General Walkthrough

Written by ZeusAssassin

If you’re looking for general information on how to play My Little Investigation, you’re in the right place!

Foreword

1. Investigation Basics
   1. Movement
   2. Types of Cursors
   3. Examining Evidence
   4. Combining Evidence
   5. HUD Layout

    

2. Character Interactions
   1. Asking Questions
   2. Locked Topics
   3. Presenting Evidence

    

3. Interrogations and Confrontations
   1. Interrogations Overview
   2. Pressing for Information
   3. Confrontations Overview
   4. Penalty System and Game Overs

    

4. The Partner System
   1. Overview
   2. Passive Abilities
   3. Active Abilities

    

Foreword

Two years, eight months, and seventeen days since our first engine video.

You read that right. Finally, after all that time of hard work, mistakes, setbacks, victories, recruitment, and patience, we, the Equestrian Dreamers, have put an end to the first chapter of our existence. As you play this game, we hope you can appreciate the project for what it truly is. It’s not merely a fan-fiction in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic universe, nor a shameless copy of the Ace Attorney formula, nor even a project only seeking fame and fortune. This is a true labor of love from a select few devoted fans, wanting to grant other fans of all kinds around the internet an experience that truly captures the feel of the show we grew to love in these past three years of its existence. And we are more than happy to guide you through our project via this walkthrough and beyond.

So, before we get started on this latest journey into the mystery-filled, colorful world of Equestria, we wanted to say “thanks.” Thanks for being patient with the team, even after long periods of information drought. Thanks for the support and respect you have given to each member of the team. Thanks for making the forums and active, fun place to be. Thanks for overwhelming our expectations during the OC contest (congrats to WILIZIN, Whgoops, and Parfait Pichu once again!) and by attending the panels at the Everfree Northwest and Grand Brony Gala cons.

And finally, we cannot end this foreword without mentioning all of the amazing team members. They have become good friends to one another. We’ve walked with each other on this long road to completion. We couldn’t have accomplished the goals we set out since the game’s inception without everyone’s contribution. So, to the following:

– GabuEx
– Dawnmew
– WarpOut
– HallowGazer
– PonyArtist
– Rautakoura
– ArtsyFeathers
– TehJadeh
– Abion47
– Pony Tim
– Trot Pilgrim
– X-Trav
– PrincessRil
– LoveKiku
– DivinexRose
– BreeFaith
– ThatCanadianDude
– HoodedYellowPony
– Flootershai

I personally just wanted to say, that I love you all. All of you should be proud of our creation. And even if you leave the team in the near future, then I do hope you carry nothing by fun and great memories from this project with you for the rest of your life. There are no hard feelings or regrets between us. Once more, I must say my greatest thanks.

Anyway! Enough sappy stories! Let’s enter the latest story behind Twilight Sparkle and get to the bottom of the various, intricate cases threatening the peace of Equestria we have in store for you.

Onwards! For the Equestrian Dreamers! For Bronies! For Equestria!!!

~ ZeusAssassin

1. Investigation Basics

Before you even dare to step into the horseshoes of an Equestrian Investigator, let’s make sure that you understand all of the basics first.

1a. Movement

The first step to any successful investigation is navigating through any crime scene. To accomplish this, simply move the purple arrow cursor to any point away from Twilight Sparkle’s body and click the left mouse button. If you want to to change her path while she is moving, click on another unoccupied point on the screen.

You can also keep Twilight moving forward without interruption by holding down the mouse button, forcing her to continuously move towards the cursor until she reaches it or you let go of the button. If at any time you want Twilight to reach places faster, you can make her run in a full gallop by double clicking any unoccupied space on the screen. Just like normal movement, you have the choice of double clicking in one spot, or double clicking and holding down the button. Don’t worry! Twilight’s secretly an athletic pony. She won’t tire out.

