Difficulty with Smart Aleck Trophy

[DiffuseManatee2]

Trying to Platinum the game, only trophies I have left are collectibles, not dying, killing the most people and the smart aleck trophy. I couldn't find any comprehensive guide on every deduction and what I need to do for each. If anyone who has platinumed the game has anything like this or could steer me in the right direction that would be awesome! 

 

[Lothym]

Most of the deductions that can be made are mandatory. There are a few optional ones that depends on some optional clues and dialogues. Most of those are located in the gym, Yale's apartment and O'leary's office. The hardest one to get is the conclusion that O'Leary rigs the games for Yale.

 

Long story short, explore the game as much as possible and exhaust all dialogues to gather clues. Whenever you can put clues together (mandatory or not) the game will warn you you can do it.

 

And be warned, because of the multiple possible orders in which you can explore the first scenes and the way deductions and clues are saved, it's better to go from start to finish using only the continue feature (do not go through with chapter select). I had to do a complete extra playthrough just because of that.

[DiffuseManatee2]

On 07/09/2020 at 7:36 PM, Lothym said:

Most of the deductions that can be made are mandatory. There are a few optional ones that depends on some optional clues and dialogues. Most of those are located in the gym, Yale's apartment and O'leary's office. The hardest one to get is the conclusion that O'Leary rigs the games for Yale.

 

Long story short, explore the game as much as possible and exhaust all dialogues to gather clues. Whenever you can put clues together (mandatory or not) the game will warn you you can do it.

 

And be warned, because of the multiple possible orders in which you can explore the first scenes and the way deductions and clues are saved, it's better to go from start to finish using only the continue feature (do not go through with chapter select). I had to do a complete extra playthrough just because of that.

 

Cheers fella, I appreciate the help, just wanted to make sure I didn't have to go back for further playthroughs on top of what I already have to do. Congrats on getting the platinum itself seems like a real hassle! 

[Rodrister]

Do the deductions carry on into the next playthrough?

 

I'm thinking about buying the game now that the platinum is obtainable, but maybe it's too much of a pain in the ass withouth a 100% guide.

[FulgidoLucio]

This game is a real mess. Why did I chose to play it even after reading of all this problems and glitches? I live in Europe and one card didn't spawn in the last location anyway and Smart Aleck is possibly the worst thing ever happened to me as a completionist gamer.
Here I found some help, but didn't help me because, again, this game is a mess. https://www.playstationtrophies.org/forum/topic/316313-list-of-known-deductions/

It ruined my completion percentage forever...

[Wyz94]

I played 5th time and got all the possible deductions but the trophy didn't pop. Seems like I'm only missing Avenarius and Gil's deductions. My latest playthrough was on 1.04 then 1.05 patches.

For those who got the trophy, was Mary alive or dead in your playthrough?

I'm putting below all the deductions I gathered (most of them come from playstationtrophies.org) and in the order I made them, if anyone can help I would be greatly thankful.

Spoiler

 

• There's a smudged racial slur painted on Yale's locker + There's a stained towel in Arthur Tucker's locker = Arthur Tucker painted the racial slur on Yale’s locker (dialogue)
• Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale (New Clue)
• The Buffalo that works for O'Leary wears a shamrock on his lapel + Jake got mad when he found me searching his locker = Jake won’t say he works for O’Leary (Note Entry, dialogue)
• Mary calls Dunn "Joey" + Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (New Clue)
• Mary and Dunn were seeing each other + Dunn's wife's birthdate doesn't open the safe = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn’s desk (new clue)
• Mary's birth date might open the safe + There are cards with staff information on Dunn's table = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn's desk (New Clue)
• There's something fishy about about Dunn's suicide + Dunn's weight: 163 lbs - Height: 5'5" = Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose (New Clue)
• Dunn had 4 different neck marks + The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale + Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose = Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander (New Clue)
• Someone threw a paint can in the trash + When Dunn died, his knuckles were swollen = Dunn must have punched a paint can (New Clue)
• Dunn wanted to call off the fight + Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander = Did Yale kill Dunn just because he wanted to call off the fight? (Observation)
• Dunn must have punched a paint can + According to Jake, Dunn had a strong argument with Yale while he was painting the scaffold + There is a paint stain on gym's floor
• Mary has a cold + There's a scarf at Yale's place + Mary went to Luna Park with Yale = Mary's been at Yale's place recently (New Clue)
• Yale's shoes smell like a dead man + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = Yale's soles don't match the footprints at the gym (new clue)
• The doe nurse will be gone later for trauma surgery + Doctor Talbot has surgery today at 12:30 = The doe nurse will assisting Doctor Talbot during his 12:30 surgery
• Doctor Palmer suggests that Yale rest after his heart attack + Yale's medical report is signed by one Doctor Ferguson + Yale had "extrasystole and dehydration caused by panic attack" = Who’s the guy passing as Yale’s doctor? (new clue)
