kanzen Hanzai no Pazuru''.

* [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair You Gotta Have Purple Hair]]

''Layton Brothers: Mystery Room'' is a puzzle VisualNovel for the UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}} and Android, created by Creator/{{Level 5}} and released in 2013. A spinoff to the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' game series, the game focuses on Professor Hershel Layton's son, Inspector Alfendi Layton, and his young assistant, Detective Constable Lucy Baker, who solve seemingly-impossible [[AlwaysMurder murder cases]] for the UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard.

* AnimeHair: Alfendi's gravity defying ponytail and not-quite IdiotHair.

* BigBadEnsemble: Of course, as the story made up of individual cases, there isn't a single clear cut antagonist, but two are present for multiple cases over the course of the story: [[spoiler:Diane Makepeace, daughter of ruthless serial killer and assassin Keelan Makepeace, and Justin Lawson, who manipulated Keelan and in the end caused the deaths of thirteen people.]]

* FatalMethodActing: An in-universe example, where Gloria Blaise was killed onstage by a NotSoFakePropWeapon. [[spoiler: When her future husband cheated on her with another actress, she plotted to ruin him by making her DrivenToSuicide death look instead like a murder with him holding the weapon in front of many witnesses. He didn't help himself when he tried to frame a stage hand of her death, and in a post-credits scene, he's reduced to picking up trash while the stage hand is now acting in a production with the actress he'd had the affair with.]]

** The name of the game itself comes off as an NonIndicativeName at first until you realize it's actually being symbolic instead of literal, as it foreshadows the fact that the titular character has two personalities (and thus, is essentially two different people living in the same body).
* FirstEpisodeTwist: The fact that Alfendi has a darker SplitPersonality is revealed partway through Chapter 2. "Potty Prof" becomes very important to the story from there on.

* FunnyAnimal: Mocked with with the suspects in Case 008. A recreation of an unsolved case involving the victim and all the suspects had them wear animal masks by [[spoiler:Diane Makepeace.]] The suspects often used dialogue related to what they are so for example, Dog would use the idiom "barking up the wrong tree".

** The game gradually subverts this as certain key interface elements (such as the culprit's 'heart' meter) pop up early as if to point you in the right direction, only to to [[RedHerring string you along in future cases]]

** [[spoiler: Strapping already had an affair on his to-be wife, Gloria. After Gloria ends up getting shot dead, he seems more interested in flirting with the detective constable investigate her death then he does anything else, which he does, ''many'' times, and every time said detective constable, aka Lucy, tries shooting him down. The ''actual'' kick the dog moment though, comes when the truth behind Gloria's death is revealed, something that makes even Strapping himself distraught: her heart was broken due to the affair, so she killed herself in an elaborate suicide]].

* NoticeThis: Provided you've zoomed in enough, evidence is shown highlighted. A check mark appears when you have investigated all of it available in a particular section of the scene. The main challenge is figuring out what evidence is actually ''relevant''. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in case 009, where the final part of the investigation involves finding something that is NOT part of the highlighted evidence, and the game does not indicate when you have found what you need. This serves to make the final case much harder than the rest of the game. YMMV on whether this is a good thing.]]

* TitleDrop: See the pagequote for the first example in the game. Other characters repeatedly refer to Alfendi's office as the Mystery Room as well.

** The game gradually subverts this as certain key interface elements (such as the culprit's 'heart' meter) pop up early as if to point you in the right direction, only to to [[RedHerring string you along in future cases]]]]

* InterfaceSpoiler: [[spoiler: The game gradually subverts this as certain key interface elements (such as the culprit's 'heart' meter) pop up early as if to point you in the right direction, only to to [[RedHerring string you along in future cases]]]]

* ArrangedMarriage: Two of the suspects in case 004 are engaged in one of these. [[spoiler: Too bad the bride forced the groom to commit murder.]]

* UnwittingPawn: Sometimes used by the murderer.

* FatalMethodActing: Gloria Blaise was killed onstage by a NotSoFakePropWeapon. [[spoiler: When her future husband cheated on her with another actress, she plotted to ruin him by making her DrivenToSuicide death look instead like SuicideByCop with him holding the weapon in front of many witnesses. He didn't help himself when he tried to frame a stage hand of her death, and in a post-credits scene, he's reduced to picking up trash while the stage hand is now acting in a production with the actress he'd had the affair with.]]

