History VideoGame / LaytonBrothersMysteryRoom

''Layton Brother: 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.

* [[spoiler: AndTheAdventureContinues: After Alfendi tells Lucy how he got brainwashed and his "nice persona" came to be, she points out it's a new mystery, and finishes with "...we just can't let it be!" After Al tries to hide behind paperwork, she tells him "It's a cracking day out there! Perfect weather for solving mysteries!" Which leads her to pushing Al outside into the open Real World and out of the Mystery Room. As well as the Commissioner calling "Hershel" at the end.]]

* [[spoiler: BookEnds]] [[spoiler: Subverted, fortunately with Case 9.]]

''Layton Brother: 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 ''Franchise/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.

* ArtStyleDissonance: Not in comparison to other games in the [[Franchise/ProfessorLayton series]] but in comparison in the app games in general.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Much more than the main Franchise/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.]]

* SpinOffspring: The {{deuteragonist}} of the game, Alfendi Layton, is the son of Professor Hershel Layton, the protagonist of the ''Franchise/ProfessorLayton'' series of games.

* 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]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Much more than the main Franchise/ProfessorLayton, very much so. BloodlessCarnage is averted, even if it isn't realistic. [[spoiler: And the deuteragonist - or at least a certain version of him - gets particularly nasty at times.]]

** In Case 005, there is one with [[spoiler: the broken perfume bottle broken by the tea lady.]]
** In Case 006, [[spoiler: one of the victims had crushed the jigsaw puzzle piece planted on him, which proves that he wasn't asleep when killed, unlike the others.]]
* ElegantGothicLolita: Diane Makepeace.

** One of the first things stated in the first case is [[spoiler: "Potty Prof" stating that '''he''' is responsible for killing him.]]
** Lucy asks what would happen if [[spoiler: "Other" Alfendi were to show up without a criminal around.]]
** Justin explains that [[spoiler: "Potty Prof" usually only comes out when in front of a truly devious murderer.]]
** 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).]]

* 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".

* INeverSaidItWasPoison: Or rather, the [[spoiler:container the poison was in was too shattered to be identified.]]

* KarmaHoudini: At least one case ends with the main characters figuring out who the true culprit is only to find out they have escaped before they could be apprehended.

** [[spoiler: Goldie, who gets a "new man" while her husband's murder is still being investigated that she literally treats like a dog, complete with a leash [[{{BDSM}} (although it seems to be consensual)]]. She even brings him into her interrogation, prompting Alfendi to ask her "friend" to wait outside. Later in her interrogation, she starts going on about how she's owed the insurance money from her late-husband's death and it's gonna make her loaded. Lucy becomes particularly irate at how she seems to care more about the money than the fact her husband was killed.]]

* LampshadeHanging: In case 08, You prove that [[spoiler:"Dog" hid the body of "Pig" by hanging him from his coat on a hat stand while facing backwards from the door, so it looked like it was just his coat hanging up.]] If you pay attention to the arrow comments at that moment they're literally telling the player to suspend their disbelief, [[IncrediblyLamePun which also does the double duty of being a pun.]]
* LockedRoomMystery: Case 004 involves a murder in a locked hut with a special key to the door. The killer [[spoiler: hid in the room until someone else opened it from the outside by breaking the lock.]]
** The mafia case is also one until you find out that [[spoiler: one of the victims was the killer who then locked himself in when he got attacked himself.]]

* MaliciousMisnaming: The killer, [[spoiler: Mike de Bonair]], in case 005, calling Alfendi "Lameton" among other names during the conclusion. Alfendi corrects him 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]].]]

* RedHerring: Many times, a suspect is focused on early in the case only to discover there's another person that planned the murder. Also, many of the characters' profiles make it look like they have a good motive to kill the victim.
* SequelHook: The ending still leaves a few unresolved questions, such as [[spoiler: what's going to happen with Alfendi's twin personalities and what Justin Lawson's motives were]], as well as a fairly obvious and squee-inducing hook from the commissioner talking about [[spoiler: possibly calling for Hershel Layton's help with a mysterious endeavor. We also never actually meet the real second Layton brother, and although it's minor, the exact motive for the ''very first case'' is never fully disclosed -- the victim seems to have been squeezing the culprit for money, but we never find out on what basis.]].

* SplitPersonality: Alfendi has a calm, rational "Placid Prof" side and a manic, emotional "Potty Prof" side. [[spoiler: 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.]]

** Case 08 also has Lucy first state the glaringly wrong suspect as the murder before the game let's the player choose a suspect.