• Moore seduced Stone on O'Leary's orders + O'Leary has enough information to ruin Moore's career = O'Leary is blackmailing Stone by threatening Moore's career (note)
• O'Leary claims to love his family unconditionally + Weekly took very explicit photographs of the Rhino and his lover = O'Leary's wife is having an affair with Colbert (new Clue)
• O'Leary doesn't like to takes risks + O'Leary bet 5.000$ on Yale + Stone is more likely to win the fight with Yale = O'Leary riged the match
• O’Leary’s feet on the table, a sign of dominance + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = O’Leary sole don’t match the footprints at the gym (new clue)
• O'Leary keeps romantic pictures of Helen Moore in a drawer + Helen Moore carries a cigarette case bearing a romantic inscription = Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love (new Clue)
• Helen Moore says she hates O'Leary + Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love = If she’s still in love, why does she claim she hates him? What is she hiding? (observation)
• A paper tissue that smells like sardines in the gym office + An empty can of sardines at Dunn's place, open recently = The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place (new clue)
• At Dunn's place, there's a picture of a tree painted by his wife + Dunn hid the music box under the swing tire tree = Maybe Dunn used the same hiding place once more. (observation)
• A piece of jean fabric on the stairs that lead to the gym rooftop + The Anteater has a tear in his pants = Matching Fabrics (observation, note entry)
• The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place + The Anteater's snout reeks of sardines = The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn’s place (new clue)
• Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? + The gym burglar signed a document with his foot + The Anteater wears relatively small shoes = Matching footprints (observation, note entry) I saw footprints from those very same shoes next to both the gym murders
• Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn's place = Long snout (observation, note entry) One of the thugs that attacked me the other night had a snout just like that
• The biography of Harry Bradwick, father of baseball, at Dunn's apartment + Craig Spannow was an orphan who thought baseball was his only family + Before Dunn found him, Spannow was living with his father = Spannow lives in Green-wood (observation, note entry)
• Someone ordered Randal Leigh to commit those murders + O'Leary would personally kills anyone who threatens his family or business = O’Leary has nothing to do with Dunn’s death (new clue)
• During the war, Dunn and his pals were known as the “Olympic Five” + Who’s the guy passing for Yale’s Doctor? = Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor (New Clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend in common with Dunn + Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor = Mitchell, “The Surgeon”, could be the persona behind the entire case (new clue)
• Dunn's murderer had it all carefully planned out + Cassidy acts recklessly, by impulse = Cassidy is too impulsive to plan something as twisted as Dunn’s murder (new clue)
• Two thugs tried to scare me so I drop the case and one seemed to be trigger happy + the horse standing guard is armed = the warehouse guard is trigger happy
• The horse who works for Mitchell wears an arrowhead around his neck + There's an attic full of Indian objects in the port warehouse = The woman in the picture under the totem pole is Gill’s Mother (New Clue, Dialogue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + There's pill bottles with athlete's names in the lab + Spannow enhanced his performance by using drugs = Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance (new clue)
• Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance + Spannow's health took a toll after using the drugs = Grune’s Drugs have unwanted side effects on athletes (new clue)
• Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts + The cops found Gil close to the basement door + Mitchell was trapped in the basement = Maybe Gill blocked the basement door to kill Mitchell (new clue)
• The warehouse guard is trigger happy + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Gill had to kill a friend in order for the mission to succeed + Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts = Perhaps Mitchell ordered Gill to kill Randal Leigh (new clue)
• A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Mitchell missed two shots point blank = Mitchell didn’t kill Randal Leigh personally (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + There was a bottle with Spannow's name on it in the ventilation shaft + Spannow stopped a fan with his bad arm + Spannow died shortly after recovering his strength = Mitchell’s drugs killed Spannow (new clue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + Thorpe hires athletes for advertising campaigns = What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? (New clue)
• What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? + All of Thorpe's appointments are in his agenda = Maybe there’s a meeting with Mitchell in the agenda (new clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend common with Dunn + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Thorpe is the mastermind behind the athlete doping operation (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + Thorpe can't walk and uses a wheelchair + There's a bottle of pills in Thorpe's desk = What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? (new clue)
• What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper = Thorpe killed Randal (new clue)
• I have to lure Thorpe into a trap + Thorpe keeps a gun in his desk drawer + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? = This activates the end game sequence.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Wyz94

