Professor Layton is a puzzle adventure video game series and a collection of different types of media created by Level-5. The series includes seven main video games, a mobile game spin-off, an animated movie, an anime television show, and other related games and media, such as a game that combines characters from the Professor Layton series with characters from Capcom's Ace Attorney series.

The first three games follow Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton. The next three games and the movie are earlier stories that explain how Luke and Layton met and their first adventures. Later games focus on Layton's children and their friends. Each game includes puzzles and mysteries given by people in the places the characters visit. Players do not need to solve all puzzles to continue the story, but some puzzles are required, and at certain points, a specific number of puzzles must be completed before the story can progress.

By March 2023, the Professor Layton series had sold more than 18 million copies, making it Level-5's most successful game series.

History

The Professor Layton series was inspired by Akihiro Hino's love for puzzle books he read as a child. These books, created by Akira Tago, are called Atama no Taisou and have sold over 12 million copies in Japan.

The main character in the original Layton games is Professor Hershel Layton, an archaeologist and professor at Gressenheller University. He is polite and well-spoken, and he solves mysteries in many places because of his connections and knowledge. He is often helped by his apprentice, Luke Triton, a cheerful and curious boy who adds humor to the story. According to Hino, Layton was partly inspired by Phoenix Wright, a character from the Ace Attorney series. The designs for Layton and Luke, including Layton’s famous top hat, were created by Takuzō Nagano. His work focused on making the characters easy to recognize, even when seen at small sizes. The games were also influenced by the Indiana Jones movies.

Here are the main games in the series:
– Professor Layton and the Curious Village (レイトン教授と不思議な町): Released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on February 15, 2007, and in other countries in 2008.
– Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box/Pandora’s Box (レイトン教授と悪魔の箱): Released for the DS in Japan on November 29, 2007, and in other countries in 2009. The Japanese version included a special prologue called Professor Layton and London’s Holiday with puzzles and a short story.
– Professor Layton and the Unwound Future/Lost Future (レイトン教授と最後の時間旅行): Released for the DS in Japan on November 27, 2008, and in other countries in 2010. This was the last game in the original trilogy to feature Professor Layton.
– Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Spectre’s Call (レイトン教授と魔神の笛): Released for the DS in Japan on November 26, 2009, and in other countries in 2011. This was the earliest game in the series chronologically. A special RPG called Professor Layton’s London Life was included in some versions but not in Europe.
– Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (レイトン教授と奇跡の仮面): Released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on February 26, 2011, and in other countries in 2012. This was the first game to include daily puzzles available for a full year.
– Layton Brothers: Mystery Room (レイトンブラザーズ・ミステリールーム): A mobile game featuring Alfendi Layton, the son of Professor Layton. It was released for iOS in 2012 and for Android in 2013.
– Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (レイトン教授VS逆転裁判): A crossover game between the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney series. It was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2012 and in other countries in 2013–2014.
– Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (レイトン教授と超文明Aの遺産): The sixth game and the final one in the prequel series. It was released for the 3DS in Japan in 2013 and in other countries in 2013–2014.
– Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy (レイトン ミステリージャーニー カトリーエイルと大富豪の陰謀): The seventh main game, featuring Katrielle Layton, the daughter of Professor Layton. It was released for mobile devices and the 3DS in 2017 and for the Nintendo Switch in 2018–2019.
– Professor Layton and the New World of Steam (レイトン教授と蒸気の新世界): The eighth main game, announced in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. It is set to release in 2026.

In Japan, some games received updates. Curious Village and Diabolical Box had versions with all puzzles unlocked and added text help. Curious Village was also released for feature phones, and Diabolical Box was included in special Nintendo DS collections. Miracle Mask later had a "Plus" edition with new puzzles and improvements.

Internationally, Millionaires’ Conspiracy was released again for the Nintendo Switch with new puzzles and costumes. Enhanced mobile versions of Curious Village and other games were also released.

Some mobile games were made in Japan, such as a crossover with Kaitō Royale, but they are no longer available. A game called Layton 7, planned for the 3DS and mobile, was announced in 2013 but never released.

Hino mentioned plans for another Mystery Journey game before Millionaires’ Conspiracy was released. He later suggested a game based on Professor Layton’s story from the anime series.

In February 2023, a new game titled Professor Layton and the New World of Steam was announced for the Nintendo Switch. It is expected to release in 2026.