1b. Types of Cursors

While you explore each crime scene, you’ll notice that the purple arrows transforms into different cursors as it hovers over interactable items. There are 4 different ones to be aware of and they are the following:

– Twilight’s Eye

This indicates that you are able to examine this piece of evidence or the background. Just click once once this cursor appears and you’ll be able to examine it. We’ve hidden a lot of Easter eggs and jokes for you to find in the game, so feel free to click on anything that fancies your interest. After all, a true investigator leaves no stone unturned!

– Speech Bubble

Whenever a witness or background character can be interacted with, this cursor will appear. Just like with Twilight’s Eye, click once on the pony of interest and Twilight will engage in character interaction mode, which we’ll go over more in detail in Section 2.

– Green Arrow

Equestria is such a large place to explore, so we’ve decided to break it up into small and memorable areas to help players navigate their way around each setting. Whenever Twilight reaches a boundary between two of these areas, a green arrow will appear. Move Twilight close enough to the edge of the screen to transition to the next area. Sometimes, a door with an area will appear instead of the usual green arrow. This only means that you are transitioning from indoors to outdoors or vice versa.

– Do Not Enter Sign

However, there are some places that will be unavailable for you to explore until you have completed enough of the case storyline to proceed. If you try to leave an area blocked with this sign, Twilight will comment on why she can’t leave. Don’t give up! A true investigator always makes sure to wrap up any leads before moving on to new ones that pop up.

1c. Examining Evidence

Whenever Twilight’s Eye appears over a background object, you may click on it to examine it. If the object is relevant evidence, it shall be automatically added to the evidence tab, which we’ll go over in section 1e. Once enough evidence from a crime scene has been found, Twilight will notify the player of that fact and proceed with the investigation. New profiles will be added to the evidence tab automatically as well via talking with witnesses.

1d. Combining Evidence

While in the evidence tab menu, you are able to interact with the evidence in a crucial way. After selecting any piece of evidence or profile, you can click on the tab “Combine With”. Then, you can select another piece of evidence or profile to attempt to combine the two by clicking the tab “Combine”. If successful, they will create one or two stronger pieces of evidence and will be automatically added to the evidence tab. If not, no harm done. We’re not going to penalize you like what Ace Attorney Investigations did with it’s logic system.

In case you need some extra help with this system, you can check the box marked “Enable evidence combination and partner ability hints” in the Options menu. You will then notice the evidence tab flash while you are moving in the field, indicating that at least two pieces of evidence can be properly combined.

1e. HUD Layout

Our HUD, or “Heads-Up Display”, is divided two main sections.

On the top part of the screen, you will be able to access the options menu, where you can adjust some gameplay and audio settings at your leisure. You may also return to the title screen by clicking on “Quit” and then confirming your selection by the prompt there. Sometimes, there will be a partner tab in the center part of the top screen, depending on the partner.

On the bottom part of the screen, you are able to save and load case files, which you can name yourself. You are able to switch between cases from this menu as well once more are released. The evidence tab is also located here, from which you can view all the evidence and profiles you collected. Finally, you can click the partner tab here to get a quick reminder on what your partner is able to do for you in the game. You’ll find more information about this system in Section 4.

2. Character Interactions

Now that we’ve reviewed all the basics on how to conduct an investigation in Equestria, let’s learn how we deal with the many witnesses we speak with on Twilight Sparkle’s investigator career.

2a. Asking Questions

When you enter character interaction mode after clicking on a pony of interest, you’ll be able to select from a list of topics that appear in the dialogue window towards the bottom of the screen. Simply click on one of them to engage in conversation with the pony. If you wish to hear and read the conversation again, just click on the topic again, which should now have a checkmark next to it to show completion. When you are done talking with the witness, just click on the back tab to return to investigation mode.

(It should also be noted that going through dialogue you have seen before can be skipped by clicking the screen once while the text is appearing, or by clicking the fast forward tab in the top right corner of the screen.)