[nrs1nrs1]

slightly off topic, anyone know if the NA version of the game is obtainable to plat? 

[HuntingFever]

41 minutes ago, nrs1nrs1 said:

slightly off topic, anyone know if the NA version of the game is obtainable to plat? 

Yes it is, their 1.03 patch is the same as the EU's 1.05 update so the Plat is obtainable but it's still a very buggy and frustrating experiance.

[Taliesin_2943]

11 minutes ago, HuntingFever said:

Yes it is, their 1.03 patch is the same as the EU's 1.05 update so the Plat is obtainable but it's still a very buggy and frustrating experiance.

What I ended up getting the eu version cause someone said it's the only one pay he'd for plat

[Wyz94]

OK, got the throphy. Below are the deductions I made in that exact order.

I did it on a clean save and one sitting (no chapter select)

You need to make some deductions the first time you can explore Farnham hotel room (even if it's a flashback), I annoted them accordingly (<F>)

 

Spoiler

• There's a smudged racial slur painted on Yale's locker + There's a stained towel in Arthur Tucker's locker = Arthur Tucker painted the racial slur on Yale’s locker
• The Buffalo that works for O'Leary wears a shamrock on his lapel + Jake got mad when he found me searching his locker = Jake won’t say he works for O’Leary
• Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale (new clue)
• Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary put the ring in the enveloppe (new clue)
• Mary calls Dunn "Joey" + Mary put the ring in the enveloppe  = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (new clue)
• Mary and Dunn were seeing each other + Dunn's wife's birthdate doesn't open the safe = Mary's birth date might open the safe (new clue)
• Mary's birth date might open the safe + There are cards with staff information on Dunn's table = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn's desk (new clue)
• Someone threw a paint can in the trash + When Dunn died, his knuckles were swollen = Dunn must have punched a paint can (new clue)
• Dunn must have punched a paint can + According to Jake, Dunn had a strong argument with Yale while he was painting the scaffold + There is a paint stain on gym's floor = Dunn must have punched a paint can while he was arguing with Yale
• There's something fishy about about Dunn's suicide + Dunn's weight: 163 lbs - Height: 5'5" = Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose (new clue) --> triggers scene
• Dunn had 4 different neck marks + The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale + Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose = Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander (new clue)
• Dunn wanted to call off the fight + Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander = Did Yale kill Dunn just because he wanted to call off the fight?
• Mary has a cold + There's a scarf at Yale's place + Mary went to Luna Park with Yale = Mary's been at Yale's place recently (new clue)
• Yale's shoes smell like a dead man + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = Yale's soles don't match the footprints at the gym (new clue)
• The doe nurse will be gone later for trauma surgery + Doctor Talbot has surgery today at 12:30 = The doe nurse will assisting Doctor Talbot during his 12:30 surgery (new clue)
• Doctor Palmer suggests that Yale rest after his heart attack + Yale's medical report is signed by one Doctor Ferguson + Yale had "extrasystole and dehydration caused by panic attack" = Who’s the guy passing as Yale’s doctor? (new clue)
• Moore seduced Stone on O'Leary's orders + O'Leary has enough information to ruin Moore's career = O'Leary is blackmailing Stone by threatening Moore's career (new clue)
• O'Leary claims to love his family unconditionally + Weekly took very explicit photographs of the Rhino and his lover = O'Leary's wife is having an affair with Colbert (new clue)
• O'Leary keeps romantic pictures of Helen Moore in a drawer + Helen Moore carries a cigarette case bearing a romantic inscription = Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love (new Clue) <F>
• Helen Moore says she hates O'Leary + Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love = If she’s still in love, why does she claim she hates him? What is she hiding? <F>
• O'Leary doesn't like to takes risks + O'Leary bet 5.000$ on Yale + Stone is more likely to win the fight with Yale according to bets = O'Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone, so he fold against Yale (new clue) <F>
• O'Leary has a guilty conscience for ratting someone out when he was 14, someone who ended up dead + Avenarius vanished after winning a fight, back when Yale was a kid + Yale is one of O’Leary’s “untouchables” according to his files + O'Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone, so he fold against Yale  = O'Leary is responsible for the death of Yale's dad (new clue) <F>
• O’Leary’s feet on the table, a sign of dominance + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = O’Leary sole don’t match the footprints at the gym (new clue) <F>
• A paper tissue that smells like sardines in the gym office + An empty can of sardines at Dunn's place, open recently = The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place (new clue)
• At Dunn's place, there's a picture of a tree painted by his wife + Dunn hid the music box under the swing tire tree = Maybe Dunn used the same hiding place once more
• A piece of jean fabric on the stairs that lead to the gym rooftop + The Anteater has a tear in his pants = Fabrics match
• The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place + The Anteater's snout reeks of sardines = The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn’s place (new clue)
• Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? + The gym burglar signed a document with his foot + The Anteater wears relatively small shoes = I saw footprints from those very same shoes next to both the gym murders
• Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn's place = one of the thugs that attacked me the other night had a snout just like that
• The biography of Harry Bradwick, father of baseball, at Dunn's apartment + Craig Spannow was an orphan who thought baseball was his only family + Before Dunn found him, Spannow was living with his father = Spannow lives in Greenwood
• Someone ordered Randal Leigh to commit those murders + O'Leary would personally kills anyone who threatens his family or business = O’Leary has nothing to do with Dunn’s death (new clue)
• During the war, Dunn and his pals were known as the “Olympic Five” + Who’s the guy passing for Yale’s Doctor? = Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor (new clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend in common with Dunn + Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor = Mitchell, “The Surgeon”, could be the persona behind the entire case (new clue)
• Dunn's murderer had it all carefully planned out + Cassidy acts recklessly, by impulse = Cassidy is too impulsive to plan something as twisted as Dunn’s murder (new clue)
• Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + the horse standing guard is armed = the warehouse guard is trigger happy (new clue)
• The horse who works for Mitchell wears an arrowhead around his neck + There's an attic full of Indian objects in the port warehouse = The woman in the picture under the totem pole is Gill’s Mother
• The warehouse guard is trigger happy + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Gill had to kill a friend in order for the mission to succeed + Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts = Perhaps Mitchell ordered Gill to kill Randal Leigh (new clue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + There's pill bottles with athlete's names in the lab + Spannow enhanced his performance by using drugs = Mitchell sells drugs to athletes to enhance their performance (new clue)
• Mitchell sells drugs to athletes to enhance their performance + Spannow's health took a toll after using the drugs = Grune’s Drugs have unwanted side effects on athletes (new clue)
• Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts + The cops found Gil close to the basement door + Mitchell was trapped in the basement = Maybe Gill blocked the basement door to kill Mitchell (new clue)
• A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Mitchell missed two shots point blank = Mitchell didn’t kill Randal Leigh personally (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + There was a bottle with Spannow's name on it in the ventilation shaft + Spannow stopped a fan with his bad arm + Spannow died shortly after recovering his strength = Mitchell’s drugs killed Spannow (new clue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + Thorpe hires athletes for advertising campaigns = What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? (new clue)
• All of Thorpe's appointments are in his agenda + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Maybe there’s a meeting with Mitchell in the agenda (new clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend common with Dunn + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Thorpe is the mastermind behind the athlete doping operation (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + Thorpe can't walk and uses a wheelchair + There's a bottle of pills in Thorpe's desk = What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? (new clue)
• What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper = Thorpe killed Randal (new clue)
• I have to lure Thorpe into a trap + Thorpe keeps a gun in his desk drawer + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? --> triggers game's ending

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Wyz94

[FulgidoLucio]

On 23/12/2020 at 10:15 PM, Wyz94 said:

OK, got the throphy. Below are the deductions I made in that exact order.

I did it on a clean save and one sitting (no chapter select)

You need to make some deductions the first time you can explore Farnham hotel room (even if it's a flashback), I annoted them accordingly (<F>)

 