* BigBad: Of course, as it's made up of individual cases, there isn't a clear cut one, but two are present for multiple cases over the course of the story, including [[spoiler: Diana 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.]]

* AmbiguouslyGay: Given the largely absent radar, this trope is a bit questionable. In the case of Randal Mann, the only thing retaining ambiguity is the fact he is never directly referred to as gay. Alfendi's tendency to not really notice if a woman is particularly attractive or not and his perplexed and exasperated responses to people implying he and Lucy might have something going on nudges him towards either this trope or asexuality.

* 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]]

* AlwaysMurder: Only rarely does this not come into play. [[spoiler:The victim in Case 003 planned their own suicide in the form of an elaborate murder.]]

* [[spoiler: AndTheAdventureContinues: After Alfendi tells Lucy how he got brainwashed and his "nice persona" came to be, she points out it's a new mystery, and finishes with "...we just can't let it be!" After Al tries to hide behind paperwork, she tells him "It's a cracking day out there! Perfect Weather for solving mysteries!" Which leads her to pushing Al outside into the open Real World and out of the Mystery Room. As well as the Commissioner calling "Hershel" at the end.]]

* ArcWords: It's "4 years ago", referring to the [[spoiler:murder of Keelen Makepeace at Forbodium Castle]].
* 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.]]

* BeneathTheMask: Most of the murderers, especially the villain of Case File 005, [[spoiler: Mike de Bonair]], who seems perfectly friendly but is in fact smug, snarky, and cold-hearted. [[spoiler:Also ultimately subverted with the Prof himself, since it's made clear that Placid and Potty are two ''completely separate'' personalities and not him hiding his true self.]]
* BigBad: Of course, as it's made up of individual cases, there isn't a clear cut one, but two are present for multiple cases over the course of the story, including [[spoiler:Diana 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.]]

* CouldntFindAPen: The big mystery of the first case is that the victim was found with her hand inside her sandwich. [[spoiler:At first it appears to be a dying message, as with her hand where it is among the ingredients, the first letter of each spells out "PHELPS", the ''misspelled'' name of her lover. The fact it's misspelled sets of a major red flag for Alfendi and Lucy that it's fake. Turns out that this ''was'' faked by the real killer who. on top of just trying to frame the boyfriend, used the dying message as a diversion for the ''real'' reason he put the victim's hand in the sandwich.]]

** [[spoiler:Diana Makepeace also counts.]]
** Thanks to the whispers of [[spoiler:his fiancee, Chico Careta]] can count too.

** Also, [[spoiler:The Walking Corpse]] starts off a lot darker than the cases you tackle leading up to it. The tone of the music in Lucy's intro for it doesn't help, either.

** In Case 005, there is one with [[spoiler:the broken perfume bottle broken by the tea lady.]]
** In Case 006, [[spoiler:one of the victims had crushed the jigsaw puzzle piece planted on him, which proves that he wasn't asleep when killed, unlike the others.]]

** Lucy asks what would happen if [[spoiler: 'Other' Alfendi were to show up without a criminal around.]]
** 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).]]
* FramingTheGuiltyParty: The [[spoiler:(accidental)]] killer in one case actually does this to point suspicion to the person that orchestrated the murder. [[spoiler: He was wrong.]]
* 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".

* GoldDigger: A few of these appear, or appear to be, such as [[spoiler:Goldie Potsby-Mahn]].

* 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]]]]

** [[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.]]

** [[spoiler:Goldie, who gets a "new man" while her husbands murder is still being investigated that she literally treats like a dog, complete with a leash [[{{BDSM}} (although it seems to be consensual)]]. She even brings him into her interrogation, prompting Alfendi to ask her "friend" to wait outside. Later in her interrogation, she starts going on about how she's owed the insurance money from her late-husbands death and it's gonna make her loaded. Lucy becomes particularly irate at how she seems to care more about the money then the fact her husband was killed.]]
** [[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]].
** [[spoiler:De Bonair, on top of killing a popular radio DJ, murdered a completely innocent 18 year old woman to boot. The case wastes no time empathizing that said woman was at the happiest moment of her entire life at the moment when he went and murdered her out of nowhere, and how terrifying it must've been for her. The kick the dog moment comes after his guilt has been thoroughly established, when Alfendi asks him if he even knows the name of the woman he murdered. He gets it wrong. Lucy is ''not'' happy at this, and says that he really is a total scumbag.]]
* LockedRoomMystery: Case 004 involves a murder in a locked hut with a special key to the door. The killer [[spoiler:hid in the room until someone else opened it from the outside by breaking the lock.]]