2b. Locked Topics

As friendly as Equestrian citizens may be upon first glance, many of them will try to withhold information from Twilight Sparkle. But do not fret! When this happens, a lock will appear next to the topic to indicate it cannot be completed without presenting the proper evidence to them first, which we will cover in section 2c.

Sometimes, more than one lock will appear, meaning that number of pieces of evidence are needed to get the witness to talk. Two locks, you say? You better find two pieces of relevant evidence to show them or you will end up going nowhere! Knowing that, do not be afraid to present evidence. Irrelevant pieces of evidence will not result in game overs or damage Twilight’s credibility, which will be discussed in Section 3. Trust us, we hate backtracking as much as the next person, so doing this will allow a less frustrating experience in the long run. You may also use a partner to unlock topics, which will be covered in Section 4.

2c. Presenting Evidence

The final tab to discuss in this mode is the present tab. By clicking this tab, you are able to present either a piece of evidence or profile to the witness you are talking with. Just like with examining evidence in the field, presenting certain pieces of evidence can unearth some funny easter eggs and jokes. So, don’t hold back and present stuff to your heart’s content! Other times, it’s necessary to proceed as they can reveal a key fact about a piece of evidence, which will be automatically updated for you upon hearing the fact.

Another form of presenting evidence can come in the form of an evidence prompt during a conversation. If this happens, you can attempt to prove the witness wrong or back out of the prompt to return to the list of topics. Beware, as these prompts may come in unlocked topics, interrogations, and confrontations. So be on your toes and don’t let a witness intimidate you with their stubbornness to tell the truth!

As a final note, you CANNOT save the game while in character interaction mode. You must go back to investigation mode to do so. However, if you forget to save, the autosave feature will remember what pieces of dialogue you have listened to and the topics you have completed, preventing needless backtracking. So, definitely keep multiple save files and save often!

3. Interrogations and Confrontations

Unfortunately for Twilight, there will be many witnesses who will challenge her logic and deductions in her career. But she is far from being under equipped to handle such witnesses. It’s time to bring back the most engaging and memorable parts of the Ace Attorney franchise with these two modes of gameplay.

3a. Interrogations Overview

An interrogation topic will appear in the character interaction mode dialogue window when it’s available. Upon entering interrogation mode, you will be confronted with set of statements to analyze. You can either wait for the text to finish scrolling for each statement, or click the bouncing up/down arrows on the very right of the dialogue window to instantly jump from one statement to the next.

Your goal in this mode is to find the statement that contradicts an evidence or profile that you have in your possession. Once you do, simply click the “Present” tab to access the evidence menu and select the contradicting evidence or profile. If you feel like you do not have the evidence to crack the testimony from the witness, you may exit out the mode by clicking “End Interrogation” and try again later. Upon presenting the correct piece of evidence or profile, the interrogation will end, and Twilight can resume her questioning session with the witness. If you present the wrong piece of evidence, don’t worry. Since you can access this mode without having everything you need to solve it, no penalty will be assessed to Twilight’s credibility.

3b. Pressing for Information

More often than not, the contradicting statement will not be in plain sight. In order to expose the statement you need, you are able to press the witness to elaborate on their point by clicking the “Press for Info” tab. Pressing the witness can cause one of the following three things to happen.

1. A brand new or modified statement appears in the testimony.
2. A clear hint indicating a contradicting statement or what piece of evidence you need to present.
3. Flavor text on an obvious point.

The rule of thumb in the Ace Attorney games is to press often and repeatedly so that you can properly analyze the testimony. Unless the witness is threatening to penalize you via irrelevant pressing, definitely use this feature as much as you can!

3c. Confrontations Overview

When dealing with potential culprits or accomplices to the crime, a confrontation can come into the spotlight. This mode, in general, is very similar to the interrogation mode. There are three key differences in this mode to note, however.