  Reveal hidden contents

• There's a smudged racial slur painted on Yale's locker + There's a stained towel in Arthur Tucker's locker = Arthur Tucker painted the racial slur on Yale’s locker
• The Buffalo that works for O'Leary wears a shamrock on his lapel + Jake got mad when he found me searching his locker = Jake won’t say he works for O’Leary
• Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale (new clue)
• Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary put the ring in the enveloppe (new clue)
• Mary calls Dunn "Joey" + Mary put the ring in the enveloppe  = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (new clue)
• Mary and Dunn were seeing each other + Dunn's wife's birthdate doesn't open the safe = Mary's birth date might open the safe (new clue)
• Mary's birth date might open the safe + There are cards with staff information on Dunn's table = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn's desk (new clue)
• Someone threw a paint can in the trash + When Dunn died, his knuckles were swollen = Dunn must have punched a paint can (new clue)
• Dunn must have punched a paint can + According to Jake, Dunn had a strong argument with Yale while he was painting the scaffold + There is a paint stain on gym's floor = Dunn must have punched a paint can while he was arguing with Yale
• There's something fishy about about Dunn's suicide + Dunn's weight: 163 lbs - Height: 5'5" = Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose (new clue) --> triggers scene
• Dunn had 4 different neck marks + The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale + Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose = Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander (new clue)
• Dunn wanted to call off the fight + Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander = Did Yale kill Dunn just because he wanted to call off the fight?
• Mary has a cold + There's a scarf at Yale's place + Mary went to Luna Park with Yale = Mary's been at Yale's place recently (new clue)
• Yale's shoes smell like a dead man + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = Yale's soles don't match the footprints at the gym (new clue)
• The doe nurse will be gone later for trauma surgery + Doctor Talbot has surgery today at 12:30 = The doe nurse will assisting Doctor Talbot during his 12:30 surgery (new clue)
• Doctor Palmer suggests that Yale rest after his heart attack + Yale's medical report is signed by one Doctor Ferguson + Yale had "extrasystole and dehydration caused by panic attack" = Who’s the guy passing as Yale’s doctor? (new clue)
• Moore seduced Stone on O'Leary's orders + O'Leary has enough information to ruin Moore's career = O'Leary is blackmailing Stone by threatening Moore's career (new clue)
• O'Leary claims to love his family unconditionally + Weekly took very explicit photographs of the Rhino and his lover = O'Leary's wife is having an affair with Colbert (new clue)
• O'Leary keeps romantic pictures of Helen Moore in a drawer + Helen Moore carries a cigarette case bearing a romantic inscription = Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love (new Clue) <F>
• Helen Moore says she hates O'Leary + Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love = If she’s still in love, why does she claim she hates him? What is she hiding? <F>
• O'Leary doesn't like to takes risks + O'Leary bet 5.000$ on Yale + Stone is more likely to win the fight with Yale according to bets = O'Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone, so he fold against Yale (new clue) <F>
• O'Leary has a guilty conscience for ratting someone out when he was 14, someone who ended up dead + Avenarius vanished after winning a fight, back when Yale was a kid + Yale is one of O’Leary’s “untouchables” according to his files + O'Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone, so he fold against Yale  = O'Leary is responsible for the death of Yale's dad (new clue) <F>
• O’Leary’s feet on the table, a sign of dominance + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = O’Leary sole don’t match the footprints at the gym (new clue) <F>
• A paper tissue that smells like sardines in the gym office + An empty can of sardines at Dunn's place, open recently = The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place (new clue)
• At Dunn's place, there's a picture of a tree painted by his wife + Dunn hid the music box under the swing tire tree = Maybe Dunn used the same hiding place once more
• A piece of jean fabric on the stairs that lead to the gym rooftop + The Anteater has a tear in his pants = Fabrics match
• The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place + The Anteater's snout reeks of sardines = The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn’s place (new clue)
• Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? + The gym burglar signed a document with his foot + The Anteater wears relatively small shoes = I saw footprints from those very same shoes next to both the gym murders
• Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn's place = one of the thugs that attacked me the other night had a snout just like that
• The biography of Harry Bradwick, father of baseball, at Dunn's apartment + Craig Spannow was an orphan who thought baseball was his only family + Before Dunn found him, Spannow was living with his father = Spannow lives in Greenwood
• Someone ordered Randal Leigh to commit those murders + O'Leary would personally kills anyone who threatens his family or business = O’Leary has nothing to do with Dunn’s death (new clue)
• During the war, Dunn and his pals were known as the “Olympic Five” + Who’s the guy passing for Yale’s Doctor? = Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor (new clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend in common with Dunn + Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor = Mitchell, “The Surgeon”, could be the persona behind the entire case (new clue)
• Dunn's murderer had it all carefully planned out + Cassidy acts recklessly, by impulse = Cassidy is too impulsive to plan something as twisted as Dunn’s murder (new clue)
• Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + the horse standing guard is armed = the warehouse guard is trigger happy (new clue)
• The horse who works for Mitchell wears an arrowhead around his neck + There's an attic full of Indian objects in the port warehouse = The woman in the picture under the totem pole is Gill’s Mother
• The warehouse guard is trigger happy + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Gill had to kill a friend in order for the mission to succeed + Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts = Perhaps Mitchell ordered Gill to kill Randal Leigh (new clue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + There's pill bottles with athlete's names in the lab + Spannow enhanced his performance by using drugs = Mitchell sells drugs to athletes to enhance their performance (new clue)
• Mitchell sells drugs to athletes to enhance their performance + Spannow's health took a toll after using the drugs = Grune’s Drugs have unwanted side effects on athletes (new clue)
• Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts + The cops found Gil close to the basement door + Mitchell was trapped in the basement = Maybe Gill blocked the basement door to kill Mitchell (new clue)
• A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Mitchell missed two shots point blank = Mitchell didn’t kill Randal Leigh personally (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + There was a bottle with Spannow's name on it in the ventilation shaft + Spannow stopped a fan with his bad arm + Spannow died shortly after recovering his strength = Mitchell’s drugs killed Spannow (new clue)
• A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + Thorpe hires athletes for advertising campaigns = What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? (new clue)
• All of Thorpe's appointments are in his agenda + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Maybe there’s a meeting with Mitchell in the agenda (new clue)
• Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend common with Dunn + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Thorpe is the mastermind behind the athlete doping operation (new clue)
• Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + Thorpe can't walk and uses a wheelchair + There's a bottle of pills in Thorpe's desk = What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? (new clue)
• What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper = Thorpe killed Randal (new clue)
• I have to lure Thorpe into a trap + Thorpe keeps a gun in his desk drawer + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? --> triggers game's ending

 

 

Thank you, I appreciate so much! But unfortunately I think some clues get lost for some reas... Uhm, for some bug. I'll try it someday! This one and the card ones really bug me.

Edited December 31, 2020 by FulgidoLucio

[Chapomon]

So I finished my playthrough on the Steam version trying to finished my guide over on PSTrophies.org and I didn't get the achievement. It looks like I was on the right path though I got more deductions than the person you're referring too. I got 49 deductions, not 46. It seems where we diverged was at the beginning where they deduced that the chest expander belonged to Yale vs where I decided to make the Yale connection last when going through the clues around Dunn's death. I'll have to run through the game yet again to verify this.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Chapomon

[Chapomon]

Going through the above guide, I see an issue with one of the deductions. The guide suggests the following: O'Leary doesn't like to takes risks + O'Leary bet 5.000$ on Yale + Stone is more likely to win the fight with Yale according to bets = O'Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone, so he fold against Yale (new clue) <F>

 

This is not correct because it is not including the clue "O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s". You MUST put the clue "O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s" first or second when making this clue in order to get the proper clue "O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale" because if you don't, you will get "O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale" instead which cannot be used in deducing that O'Leary killed Avenarius.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Chapomon
Clue correction

[Chapomon]

