Frog Holm leaps onto Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Cozy narrative-driven animal mystery and bartending sim available now for Windows PC

The star of Grace Bruxner's Frog Detective may have blazed the trail, but he's not the only amphibian eager to solve mysteries. The latest is set to follow in his predecessor's webbed footsteps in the newly released Frog Holm, by indie German developer Ostend Games.

Filip is the new cold-blooded, green-skinned investigator in question, though he doesn't start out a sleuth by design. The plan was simply to return to "his home flock of islands to take over the old family pub." Soon after assuming control of the business, however, Filip finds himself "drawn into the mysterious disappearance of one of the archipelago's residents." Now, in between tending bar, he'll have to head out to "explore the different islands, each holding its own small secrets and traces of the past." Not only can he search for evidence and interrogate the various fellow anthropomorphic animals he meets along the way, it's a great chance to scour the landscape for ingredients he'll need to "craft froggy cocktails for [his] guests back at the pub" while he's at it.

Frog Holm is a free-roaming, third-person 3D adventure in which you directly guide the young protagonist around charmingly scenic, low-poly cartoon environments. Some light platforming will be involved – what kind of self-respecting frog would Filip be without some jumping! Mostly, though, the gameplay outside of the pub will be much like a traditional "narrative-driven cozy mystery game" as you search for information about the missing islander and the culprit(s) behind it. It's back at the bar where things take a different turn. Here in the "heart of the community," you'll need to be the perfect host, engaging your customers in conversation in order to learn both their stories and their tastes in beverage. Different orders will "constantly challenge your skills with new requests" as you engage in a deductive minigame that requires you to decipher what each patron wants and "mix over 20 unique recipes." 

If you're up for a little sleuthing and cocktail serving, you can jump right in as Frog Holm is available now for download on Steam for Windows PC.