The Frog Detective series of games is like a condensed version of joy. They are simple, short, but very funny and occasionally heartwarming. Frog Detective 3: Corruption in Cowboy County is the best of them all.

When we last see the amphibious agent, he has just received a call from his boss, the contents of which have been a mystery until now. Thanks to Rhino Mary and her top-notch acting skills, a scene was set up in which Mary plays both detective and boss. It's Academy Award stuff. Naturally, the call is about a new case, this time in Cowboy County.

Three things you should know about Cowboy County: 1. it was a lawless place until recently; 2. everyone is nice, especially the outlaws who just want to help people; 3. no one rides horses; and 4. it's a very nice place.

Now, before you get upset about the lack of horse antics, there is a silver lining. The primary mode of transportation in Cowboy County is the most noble of horses, the scooter. Scooters are readily available and can be used to speed around small towns and pull off some hilarious stunts. Scooters eventually become very useful, but mostly they are just fun because of the small hills that turn towns into skate parks.

When you arrive in Cowboy County, you immediately know what you're in for, but you also know that the problem has already been solved. We needed a sheriff, but our best detective, Lobster Cop, had already found someone to bring law and order to town. Typical. He's a double agent, called Mason, and very creepy. Luckily, the game doesn't end there. For there is another case that requires the skills of the Frog Detective.

If you've ever gotten under the frog detective's probably slimy skin, you're probably familiar with police procedures. The town is full of potential suspects, and in order to uncover the truth, you must chat with them, solve their problems, and gather items to track down the missing hat. There can be no cowboy town without hats. That's illegal. And you are a detective.

Among the residents of this lawless but at the same time chilling town are Dusty the koala, a cowboy poet, Rhonda Dynamite, an outlaw rat with a fantastic name who wanted to be sheriff, and Craig the bull who is sick of being lured by secret societies (ghost hunting secret (except for the secret society, which he would love to join, if only he could be invited). Every conversation is absurdly silly and also very clever, eliciting more laughs in a couple of minutes than most comedy games can deliver over their entire running time. Yes, "New Tales from the Borderlands".

There is a panda painter who will illustrate the adventures of the Frog Detective for a mere "two million dollars," and the not-so-thrifty protagonist thinks this is a pretty good deal. If you stick to artistic themes, there's also the opportunity to help create the world's best cowboy poem (it's really something special). You might also get to critique the criminal justice system and learn from Detective Frog's terrible advice on protecting your personal information. There's even a little romance. This game has it all.

The puzzles are just fetch quests, but "Frog Detective 3" never falls into tedious drudgery and will have you giggling for the entire 90 minutes. The only time I was made to giggle was when I was ordered to collect four cactus flowers that grew in abundance, and all I actually needed were four specific ones that looked just a little different from the rest. Still, it only took me a couple of minutes to find them all.

In fact, these tasks are merely a means to more engaging and bizarre banter, but there are some ingenious ones as well. Speaking of surprises, the Frog Detective's final case is as full of twists and turns as a snake juggler, even rearranging the previous cases while tying everything up in a more than satisfying conclusion. The whole thing is unexpectedly elaborate. Or as elaborate as possible while maintaining a whimsical, laid-back atmosphere.

The only reason I am depressed is because the Frog Detective is no longer available. He is one-of-a-kind, and I will miss his unhinged, upbeat personality as much as his aptitude for solving crimes. We need less hard-boiled misery guts and more frog antics. But if the series must end, this is a great way to end it.