Ok, I finally got the Smart Aleck Steam achievement. Here is what I did with notes. The deductions are broken down by the levels I made them in for my guide on Playstationtrophies.org
 

Dunn’s Gym Following Blacksad Picking Up His Lockpicks and Stopping By Yale’s Apartment

Important Note: With the deductions around Mary’s relationship with Dunn and the ring need to be put together in the longest steps. Putting together the following will give you one less deduction: (Do not do: Mary calls Dunn "Joey" + Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (New Clue))

1. The Buffalo that works for O'Leary wears a shamrock on his lapel + Jake got mad when he found me searching his locker = Jake won’t say he works for O’Leary (Note Entry, dialogue)

2. There's a smudged racial slur painted on Yale's locker + There's a stained towel in Arthur Tucker's locker = Arthur Tucker painted the racial slur on Yale’s locker (Dialogue)

3. Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary put the ring in the envelope (New Clue)

4. Mary put the ring in the envelope + Mary calls Dunn "Joey" = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (New Clue)

5. Mary and Dunn were seeing each other + Dunn's wife's birthdate doesn't open the safe = Mary’s birth date might open the safe (New Clue)

6. Mary's birth date might open the safe + There are cards with staff information on Dunn's table = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn's desk (New Clue)

 

Dunn’s Gym Following the Meeting with Smirnov

Important Notes: Look at the chest expander in Yale’s locker first and make the deduction that the chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale. While you can wait later to deduce the chest expander belongs to Yale after deducing that Dunn was strangled with a chest expander and still have the same number of deductions, I unlocked this achievement on Steam by doing “Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale” first rather than “Yale’s Locker is full of surprises + Dunn was strangled with a chest expander = Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander (New Clue)” later.

7. Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale (New Clue)
8. Someone threw a paint can in the trash + When Dunn died, his knuckles were swollen = Dunn must have punched a paint can (New Clue)
9. According to Jake, Dunn had a strong argument with Yale while he was painting on the scaffold + Dunn must have punched a paint can + There’s a paint stain on the gym floor = Dunn must have punched the can while arguing with Yale. (Observation)
10. There's something fishy about Dunn's suicide + Dunn's weight: 163 lbs - Height: 5'5" = Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose (New Clue)
11. Dunn had 4 different neck marks + The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale + Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose = Dunn was strangled with Yale’s chest expander (New Clue)
12. Dunn wanted to call off the fight + Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander = Did Yale kill Dunn just because he wanted to call off the fight? (Observation)

 

Yale’s Apartment

13. Mary has a cold + There's a scarf at Yale's place + Mary went to Luna Park with Yale = Mary's been at Yale's place recently (New Clue)

Hospital: Cardiology Department

14. Yale's shoes smell like a dead man + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = Yale's soles don't match the footprints at the gym (New Clue)
15. The doe nurse will be gone later for trauma surgery + Doctor Talbot has surgery today at 12:30 = The doe nurse will assisting Doctor Talbot during his 12:30 surgery (New Clue)

Dunn’s Gym Following Hospital Visit

16. Doctor Palmer suggests that Yale rest after his heart attack + Yale's medical report is signed by one Doctor Ferguson + Yale had "extrasystole and dehydration caused by panic attack" = Who’s the guy passing as Yale’s doctor? (New Clue)

O’Leary’s Hideout

17. Moore Seduced Stone by O’Leary’s Demand + O’Leary has enough information to ruin Moore’s career = O’Leary is Threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s Career (New Clue)
18. O'Leary claims to love his family unconditionally + Weekly took very explicit photographs of the Rhino and his lover = O'Leary's wife is having an affair with Colbert (new Clue)

 

Farnham’s Hotel Room

 

Important Note: Players have reported that the deductions for O’Leary using Moore to rig the boxing match and Avenarius’ death must be made during the flashbacks in this level as once you get to Dunn’s Gym where you can make more deductions again, you will be unable to make them due to new clues pushing the necessary clues out of Blacksad’s mind palace. You also need to be careful while making the deduction for “O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale.” You MUST put the clue "O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s" first or second when making this clue in order to get the proper clue "O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale" because if you don't, you will get " O’Leary has rigged the fight between Yale and Stone " instead which cannot be used in deducing that O'Leary killed Avenarius. (Do Not Do: O’Leary always plays it safe + O’Leary bet $5000 on Yale + Judging by the bets, Stone is a clear favorite against Yale = O’Leary has rigged the fight between Yale and Stone (New Clue))

 

If you’re trying to do this while trying to get the sports cards in one go, do the deductions during multiple flashbacks. The timer does not move when you’re in the mind palace but you are not able to retreat back to the mind palace while there are prompts at the top of the HUD. Use that pause to move Blacksad about the room until the prompts go away and you’re able to go back to the mind palace.

 

19. O'Leary keeps romantic pictures of Helen Moore in a drawer + Helen Moore carries a cigarette case bearing a romantic inscription = Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love (New Clue)

20. Helen Moore says she hates O'Leary + Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love = If she’s still in love, why does she claim she hates him? What is she hiding? (Observation)

21. O’Leary’s feet on the table, a sign of dominance + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = O’Leary sole don’t match the footprints at the gym (New Clue)

22. O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s career + O’Leary always plays it safe + O’Leary bet $5000 on Yale + Judging by the bets, Stone is a clear favorite against Yale = O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale (New Clue)

23. Avenarius vanished after winning a fight, back when Yale was a kid + Yale is one of O’Leary’s “untouchables” according to his files + O’Leary has a guilty conscience for ratting someone out when he was 14, someone who ended up dead + O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale = O’Leary caused the death of Yale’s father and now rigs his fights to quiet his guilty conscience (New Clue)

 

Dunn’s Apartment

 

24. A paper tissue that smells like sardines in the gym office + An empty can of sardines at Dunn's place, open recently = The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place (new clue)

 

Rooftop of Dunn’s Gym

 

25. At Dunn's place, there's a picture of a tree painted by his wife + Dunn hid the music box under the swing tire tree = Maybe Dunn used the same hiding place once more. (Observation)

 

Randal’s Hospital Room

 

26. A piece of jean fabric on the stairs that lead to the gym rooftop + The Anteater has a tear in his pants = Matching Fabrics (Observation, Note Entry)

27. The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place + The Anteater's snout reeks of sardines = The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn’s place (New Clue)

28. Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? + The gym burglar signed a document with his foot + The Anteater wears relatively small shoes = Matching footprints (Observation, Note Entry)

29. Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn's place = Long snout (Observation, Note Entry)

30. The biography of Harry Bradwick, father of baseball, at Dunn's apartment + Craig Spannow was an orphan who thought baseball was his only family + Before Dunn found him, Spannow was living with his father = Spannow lives in Green-wood (Observation, Note Entry)

 

Green-wood Cemetery

 

Important Note: You must get the Mitchell tried to pass himself off as Yale's doctor deduction before finding Spannow as talking to him will give you a replacement clue plus the deduction without Blacksad having made it.