Gameplay

The games use a combined way of adventure-style exploration, talking to characters, and solving puzzles that are part of the story. The player, who can be Professor Layton, Luke, or other characters, moves through the game world like in a point-and-click adventure game. They use the touch screen to speak with non-player characters, learn about the environment, or find hidden items like "hint coins," which can be used during puzzles. When interacting with people or objects, the player often faces a puzzle that gives a certain number of "picarats," a point system in the game. Correct answers earn the full number of picarats, while wrong answers reduce the points slightly with each try until a minimum number is reached. To move forward in the story, players must solve specific puzzles or a set number of puzzles. If the player leaves an area or progresses far in the story, unsolved puzzles are saved in a collection, often in a place called "Puzzle Shack," owned by a character named "Granny Riddleton" or her cat, "Keats," where players can return to solve them later. "Curious Village" has 135 regular puzzles, while "Diabolical Box" has 153, "Unwound Future" has 168 (with an extra special puzzle from codes in the previous game), "Last Specter" has 170, "Miracle Mask" has 150 (165 in the "Plus" edition), "Azran Legacy" has 165, and "Millionaires' Conspiracy" has 185.

The puzzles are brain teasers, mostly not directly connected to the story, created under the guidance of Akira Tago, known for his popular "Mental Gymnastics" series. They include many types, such as logic puzzles, mazes, math problems, sliding-block puzzles, and others. Players can use a translucent memo screen, written on with a stylus, to work out answers before submitting them. If stuck, players can spend one hint coin to get a clue. Each puzzle has three regular hints, and from the third game onward, "super hints" are available, which nearly solve the puzzle but require two hint coins and must be used after the regular hints. Puzzles are not timed, though some require precise timing, and others, like mazes or sliding puzzles, challenge players to complete them in a limited number of moves.

Each game includes three special meta-puzzle minigames accessible through the pause menu called "Layton's Trunk." These minigames often require players to solve specific puzzles in the game to earn items or challenges. For example, in "Curious Village," solving certain puzzles gives players furniture items that must be placed in apartments to meet Layton's and Luke's preferences. Completing the story and minigames unlocks a set of extremely difficult puzzles called "Layton's Challenges." Before its cancellation, players of the four DS games could use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to access a "weekly puzzle" service, offering a new puzzle each week for a set time after a game's release. Later 3DS games expanded this to a daily puzzle service through the Nintendo Network for a year.

Story

The series and its characters are set in a version of London that mixes modern times with the style of the 1960s. This world uses old technology and classic designs, even though it is not real. Each story takes place in unique locations with their own special places and people. A common feature in these settings is the use of expressive urban areas and buildings.

• Professor Hershel Layton is the main character and creator of the series. At 27, he became a professor of archaeology at Gressenheller University in London. He is known for his wide range of skills, especially his ability to solve complex puzzles. He wears a black top hat with a red band, an orange shirt, a black high-collared coat, and matching pants. He acts like a traditional English gentleman and enjoys drinking tea. After an adventure with Luke Triton, the son of his old friend Clark, he took Luke in as his student. Later, after Luke left, he became a father to two children, Alfendi and Katrielle.

• Luke Triton is a devoted follower who calls himself the professor’s apprentice. He travels with the professor on his investigations. Though he wants to be like his mentor, his intelligence is greater than his age suggests. He can be quick to judge and sometimes makes jokes. He loves puzzles, teddy bears, and the color blue. He can talk to animals and has a big appetite. His clothing changes over time: he wears a sweater and unfastened suspenders in the first trilogy, but in earlier stories, his suspenders are fastened. Later, he wears a buttoned vest and then an open cardigan. Luke started traveling with Layton at age 10, and this lasted about four years until he moved to the United States with his family. After studying abroad, he returned to England with his wife, Marina Triton, whom he met in college, and reunited with the professor.

• Alfendi Layton is a detective at New Scotland Yard and the professor’s son. He has a mental condition that causes two different personalities, called "Placid" and "Potty." Despite this, he is very skilled at solving mysteries.

• Lucy Baker is a new detective at New Scotland Yard assigned to Alfendi’s "Mystery Room" department. She is driven and sometimes overly excited, but she works well with her boss.

• Katrielle Layton is the professor’s adopted daughter and a detective who solves puzzles. She has a unique way of working and loves sweets. At 21, she started the Layton Detective Agency and took in a "talking" dog named Sherl as her first client. Her goal is to solve all kinds of mysteries while searching for the professor, who disappeared during her childhood.

• Ernest Greeves is Katrielle’s assistant at the Layton Detective Agency. He is 19 years old, a bit awkward, and has a crush on Katrielle. He is very hardworking and loyal.

• Flora Reinhold is the daughter of Augustus Reinhold and Violet. After events in Curious Village, Layton and Luke helped her move back to London. She wants to live a life like theirs and sometimes joins their investigations. She is a student of the professor and loves cooking, though she is not very good at it.

• Emmeline "Emmy" Altava is the professor’s assistant, chosen by the president of Gressenheller University. She is one of the main characters in the prequel stories. She loves photography and carries her camera everywhere. She is also skilled in martial arts. She keeps her past private, and her secrets are revealed in Azran Legacy, leading her to leave the professor’s side. Afterward, she became a traveling photographer for the World Times and lived as a "normal girl." She is 24 in Last Specter and left the professor’s group around age 26. Japanese sources describe her as "an Asian beauty," suggesting she has Asian heritage.