1. You must clear more than one topic to clear the whole confrontation. These can get quite long and dramatic, so save before entering one!
2. You are now able to get penalized and get game overs. Why? Because you will have everything you need to confront the witness with at this point in the game.
3. You may have to deal with multiple topics… at the same time! Switching between the topics is simple. You can click out of one and return to a list of topics to choose from.

Upon completion of a confrontation, a major thing about the case at hoof will be revealed. They are usually found at the end of a chapter in a case, but you never know if you’ll encounter one at an inopportune time!

3d. Penalty System and Game Overs

To prevent mindless guessing and raise the tension in the most dramatic part of any case, we have implemented the original penalty system from Ace Attorney series with some minor tweaks. Basically, how this works is that BOTH Twilight and the witness she is confronting have a number associated with standing in the confrontation. For Twilight, it’s known as her “credibility” and for the witness, it’s their “resistance”. Twilight always starts at 5 points while it varies for the witness. If the witness’s resistance goes down to zero, it means that you have won… most of the time. Sometimes, their resistance can fluctuate widely in a confrontation to keep you on your toes. Never assume a confrontation is over until they breakdown and confess!

If Twilight’s credibility reaches zero, you will experience a short game over scene and given two options. If you select “Try Again – Restart Confrontation”, you’ll return to the beginning of the confrontation (or a section of it if the confrontation is long enough) with full credibility. If you select “Give Up – Return to Title Screen”, you’ll return to the title screen. Sometimes, it helpful to review some of the scenes leading up to the confrontation if you are stuck, so don’t feel bad if you wish to give up. The only major drawback is that you’ll need to redo the entire confrontation instead of trying again at the checkpoints we’ve placed in it.

One final thing before we move on. Sometimes, a wrong answer can result in two or more hits to Twilight’s credibility, or even an instant game over! The same can be true for a witness, depending on how stubborn they are. It may take three correct answers to knock a single point of their resistance, or it may just take one to take two of their resistance points down. That’s really the beauty of this system. So, case in point, don’t let your guard down at any point in a confrontation.

4. The Partner System

This is Equestria, where it has been shown countless times that the power of friendship can solve even the mightiest of problems. In My Little Investigations, this is no exception. Twilight will be able to call upon reliable partners during the investigation to help her find the truth in any case.

4a. Overview

Unlike in Ace Attorney Investigations, we’ve made partners quite useful this time. For example, Twilight is able to click on a partner for instant guidance on where to go or what to do next. Also, each partner will usually carry both a passive and active ability. What is most important of all is the ability to switch partners in a case, adding another layer of complexity to solving the game’s many puzzles. The only downside is that Twilight will be unable to present evidence to her partners. They must return to the field in order to be able to interacted with normally. Overall, it a system we have had fun making, and we hope you enjoy this new feature to the Ace Attorney formula.

4b. Passive Abilities

These are abilities that involve no direct input from you, and are mostly used to get stubborn witnesses to talk if one of their topics is locked. All that you need to do is engage in character interaction mode with a witness, and one of two things will happen.

1. The witness will finally have a list of topics to choose from since they are now willing to talk with Twilight; or
2. A lock on a topic will be undone once the character interaction mode is engaged.

Different characters require different partners to unlock, so make sure to read the clues in the dialogue and the descriptions of the partners to solve these puzzles.

4c. Active Abilities

These are abilities that do involve some form of interaction from you. Many of these abilities will take a form during confrontations and interrogations, but other times, they can open up a fresh perspective in the field. For example, hidden evidence or evidence out of reach can be acquired via an active ability.

Other times, they can be used as a form of pressing to solve a confrontation/interrogation loop outright or to expose a weak part of their testimony. All of the abilities will be described and documented in game via the “Partner” tab, just in case you need a reminder on what each partner can do.

And… that’s it! We hope you know understand how to approach and play our game. So, have fun investigating crimes with Twilight Sparkle.

In case you find yourself to be completely stuck, don’t worry. We can help you out through the case-specific walkthroughs, which you can find at the top of this page.