 

31. During the war, Dunn and his pals were known as the “Olympic Five” + Who’s the guy passing for Yale’s Doctor? = Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor (New Clue)

32. O’Leary personally kills anyone who threatens his family or business + Someone ordered Randal Leigh to commit those murders = O’Leary has nothing to do with Dunn’s death (New Clue)

33. Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend in common with Dunn + Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor = Mitchell, “The Surgeon”, could be the persona behind the entire case (New Clue)

 

Weekly’s Darkroom

 

34. Dunn's murderer had it all carefully planned out + Cassidy acts recklessly, by impulse = Cassidy is too impulsive to plan something as twisted as Dunn’s murder (New Clue)

Pier 36

35. The Horse Standing guard at the warehouse is armed + Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of the was trigger happy = The warehouse guard is trigger happy (New Clue)

Warehouse and Basement

36. The horse who works for Mitchell wears an arrowhead around his neck + There's an attic full of Indian objects in the port warehouse = The woman in the picture under the totem pole is Gill’s Mother (New Clue, Dialogue)

37. A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + There's pill bottles with athlete's names in the lab + Spannow enhanced his performance by using drugs = Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance (New Clue)

38. Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance + Spannow's health took a toll after using the drugs = Grune’s Drugs have unwanted side effects on athletes (New Clue)

 

The Wrap up With Smirnov

 

Note: You can make the deduction for Gill killing Randal in the basement but I made it during the conversation with Smirnov during the playthrough that it unlocked for me.

 

39. Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts + The cops found Gil close to the basement door + Mitchell was trapped in the basement = Maybe Gill blocked the basement door to kill Mitchell (New Clue)

40. The warehouse guard is trigger happy + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Gill had to kill a friend in order for the mission to succeed + Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts = Perhaps Mitchell ordered Gill to kill Randal Leigh (New Clue)

41. A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Mitchell missed two shots point blank = Mitchell didn’t kill Randal Leigh personally (New Clue)

42. Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + There was a bottle with Spannow's name on it in the ventilation shaft + Spannow stopped a fan with his bad arm + Spannow died shortly after recovering his strength = Mitchell’s drugs killed Spannow (New Clue)

 

Thorpe’s Agency

 

43. A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + Thorpe hires athletes for advertising campaigns = What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? (New clue)

44. What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? + All of Thorpe's appointments are in his agenda = Maybe there’s a meeting with Mitchell in the agenda (New Clue)

45. Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + Thorpe can't walk and uses a wheelchair + There's a bottle of pills in Thorpe's desk = What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? (New Clue)

46. What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper = Thorpe killed Randal (New Clue)

47. Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend common with Dunn + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Thorpe is the mastermind behind the athlete doping operation (New Clue)

48. I have to lure Thorpe into a trap + Thorpe keeps a gun in his desk drawer + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? = This activates the end game sequence

 

Broken Deduction: If you call Smirnov at Thorpe's Agency, you will get the clue "Gill says someone knocked him unconscious and left him right by the basement entrance" which appears to be part of a deduction where Blacksad deduces that Thorpe put Gill there but this seems to be broken but is not necessary to unlock Smart Aleck. When I unlocked it on Steam, I did not call Smirnov.

Gill says someone knocked him unconscious and left him right by the basement entrance + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + The cops found gill close to the basement door + ??? = ???

 

One other thing. I did not start new game from the first stream attempt, I started back at the Smirnov meeting which is after I made the Mary relationship, racism and Jake deductions and was able to unlock the achievement with the only major change being deducing that the chest expander in the trash is Yale's before the other Dunn's death deductions. The biggest question now is whether this walkthrough will unlock Smart Aleck on the PS4 version. The version on Steam right now is listed at 1.04. I cannot test this for myself as the North American version is only at 1.03 and last I checked, I was unable to make the Avenarius deductions. Until we see a newer patch here in North America, I won't be able to test this myself and I won't be able to get the platinum until then.

[FulgidoLucio]

On 10/1/2021 at 8:52 PM, Chapomon said:

Ok, I finally got the Smart Aleck Steam achievement. Here is what I did with notes. The deductions are broken down by the levels I made them in for my guide on Playstationtrophies.org
 

Dunn’s Gym Following Blacksad Picking Up His Lockpicks and Stopping By Yale’s Apartment

Important Note: With the deductions around Mary’s relationship with Dunn and the ring need to be put together in the longest steps. Putting together the following will give you one less deduction: (Do not do: Mary calls Dunn "Joey" + Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (New Clue))

1. The Buffalo that works for O'Leary wears a shamrock on his lapel + Jake got mad when he found me searching his locker = Jake won’t say he works for O’Leary (Note Entry, dialogue)

2. There's a smudged racial slur painted on Yale's locker + There's a stained towel in Arthur Tucker's locker = Arthur Tucker painted the racial slur on Yale’s locker (Dialogue)

3. Mary has nice and neat handwriting + Dunn's wife's wedding ring was in an envelope with Sonia's name handwritten on it = Mary put the ring in the envelope (New Clue)

4. Mary put the ring in the envelope + Mary calls Dunn "Joey" = Mary and Dunn were seeing each other (New Clue)

5. Mary and Dunn were seeing each other + Dunn's wife's birthdate doesn't open the safe = Mary’s birth date might open the safe (New Clue)

6. Mary's birth date might open the safe + There are cards with staff information on Dunn's table = Mary's birth date, that might open the safe, on a card on Dunn's desk (New Clue)

 

Dunn’s Gym Following the Meeting with Smirnov

Important Notes: Look at the chest expander in Yale’s locker first and make the deduction that the chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale. While you can wait later to deduce the chest expander belongs to Yale after deducing that Dunn was strangled with a chest expander and still have the same number of deductions, I unlocked this achievement on Steam by doing “Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale” first rather than “Yale’s Locker is full of surprises + Dunn was strangled with a chest expander = Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander (New Clue)” later.