• Don Paolo is the professor’s declared enemy and a recurring villain in the original trilogy. He is a smart scientist, inventor, and expert at disguises. He was banned from the scientific community for doing unethical experiments. He was once a student of the professor’s and fell in love with the professor’s ex-girlfriend, Claire Foley, which made him hate the professor. When not planning bad things, he enjoys music.

• Jean Descole is a masked scientist and archaeologist who appears in the prequel trilogy. He competes with Layton and later with the group Targent to find sites linked to the Azran civilization. Like Don Paolo, he is a master of disguise and even pretended to be a peaceful archaeologist named Desmond Sycamore in Azran Legacy to trick Layton. He is secretly the professor’s long-lost older brother, who named the professor "Hershel" after himself when they were adopted by different families after their father was taken by Targent. His goal is to get revenge on Targent for destroying his family. His real name is Hershel Bronev.

• Leon Bronev is the leader of the evil archaeology group Targent. He wants to uncover the secrets of the Azran civilization to gain power and take over the world. He is the birth father of Layton and Descole, who were adopted by different families after he was captured by Targent. He later became the head of Targent.

• Inspector Chelmey is a tough detective at London’s Scotland Yard, known for intimidating criminals. Layton and Luke have encountered him multiple times.

Other media

As part of the "second series" of the franchise, a full-length anime movie titled Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva was released in Japanese theaters on December 19, 2009. Directed by Masakazu Hashimoto, the film was produced by P.A. Works, the company that created the animated scenes in the original six games. The story takes place between the events of Last Specter and Miracle Mask. The movie was successful in Japan and Singapore, where it was shown in movie theaters. A full English version of the film was released on home video in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2010, and later published in North America on November 8, 2011. A second movie was planned to be released between the fifth and sixth games, but it was not made.

An anime television series titled Layton Mystery Tanteisha: Katori no Nazotoki File began airing in Japan on April 8, 2018. The series features characters from Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy and includes the original two series' main characters. Directed by Susumu Mitsunaka at Liden Films, the series was created with guidance from Akihiro Hino and character designs by Yoko Takada. It consists of 50 episodes.

A humor manga for children was first published in February 2008 in the special edition of Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic. The manga, titled Professor Layton and the Cheerful Mystery, includes many mysteries from the story. Some chapters are based on the video games, while others are original stories that are not directly connected to the games. The manga also includes puzzles for readers to solve. The complete series was collected into four books, released between November 2008 and June 2012. These books were translated into German, Spanish, French, and Italian and published under different names in those countries.

Three books based on the Professor Layton series were also published, but only in Japan. They are Professor Layton and the Wandering Castle (2008), Professor Layton and the Phantom Deity (2009), and Professor Layton and the Illusory Forest (2010).

The Layton series has also inspired several playable experiences and live events. These events include separate stories featuring characters like the Professor and Katrielle.

Reception

The Professor Layton series has been successful in the UK, the US, and Japan. Professor Layton and the Curious Village sold over 700,000 copies in Japan in 2007. The game was the top-selling title for the Nintendo DS in the US during its first three weeks of release. After being restocked in the UK, sales of the game increased by 54%, moving it from 10th place to 4th place in sales rankings.

Curious Village received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 86% based on 48 reviews. On Metacritic, it had an average score of 85 out of 100, based on 57 reviews. Critics had mixed opinions about combining the adventure game and "brain training" genres. Some praised the game for successfully blending these elements, while others believed the genres did not work well together. One review noted that while the game included many small puzzles, the main story’s mysteries were often solved for the player. The game had little replay value, as there was no incentive to play through the puzzles again after completing them. The game’s presentation, including its European-style artwork and cutscene animations, was generally appreciated. Darren Wells from Hyper praised the game’s clever concept and strong visuals but noted that some puzzles felt forced and the music could be annoying.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box was seen as an improvement over the first game. By July 9, 2008, it had sold 815,369 copies in Japan. The UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game a 92% score and a Gold Award, praising the increased number of puzzles, animated scenes, and voice acting. However, the magazine noted the game could feel slightly repetitive at times. IGN gave the game an 8.5 score and its Editor’s Choice Award.

The series’ popularity led to a feature-length movie titled Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. The film was released in Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, the US, and Canada. It received mostly positive reviews and is considered one of the better video game adaptations into film. It premiered in the UK on October 18 with a full English dub.

Nintendo Power listed Professor Layton as their 10th favorite hero, noting his reliance on intelligence rather than physical strength.

The series became one of the most successful Nintendo DS-exclusive franchises. By October 2010, the first four games had sold 10 million units worldwide. By February 2011, the franchise had sold 11.47 million units globally. Sales figures were later updated to over 13 million units by March 2012, 15 million units by August 2013, making it Nintendo’s best-selling game franchise. By June 2018, the series had shipped over 17 million copies worldwide.