Spotlight: Inspector Waffles - Early Days

Inspector Waffles, a game developed by Goloso Games, was well-received upon its release in 2021. This title pays homage to traditional point-and-click adventure games and follows the journey of a seasoned feline detective with a penchant for milk as he pursues his archenemy Snowball and confronts his own history. The game garnered positive feedback for its intricate puzzles, distinctive art design, and engaging narrative, which includes a cast of unforgettable characters and humorous instances.

Back to the Future

Inspector Waffles: Early Days serves as a prequel to the original game, delving into Waffles' beginnings as a rookie detective on his very first day on the job. The narrative not only explores the past but also embraces a retro gaming experience by being designed for the Game Boy Color. In contrast, the original game was available on contemporary platforms like Steam and Switch, making this prequel a unique throwback to classic gaming.

Thrown in the Deep End

Early Days begins with Waffles nearly oversleeping for his first day on the job because he had stayed up late playing video games. After a scolding from his mother, he jumps in his little red car and heads to the police station, where he meets Chief Patches in his natural habitat, at the vending machines.

Patches introduces Waffles to his new partner, an experienced detective called Pancakes, who has just received a call about a theft at a video game store. A rare cartridge has been stolen from the shop, and Waffles is plunged straight into his first case. Luckily, he is a student of the subject.

At the beginning of each case, Waffles collects clues at the crime scene and carefully observes his surroundings, recording significant details in his notebook. I recommend keeping your own notebook nearby while playing to jot down your own observations!

Next, Waffles needs to interrogate any suspects and gauge their motives and intentions, trying to understand what happened before, during, and after the crime. His questioning will uncover fresh leads to follow, new locations to search, and other suspects to examine.

When Waffles has finished his investigation, he has to give his report to Pancakes, who informs him if his intuition is right or not. If correct, the suspect is arrested; if not, Waffles will need to reexamine all the evidence before submitting a new report.

Feline the Heat

The initial case may not be the crime of the century, but before long, the stakes are raised significantly. Our fearless detective finds themselves dealing with industrial espionage, illicit catnip trade, and even homicide. The challenges and intricacy grow with each new investigation; without keen observation, crucial clues and evidence could easily be overlooked.

Throughout the game, Waffles comes across a variety of intriguing characters, ranging from back-alley scratch addicts and catnip dealers to his archenemy Snowball. The backstory of their feud is revealed, shedding light on the incidents that continue to trouble Waffles for years to come. Despite the somber undertones, the journey is interspersed with humorous conversations and engaging exchanges, set in a delightful realm inhabited by anthropomorphic cats and dogs.

Verdict

I had a great time playing Inspector Waffles, to the extent that I decided to play it again. With a goal of uncovering all the secrets I had overlooked during my first playthrough, I managed to find most of them, although one still remains a mystery to me.

The graphics are lovely, and the nice selection of tunes contributes to creating tension or drama in a scene. The stars of the show here, though, are the gameplay and the story. The combination of top-down exploration with point-and-click elements works perfectly for a detective game, and the cases are a joy to solve; some of the crimes are very original and genuinely funny.

The whole premise of a cat detective is exceedingly charming, and most of the inhabitants of Cat Town are endearing, even the bad ones! I would love to see this turn into a whole series of games; there is so much potential to explore these characters and the lore of Cat Town further.

Let's get Physical

Broke Studio is the team handling the physical version of Inspector Waffles: Early Days, and as usual, they have knocked it out of the park. I particularly love the beautiful box art and the adorable picture below of Waffles playing some Game Boy on his downtime!

Get your physical copy here: https://www.brokestudio.fr/product/inspectorwaffles-earlydays-gb/?s=09

Broke Studio specializes in releasing physical versions of indie games for classic consoles.

Check them out here: https://www.brokestudio.fr/

Or over on X: https://x.com/Broke_Studio

One Man Band

Goloso Games consists of one man, by the name of Yann, another incredible solo dev. The two Inspector Waffles games are all his own work.

Find out more about Goloso Games here: https://www.golosogames.com/

Or over on X: https://x.com/golosogames