7. Yale's locker is full of surprises + Someone threw a chest expander in the trash = The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale (New Clue)
8. Someone threw a paint can in the trash + When Dunn died, his knuckles were swollen = Dunn must have punched a paint can (New Clue)
9. According to Jake, Dunn had a strong argument with Yale while he was painting on the scaffold + Dunn must have punched a paint can + There’s a paint stain on the gym floor = Dunn must have punched the can while arguing with Yale. (Observation)
10. There's something fishy about Dunn's suicide + Dunn's weight: 163 lbs - Height: 5'5" = Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose (New Clue)
11. Dunn had 4 different neck marks + The chest expander in the trash belongs to Yale + Dunn wasn't tall enough to hang himself from that noose = Dunn was strangled with Yale’s chest expander (New Clue)
12. Dunn wanted to call off the fight + Dunn was strangled with Yale's chest expander = Did Yale kill Dunn just because he wanted to call off the fight? (Observation)

 

Yale’s Apartment

13. Mary has a cold + There's a scarf at Yale's place + Mary went to Luna Park with Yale = Mary's been at Yale's place recently (New Clue)

Hospital: Cardiology Department

14. Yale's shoes smell like a dead man + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = Yale's soles don't match the footprints at the gym (New Clue)
15. The doe nurse will be gone later for trauma surgery + Doctor Talbot has surgery today at 12:30 = The doe nurse will assisting Doctor Talbot during his 12:30 surgery (New Clue)

Dunn’s Gym Following Hospital Visit

16. Doctor Palmer suggests that Yale rest after his heart attack + Yale's medical report is signed by one Doctor Ferguson + Yale had "extrasystole and dehydration caused by panic attack" = Who’s the guy passing as Yale’s doctor? (New Clue)

O’Leary’s Hideout

17. Moore Seduced Stone by O’Leary’s Demand + O’Leary has enough information to ruin Moore’s career = O’Leary is Threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s Career (New Clue)
18. O'Leary claims to love his family unconditionally + Weekly took very explicit photographs of the Rhino and his lover = O'Leary's wife is having an affair with Colbert (new Clue)

 

Farnham’s Hotel Room

 

Important Note: Players have reported that the deductions for O’Leary using Moore to rig the boxing match and Avenarius’ death must be made during the flashbacks in this level as once you get to Dunn’s Gym where you can make more deductions again, you will be unable to make them due to new clues pushing the necessary clues out of Blacksad’s mind palace. You also need to be careful while making the deduction for “O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale.” You MUST put the clue "O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s" first or second when making this clue in order to get the proper clue "O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale" because if you don't, you will get " O’Leary has rigged the fight between Yale and Stone " instead which cannot be used in deducing that O'Leary killed Avenarius. (Do Not Do: O’Leary always plays it safe + O’Leary bet $5000 on Yale + Judging by the bets, Stone is a clear favorite against Yale = O’Leary has rigged the fight between Yale and Stone (New Clue))

 

If you’re trying to do this while trying to get the sports cards in one go, do the deductions during multiple flashbacks. The timer does not move when you’re in the mind palace but you are not able to retreat back to the mind palace while there are prompts at the top of the HUD. Use that pause to move Blacksad about the room until the prompts go away and you’re able to go back to the mind palace.

 

19. O'Leary keeps romantic pictures of Helen Moore in a drawer + Helen Moore carries a cigarette case bearing a romantic inscription = Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love (New Clue)

20. Helen Moore says she hates O'Leary + Helen Moore and Desmond O'Leary are still in love = If she’s still in love, why does she claim she hates him? What is she hiding? (Observation)

21. O’Leary’s feet on the table, a sign of dominance + Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? = O’Leary sole don’t match the footprints at the gym (New Clue)

22. O’Leary is threatening Stone with Ruining Moore’s career + O’Leary always plays it safe + O’Leary bet $5000 on Yale + Judging by the bets, Stone is a clear favorite against Yale = O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale (New Clue)

23. Avenarius vanished after winning a fight, back when Yale was a kid + Yale is one of O’Leary’s “untouchables” according to his files + O’Leary has a guilty conscience for ratting someone out when he was 14, someone who ended up dead + O’Leary used Moore to manipulate Stone forcing him to take a dive against Yale = O’Leary caused the death of Yale’s father and now rigs his fights to quiet his guilty conscience (New Clue)

 

Dunn’s Apartment

 

24. A paper tissue that smells like sardines in the gym office + An empty can of sardines at Dunn's place, open recently = The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place (new clue)

 

Rooftop of Dunn’s Gym

 

25. At Dunn's place, there's a picture of a tree painted by his wife + Dunn hid the music box under the swing tire tree = Maybe Dunn used the same hiding place once more. (Observation)

 

Randal’s Hospital Room

 

26. A piece of jean fabric on the stairs that lead to the gym rooftop + The Anteater has a tear in his pants = Matching Fabrics (Observation, Note Entry)

27. The smelly gym burglar didn't find what he was looking for at Dunn's place + The Anteater's snout reeks of sardines = The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn’s place (New Clue)

28. Who do the footprints at the gym belong to? + The gym burglar signed a document with his foot + The Anteater wears relatively small shoes = Matching footprints (Observation, Note Entry)

29. Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of them was trigger happy + The anteater broke into the gym and Dunn's place = Long snout (Observation, Note Entry)

30. The biography of Harry Bradwick, father of baseball, at Dunn's apartment + Craig Spannow was an orphan who thought baseball was his only family + Before Dunn found him, Spannow was living with his father = Spannow lives in Green-wood (Observation, Note Entry)

 

Green-wood Cemetery

 

Important Note: You must get the Mitchell tried to pass himself off as Yale's doctor deduction before finding Spannow as talking to him will give you a replacement clue plus the deduction without Blacksad having made it.

 

31. During the war, Dunn and his pals were known as the “Olympic Five” + Who’s the guy passing for Yale’s Doctor? = Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor (New Clue)

32. O’Leary personally kills anyone who threatens his family or business + Someone ordered Randal Leigh to commit those murders = O’Leary has nothing to do with Dunn’s death (New Clue)

33. Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend in common with Dunn + Mitchell, one of the Olympic five, tried to pass off as Yale’s doctor = Mitchell, “The Surgeon”, could be the persona behind the entire case (New Clue)

 

Weekly’s Darkroom

 

34. Dunn's murderer had it all carefully planned out + Cassidy acts recklessly, by impulse = Cassidy is too impulsive to plan something as twisted as Dunn’s murder (New Clue)

Pier 36

35. The Horse Standing guard at the warehouse is armed + Two thugs tried to scare me into leaving the case, but one of the was trigger happy = The warehouse guard is trigger happy (New Clue)

Warehouse and Basement

36. The horse who works for Mitchell wears an arrowhead around his neck + There's an attic full of Indian objects in the port warehouse = The woman in the picture under the totem pole is Gill’s Mother (New Clue, Dialogue)

37. A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + There's pill bottles with athlete's names in the lab + Spannow enhanced his performance by using drugs = Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance (New Clue)

38. Mitchell sells athletes drugs to enhance their performance + Spannow's health took a toll after using the drugs = Grune’s Drugs have unwanted side effects on athletes (New Clue)

 

The Wrap up With Smirnov

 

Note: You can make the deduction for Gill killing Randal in the basement but I made it during the conversation with Smirnov during the playthrough that it unlocked for me.

 

39. Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts + The cops found Gil close to the basement door + Mitchell was trapped in the basement = Maybe Gill blocked the basement door to kill Mitchell (New Clue)

40. The warehouse guard is trigger happy + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Gill had to kill a friend in order for the mission to succeed + Gil works for Mitchell, even though he hates his guts = Perhaps Mitchell ordered Gill to kill Randal Leigh (New Clue)

41. A sniper killed Randal Leigh + Mitchell missed two shots point blank = Mitchell didn’t kill Randal Leigh personally (New Clue)

42. Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + There was a bottle with Spannow's name on it in the ventilation shaft + Spannow stopped a fan with his bad arm + Spannow died shortly after recovering his strength = Mitchell’s drugs killed Spannow (New Clue)

 

Thorpe’s Agency

 

43. A list of names that somehow relate to rare chemical compounds + Thorpe hires athletes for advertising campaigns = What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? (New clue)

44. What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? + All of Thorpe's appointments are in his agenda = Maybe there’s a meeting with Mitchell in the agenda (New Clue)

45. Mitchell's drugs help overcome physical limitations + Thorpe can't walk and uses a wheelchair + There's a bottle of pills in Thorpe's desk = What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? (New Clue)

46. What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + A sniper killed Randal Leigh + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper = Thorpe killed Randal (New Clue)

47. Spannow blames everything on the "Surgeon", an old friend common with Dunn + They called Thorpe the "Surgeon" for his excellent aim as a sniper + What if Tim Thorpe was involved in Mitchell's operation? = Thorpe is the mastermind behind the athlete doping operation (New Clue)

48. I have to lure Thorpe into a trap + Thorpe keeps a gun in his desk drawer + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? = This activates the end game sequence

 

Broken Deduction: If you call Smirnov at Thorpe's Agency, you will get the clue "Gill says someone knocked him unconscious and left him right by the basement entrance" which appears to be part of a deduction where Blacksad deduces that Thorpe put Gill there but this seems to be broken but is not necessary to unlock Smart Aleck. When I unlocked it on Steam, I did not call Smirnov.

Gill says someone knocked him unconscious and left him right by the basement entrance + What if the drugs help Thorpe walk? + The cops found gill close to the basement door + ??? = ???

 

One other thing. I did not start new game from the first stream attempt, I started back at the Smirnov meeting which is after I made the Mary relationship, racism and Jake deductions and was able to unlock the achievement with the only major change being deducing that the chest expander in the trash is Yale's before the other Dunn's death deductions. The biggest question now is whether this walkthrough will unlock Smart Aleck on the PS4 version. The version on Steam right now is listed at 1.04. I cannot test this for myself as the North American version is only at 1.03 and last I checked, I was unable to make the Avenarius deductions. Until we see a newer patch here in North America, I won't be able to test this myself and I won't be able to get the platinum until then.

This works incredibly well. Thank you very much again!
(Also I started a topic about The End(s) trophy, if you're still in the mood for help ^_^)

[Wyz94]

Seems like I was lucky in getting the trophy. I was thorough though but not enough. Nice job @Chapomon!

[Merco]

Just to add, I was playing on the digital EU version of Blacksad and used @Chapomon's 48-deduction list, which worked perfectly! I got the trophy after the final deduction, and this was from starting a fresh new game (deleting my old saves beforehand).

 

Some observations - for deductions 3-6, make sure that you look at the card index on Dunn's desk before you start to make these deductions, as if you go too far down the 'Mary was seeing Dunn' route the game will effectively skip one of these deductions and prevent you from getting the required deduction.

 

When you are in the hotel room flashback sequence, there's plenty of time to get all of the deductions done, and I managed to get 2-3 per flashback while also picking up trading cards.

 

I also didn't call Smirnov while in Thorpe's office (regarding the broken Gill deduction), just to be safe.

 

[Chapomon]

I made a video of all the deductions needed to unlock this trophy: 

 

On 2/28/2021 at 5:06 AM, Merco said:

Just to add, I was playing on the digital EU version of Blacksad and used @Chapomon's 48-deduction list, which worked perfectly! I got the trophy after the final deduction, and this was from starting a fresh new game (deleting my old saves beforehand).

 

Some observations - for deductions 3-6, make sure that you look at the card index on Dunn's desk before you start to make these deductions, as if you go too far down the 'Mary was seeing Dunn' route the game will effectively skip one of these deductions and prevent you from getting the required deduction.

 

When you are in the hotel room flashback sequence, there's plenty of time to get all of the deductions done, and I managed to get 2-3 per flashback while also picking up trading cards.

 

I also didn't call Smirnov while in Thorpe's office (regarding the broken Gill deduction), just to be safe.

 

I called Smirnov at the end. Even on the latest patch, the Gill deduction is still broken but having those clues in the mind palace doesn't seem to effect this trophy.