* MaliciousMisnaming: The killer, [[spoiler:Mike de Bonair]], in case 005, calling Alfendi "Lameton" among other names during the conclusion. Alfendi corrects him 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 forshadows the existence of Alfendi's second personality.]]

* SequelHook: The ending still leaves a few unresolved questions, such as [[spoiler:what's going to happen with Alfendi's twin personalities and what Justin Lawson's motives were]], as well as a fairly obvious and squee-inducing hook from the commissioner talking about [[spoiler:possibly calling for Hershel Layton's help with a mysterious endeavor. We also never actually meet the real second Layton brother, and although it's minor, the exact motive for the ''very first case'' is never fully disclosed -- the victim seems to have been squeezing the culprit for money, but we never find out on what basis.]].

* 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]].

* TryEverything: Thankfully, the game does not have any penalty for giving the wrong response means that this is a fallback option.

** [[spoiler:Goldie, who gets a "new man" while her husbands murder is still being investigated that she literally treats like a dog, complete with a leash [[UsefulNotes/BDSM (although it seems to be consensual)]]. She even brings him into her interrogation, prompting Alfendi to ask her "friend" to wait outside. Later in her interrogation, she starts going on about how she's owed the insurance money from her late-husbands death and it's gonna make her loaded. Lucy becomes particularly irate at how she seems to care more about the money then the fact her husband was killed.]]

* ArtStyleDissonance: Not in comparison to other games in the [[ProfessorLayton series]] but in comparison in the app games in general.

* UnfittingMusic: The game uses beautiful music, but sometimes it doesn't seem to fit the murders.

[[spoiler: AndTheAdventureContinues: After Alfendi tells Lucy how he got brainwashed and his "nice persona" came to be, she points out it's a new mystery, and finishes with "...we just can't let it be!" After Al tries to hide behind paperwork, she tells him "It's a cracking day out there! Perfect Weather for solving mysteries!" Which leads her to pushing Al outside into the open Real World and out of the Mystery Room. As well as the Commissioner calling "Hershel" at the end.]]

[[spoiler: AndItContinues: After Alfendi tells Lucy how he got brainwashed and his "nice persona" came to be, she points out it's a new mystery, and finishes with "...we just can't let it be!" After Al tries to hide behind paperwork, she tells him "It's a cracking day out there! Perfect Weather for solving mysteries!" Which leads her to pushing Al outside into the open Real World and out of the Mystery Room. As well as the Commissioner calling "Hershel" at the end.]]

* SureLetsGoWithThat: In Case 001 telling the murderer that the one who committed the crime was the innocent suspect, who the murder hadn't been trying to frame, results in them being stumped but agreeing with it.

** Also, [[spoiler:The Walking Corpse]] starts off a lot more dark than the cases you tackle leading up to it, which isn't helped by the music in Lucy's intro for it.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Much more than the main Franchise/ProfessorLayton, very much so. BloodlessCarnage is averted, even if it isn't realistic. [[spoiler: And the deuteragonist - or at least a particular version of him - gets particularly nasty at times.]]

* BeneathTheMask: Subverted somewhat. [[spoiler: Alfendi's "normal", placid personality comes off as somewhat mask-like once Other Alfendi has been revealed, since Placid Prof is polite and mild-mannered but also vaguely detached and Potty Prof is significantly more engaged and intense, coming off as a sort of darker side. Ultimately, though, since it's made clear that Placid and Potty are two ''completely separate'' personalities, this isn't entirely accurate.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Much more than the main Franchise/ProfessorLayton, very much so. BloodlessCarnage is averted, even if it isn't realistic. [[spoiler: And the deuteragonist is kind of a psycho.]]

* BeneathTheMask: Subverted somewhat. [[spoiler: Alfendi's "normal", placid personality comes off as somewhat mask-like once Other Alfendi has been revealed, since Placid Prof is polite and mild-mannered but also vaguely detached and Potty Prof is significantly more engaged and ''intense,'' coming off as a sort of darker side. Ultimately, though, since it's made clear that Placid and Potty are two ''completely separate'' personalities, this isn't entirely accurate.]]

* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Alfendi's "normal", placid personality comes off as somewhat mask-like once Other Alfendi has been revealed. Placid Prof is polite and mild-mannered, but also vaguely detached, compared to his significantly more engaged and ''intense'' darker side. The notion that Placid Prof is merely a mask is backed up someone by the implication that "Other" Alfendi came first.]]