* YouShouldntKnowThisAlready: Replaying certain cases means going along with the initial theories until the truth is 'supposed' to be found.
* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler: Drives the victim of]] case 003 [[spoiler: to elaborately designed suicide, by setting her cheating soon-to-be-husband up to shoot her.]]

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Multiple characters use this, but it is especially common in the little arrow comments. Also the nicknames for Alfendi: [[spoiler: Potty Prof]] and [[spoiler: Placid Prof]].

* CharacterTic: Alfendi's poses are different when confronting a suspect. [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi has very different poses than the normal Alfendi.]]

* CuteAndPsycho: [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Much more than the main VideoGame/ProfessorLayton, very much so. BloodlessCarnage is averted, even if it isn't realistic. The villains are cruel murderers, including two {{Serial Killer}}s, rather than {{Anti Villain}}s. [[spoiler: And the deuteragonist - or at least a certain version of him - gets particularly nasty at times.]]

* ExpressiveHair: [[spoiler: The only changes between normal and 'Other' Alfendi are this and a change of body language.]]

** The name of the game itself comes off as an NonIndicativeName at first [[spoiler: until you realize it's actually being symbolic instead of literal, as it foreshadows the fact that the titular character has two personalities (and thus, is essentially two different people living in the same body)]].

* IdiotBall: Lucy receives it in at least one conclusion, allowing Alfendi to step in. [[spoiler: Or rather, 'Other' Alfendi.]]

* JekyllAndHyde: [[spoiler: Alfendi's situation is called such by Lucy, though he claims it's an overstatement. As some of the examples on this page show: it's not much of one.]]
** [[spoiler: The later cases also make it less clear which one is really the Jekyll and which one is really the Hyde. At one point, the placid Alfendi insisted he was the real Alfendi Layton.]]

* MaliciousMisnaming: The killer, [[spoiler: Mike de Bonair]], in case 005, calling Alfendi "Lameton" among other names during the conclusion. Alfendi corrects them a couple times, but stops once it's made obvious the suspect is doing it on purpose. [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi is not amused, threatening to [[TongueTrauma cut out his tongue]] if he intentionally misnames him again. Once he's back to his normal self, Alfendi returns the favor, causing the suspect to [[IronicEcho protest with his real name]].]]
* MoodWhiplash: Anytime [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi]] appears, the game gets much darker.
* NonIndicativeName: ''Layton Brothers'' is only about ''one'' Layton brother, though he does mention the existence of the other one. [[spoiler: This is subverted once you realise that the name of the game itself is symbolic and foreshadows the existence of Alfendi's second personality.]]

* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Alfendi has a calm, rational "Placid Prof" side and a manic, emotional "Potty Prof" side. The "Potty Prof" Hilda said was closer to the original Alfendi Layton, while the "Placid Prof" came about from Justin's brainwashing him while in a coma.]]

* SuperMovePortraitAttack: Used at times in conclusions, and when [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi]] appears. There is one in File No. 009 for [[spoiler: the normal Alfendi appearing]].

* TemptingFate: [[spoiler: Lucy really should have known better than to mention that 'Other' Alfendi hadn't appeared during one case.]]

* TongueTrauma: [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi]] threatens to cut out someone's tongue more than once.

* WhamLine: Serves as one in-universe as well, with Lucy shown to be shaken by the comment once the case has finished: [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi says to the suspect and Lucy, "Listen to you two, yapping like dogs. [[OhCrap Am I going to have to cut out your tongues to get you to shut up?]]"]]

''Layton Brothers: Mystery Room'' is a puzzle VisualNovel for the {{iOS|Games}} and Android, created by Creator/{{Level 5}} and released in 2013. A spinoff to the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' game series, the game focuses on Professor Hershel Layton's son, Inspector Alfendi Layton, and his young assistant, Detective Constable Lucy Baker, who solve seemingly-impossible [[AlwaysMurder murder cases]] for the UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard.