Inspector Waffles is a short, low-difficulty point-and-click adventure starring a cat detective investigating a murder in a town full of talking animals. Full completion — all 15 achievements, including the secret ending — takes about an hour and only needs a single playthrough, as long as you collect everything as you go.
There are 15 achievements total: 6 tied to story progress (finishing each of the game's five chapters, plus the game itself) and 9 tied to the game's 8 Woolball cards — one achievement for each card you find, plus a 9th for unlocking the secret ending once you've collected all of them.
Heads up: all 8 Woolball cards are missable, and missing even one also costs you the secret-ending achievement, since that only unlocks once you've found all 8. The cards can only be picked up during specific windows in Chapters 2–5, and a couple require finishing a short item combination or dialogue sequence first. If you skip a card's pickup window, you can't go back for it later in the same playthrough. Follow the numbered steps below in order and you won't lose any of them.
General Tips
This is a point-and-click game: click on highlighted objects to examine or pick them up, and combine inventory items by selecting one and using it on another (or on an object/character in the scene).
Dialogue choices are almost never fail states — you can click through every option with an NPC before moving on, and doing so often reveals extra clues or is required for a later puzzle.
The secret ending only triggers if all 8 Woolball cards have been collected before you finish the game. If you're missing one, the game will simply end normally and you'll need to restart to try again.
Chapter 1 — The Crime Scene
The moment you start investigating the crime scene, you'll unlock Why am I not drinking a piña colada?
- You start right outside Fluffy's house. Click Fluffy's body to pick up the Polaroid picture.
- Click the trash can to pick up the Broken Screwdriver.
- Enter the house and go upstairs into the bedroom.
- Click the cup on the nightstand to pick up the Love Letter.
- Click the framed picture for a clue: Fluffy was alone.
- Click the painting, then click the hidden book revealed behind it.
- Click the skateboard to pick up the Skateboard Wheel.
- Leave the room and head left into the bathroom.
- Click the perfume bottle for a clue: a lady's perfume in Fluffy's bathroom.
- Click the loose black tile to reveal a hideout, then click the hidden book inside it.
- In your inventory, combine the Skateboard Wheel with the Broken Screwdriver.
- Use the combined item on the locked door to make a handle.
- Go through the door into the room beyond it.
- Place the two books you're holding onto the bookshelf to reveal a secret door.
- Go through the secret door into the hidden office.
- Click the hair caught in the plant.
- Click the desk drawers to pick up the Insult Letter.
- Click the board on the wall to pick up the Grocery List.
- Head back outside and talk to Patches.
- Choose the "Top floor?" dialogue option, then show him the Secret Office clue.
- Choose "Something salty?" then show him the Shopping List.
- Go next door to Millie's house.
- Click the chimney for a clue: smoke from the chimney.
- Talk to Millie and choose "Ask a neighbour?" to receive the Love Letter topic.
- Choose "Fluffy Admirer," then bring up the Lady's Perfume clue.
- Choose "Warm Night," then bring up the Chimney Smoke clue.
- Choose "Fluffy's Killer," then bring up the hair clue.
- Choose "Fluffy's Enemies," then bring up the Insult Letter clue.
Finishing this exchange with Millie unlocks The dead and alive cat.
Chapter 2 — Following the Leads
This chapter is the first one with Woolball cards to collect, so follow the steps closely.
- Start in your office and click the desk drawers to pick up a Flask of Milk.
- Head left to the hallway and enter Patches' office.
- Talk to Patches and the Mayor to receive a Croissant.
- Head left two screens and talk to Pixel.
- Choose "Any clues?" and show him the Polaroid picture to get a copy of it.
- Choose "Any clues?" again and show him the hair sample.
- Choose "Any clues?" a third time and show him the Insult Letter.
- Head right two screens and go downstairs.
- Talk to Moka at the door.
- Choose "Building trust" and give her the Croissant.
- Head left and meet Morty, who takes you to the morgue.
- Leave the morgue.
- Click the coffee machine to get a Disgusting Coffee.
- Combine the Disgusting Coffee with the Love Letter.
- Head one screen left to meet Spotty and Howard.
- Take the car to the hot dog shop.
- Talk to Frank the vendor.
- Choose "Hotdog menus," then ask about Erwin to get two new clues.
- Go inside the building and talk to Duke.
- Choose "Erwin's best friend," then bring up "Erwin has a limp."
- Choose "Erwin's best friend" again, then bring up "Erwin is a black cat."
- Click the umbrella for a clue: a forgotten umbrella.
- Go upstairs and talk to Bella.
- Choose "Erwin?"
- Choose "Erwin disappearance," then bring up "Erwin has been away for 4 days."
- Choose "Unknown Cat," then bring up "Erwin has a limp."
- Choose "A Little Help," then show her the Coffee-Stained Letter to receive a Fake Old Love Letter.
- Head right for a clue: an abandoned grocery bag.
- Pick up the pickle.
- Click the Woolball card album under the doormat.
- Head back left two screens and talk to Duke again.
- Choose "Erwin's best friend," then show him the Woolball card album to receive Erwin's Spare Keys.
- Combine the Disgusting Coffee with the Spare Keys.
- Use the combined item on Erwin's mailbox to get a Small Package.
- Hold the interact button on the Small Package to open it and receive Woolball card 1.
This unlocks Should we call the bomb dog?
- Go to Erwin's apartment and use his keys on the door.
- Take the Almonds from the cupboard.
- Combine the Almonds with the Croissant.
- Go back outside and talk to the hot dog vendor again.
- Choose "Visitors," then bring up the Forgotten Umbrella clue.
- Choose "Cinnamon."
- Choose "Secret Ingredient," then use the pickle to receive cinnamon.
- Go into the antique shop and talk to Margaret.
- Choose "Erwin?"
- Choose "Art everywhere."
- Choose "Weird customer."
- Choose "Business is business," then show her the Fake Old Love Letter.
- Choose "Cinnamon coffee?" then combine the Cinnamon with the Flask of Milk to make a Tasty Coffee.
- Return to the station and talk to Peanut, then choose "A favor" to receive a key.
- Head right three screens for a short cutscene.
- Go into Patches' office and click the notice board to take the purple coupon — don't skip this.
- Take a croissant from the croissant box.
- Head left one screen into the empty office.
- Click the pinned article for a clue.
- Talk to Spotty for a clue about a sweet smell in the empty office.
- Go back to Peanut and give him the Almond Croissant.
- Head right two screens and talk to Moka.
- Choose "Building trust," then give her the Tasty Coffee and Almond Croissant to receive Erwin's apartment warrant.
- Return to Erwin's apartment and talk to Spotty.
- Click the wall on the right for a clue: Erwin grows illegal catnip.
- Click the hidden catnip to receive Erwin's grocery list.
- Combine the two grocery lists.
- Drive to Maple Market and talk to George.
Order matters here: choose "Groceries" first, then use the coupon. Using the coupon before selecting groceries costs you this card.
- Choose "Groceries," then use the coupon on George to receive Woolball card 2.
This unlocks Free food?
- Show George the combined grocery lists to open the door into the sewer.
Going through unlocks More than one way to skin a cat.
Chapter 3 — Into the Sewers
- Head right two screens and pick up the common Woolball card above the grill.
- Pick up the magnet.
- Go back one screen and use the police key on the sewer door.
- Use the magnet under the door to fish out the sewer key.
- Use the sewer key on the door.
- Climb down the ladder, interact with the costume, then head left.
- Get a clue about a secret cult in Cat Town's underground.
- Click the toilets for a clue that Meatballs is part of the cult.
- Talk to Meatballs and choose "costume?"
- Choose "Erwin?" to learn Erwin has been kidnapped.
- Choose "A favor?"
- Pick up the lighter and the CPU from the table.
- Talk to Meatballs again, choose "A light," then use the lighter.
- Head back to the toilets to exit.
- Outside in the caves, pick up the stick.
- Combine the stick with the magnet.
- Use the combined tool on the magpie to get a coin.
- Head right toward Cat Town.
- Use the coin on the phone booth to call a taxi.
- Ride back through Maple Market, talk to Spotty, then return to the police station.
- Go upstairs and talk to Patches.
- Choose "Cat Town's underground," then bring up the secret cult clue.
- Choose "Getting into Erwin's apartment," then bring up the apartment warrant.
- Choose "Maple market lead," then bring up the grocery lists.
- Choose "An oldest friend," then bring up the Meatballs/cult clue.
- Choose "The missing cat," then bring up the kidnapping clue.
- In Patches' office, talk to Erwin and choose "The real Erwin?" three times, bringing up the limp, black cat, and four-days-away clues in turn.
- Choose "Coming back home," then bring up the abandoned grocery bag.
- Choose "Something illegal," then bring up the illegal catnip clue.
- Choose "Fluffy's death," then bring up the Insult Letter.
- Head to the bar and talk to Bobby, the orange cat.
- Choose the card-trade option and hand over the common Woolball card to receive Woolball card 3.
This unlocks What could possibly go wrong?
- Leave the bar — you'll hear gunshots.
- Outside Barkbuster, head left one screen and interact with the body.
- Head right one screen and check the bin to get a cloth.
- Go back to the body and use the cloth on it.
This unlocks Into the lion's den.
Chapter 4 — Two Investigators, One Case
This is the longest chapter and has four of the eight Woolball cards, so take it slowly. You start as Patches with a Chocolate bar, Croissant, Donut, Gumdrops, Lollipop, Popcorn, and an access card in your inventory.
- Talk to Pixel, choose "Examining clues," then use the access card.
- Head right one screen and talk to Winklebottom, the chicken officer.
- Choose the "T.A.I.L. application" topic.
- Choose "On the wrong paw," then use the popcorn.
- Choose "On the wrong paw" again, then use the gumdrops.
- Choose "Help with investigation," then bring up the Woolball MVP clue to learn dogs don't care about Woolball.
- Choose "Help with investigation" again for the "Hippo > Elephant?" topic.
- Head back left one screen and talk to Pixel.
- Choose "Anti-feline protection," then bring up the "dogs don't care about Woolball" clue to learn the victim's real name, Marmalade.
- Click the sewer pipe for a clue that a grate is blocking it.
- Talk to Pixel again and ask for help with the grate to receive a screwdriver.
- Use the screwdriver on the grate — you still can't get through.
- Talk to Lumo and make small talk about not being able to enter the sewer pipe.
- Tell him help isn't free, then bring up the victim's name (Marmalade) to receive a Polaroid.
- Use the Polaroid on the campaign posters.
You'll now switch to playing as Waffles at the police station.
- Leave the office and head left two screens.
- Click the DNA machine for a clue confirming Snowball's DNA.
- Head right one screen into the empty office.
- Click the pinned article for a clue.
- Talk to Spotty for a clue about a sweet smell in the empty office.
- Leave the station and head to the prison.
- Pick up the coin on the floor.
- Use the piece of cloth on the fake coin.
- Talk to Lenny and choose "Approval," bringing up the Snowball DNA clue.
- Head to the jail cells and talk to Snowball.
- Choose "The night before last," then bring up the DNA clue.
- Choose "Fluffy's house."
- Choose "Fake cult."
- Choose "Partners in crime," then bring up the Meatballs/cult clue.
- Choose "A question from Snowball?"
- Choose "Memories," then bring up the "skin a cat" clue.
You'll switch back to Patches.
- Talk to Maple, choose "Life in danger," then use the Polaroid.
- Choose "And now?"
- Choose "A snack," then use the lollipop.
- Choose "Maple success story."
Back as Waffles:
- Go inside the building and use the shiny coin on the vending machine to get Kibbles.
- Talk to Smokey, choose "The rest home's stealer."
- Choose "The thief's name," then use the Insult Letter.
- Take the plastic fish.
- Head right one screen and talk to Pancakes.
- Choose "Snowball's investigation," then bring up the DNA clue.
- Choose "Snowball and his past," then bring up the "skin a cat" clue.
- Choose "Who is he?" to learn about Mallow, Snowball's brother.
- Choose "Mallow," then bring up the sweet-smell clue.
- Leave and drive to Fluffy's house.
- Talk to Rex/Rox for a clue that Millie's house is under surveillance.
- Head to the police station and go right two screens.
- Talk to Moka, choose "Other warrant," bringing up the surveillance clue to get a warrant for Millie's house.
- Return to Fluffy's house and talk to Rex/Rox again, using the new warrant.
- Go inside Millie's house.
- Interact with the mail on the floor for a clue: the Dictator Pig book.
- Take the Morse code book from the bookshelf.
- Head to Erwin's apartment, go inside, and pick up the small key outside his door.
- Go to the mailboxes and use the small key on "Someone's mailbox" to get Woolball card 6.
This unlocks Almost an alley cat.
- Leave and go into the antique shop, then talk to Lucius.
- Choose "Is someone here?" then use the plastic fish.
- Choose "Know-it-all," then use the Dictator Pig book to receive Lucius's note.
- Go to Millie's house and use Lucius's note on the classical books to get Woolball card 5.
This unlocks Creature farm.
- Return to the police station and go to Pixel's office.
- Use the Morse code book on the board to decode code 2102.
- Enter the code on the drawers under the DNA machine to get Woolball card 4.
This unlocks No reMorse with Pixel.
- Go to the empty office and click the sugar-scented paper for a cotton candy shop flyer.
- Leave the station and head to the Cotton Candy shop.
- Use the Kibbles on the Woolball card in the blue shop window to get Woolball card 7.
This unlocks I'm too old for kibbles.
- Pick up the key at the bottom left of the shop window.
- Use the key on the door and go inside, then head left one screen.
- Interact with the bell for a clue that Pavlov stopped when it rang.
- Interact with the table for a clue that Pavlov is incredibly strong.
- Talk to Pavlov, choose "Fight ended abruptly," then bring up the bell clue.
- Choose "Current investigations," then bring up the strength clue.
- Head right one screen and talk to Spotty.
- Click the trapdoor under the plant and go down.
- Use the photo on the poster for a clue that the Polaroid was fake.
- Take the blueprint from the wall.
- Interact with the bed for a clue that someone lives hidden in the shop.
- Go back upstairs and talk to Pavlov again.
- Choose "Someone to protect," then bring up the hidden-resident clue.
- Choose "Something planned?" then use the blueprint.
- Choose "A flash of light?" then bring up the fake-Polaroid clue.
- At Maple Tower, talk to Patches.
- Choose "Fluffy case suspect," then bring up Pavlov's strength.
- Choose "Unbelievable clue," then bring up the Snowball DNA clue.
- Choose "Patches' Polaroid," then bring up the fake-Polaroid clue.
- Choose "Another menace," then use the blueprint.
This unlocks Curiosity killed the cat.
Chapter 5 — The Finale
- Leave the office and talk to Pixel to receive a jamming device.
- Go downstairs and talk to Patches to receive a screwdriver.
- Outside, call your mom about Meatballs — she'll have Meatballs' mom come take him away.
- Use the flask on the glass of milk on the ground to fill it.
- Head inside and go right two screens.
- Use the scanner device on the laser.
- Use the screwdriver on the scanner to get the cables.
- Use the magnet on the key by your feet to get the cabinet key.
- Go back downstairs and use the cabinet key on the medicine cabinet.
- Take the bandages and the syringe.
- Go into the maintenance room and use the cables on the exposed sparks.
- Pick up the broken broom.
- Combine the broom with the bandages and the screwdriver.
- Use the extended screwdriver on the Woolball card in the ceiling to get Woolball card 8.
This unlocks Too bad I'm not a giraffe.
If you don't have all 8 Woolball cards by this point, the secret ending below will not trigger — you'll get the normal ending instead and need to replay to catch whatever you missed.
- Go back to the laser and use the extended screwdriver on the hatch.
- Combine the flask with the syringe.
- Use the combined item on the hatch to disable it.
- Head left one screen and talk to Pepper, then Snowball.
- Choose "First guinea pig," then bring up the Mallow clue.
- Choose "Mallow's old shop," then bring up the hidden-resident clue.
- Choose "Plan's weakness," then bring up the "skin a cat" clue.
- Choose "Snowball's hypnotized sidekick," then bring up Pavlov's strength.
- Choose "False leads," then bring up the fake-Polaroid clue.
- Choose "False leads" again, then bring up the secret-cult clue.
- Choose "Meeting Snowball in prison," then bring up the DNA clue.
- Choose "Finding the safe house," then bring up the sweet-smell clue.
- Watch the cutscene back at the police station.
- Head left one screen for more dialogue, then left again to meet Spotty.
This unlocks Like cats and dogs.
Secret Ending
- After the credits, if you collected all 8 Woolball cards, a bonus scene plays where Erwin gives you a wooden key.
- Use the wooden key on the bust under the stairs to open a hidden door.
- Go down the stairs.
This unlocks Who really was Fluffy?
That's full completion: all 15 achievements in one playthrough.
