june's journey story line

June’s Journey: The Story So Far…

Re-capping the first month of adventure.

J une’s Journey has been live for players around the world for a little over 6 weeks now and we have been blown away by the enthusiasm for the game. Launch week saw the game receive a lot of featuring love on both the Apple App Store and Google Play and the feedback from the community so far has been overwhelmingly positive.

To celebrate the successful launch, we put together a few numbers that help in illustrating just how much fun the game’s community has been having. All in all, 2.5 million adventures have begun —a sizeable team out to avenge the death of June’s sister — which have managed to find 22 million clues and help to solve 1.8 million mysteries. Keep scrolling to see all the stats in their full, colourful glory!

Thanks to all the players who have started their adventure with June so far!

Written by Wooga

With employees from around the world, Wooga creates story-driven casual games with engaging stories at the core of the experience. Based in Berlin.

More from Wooga and Wooga

Monster World Launches On iPhone And iPad, Today!

Agent Alice is Wooga’s New Hidden Object Game Designed Especially For Smartphones

How to localize games for Japan and South Korea

Earlier this year we decided to invest into localizing june’s journey for japan and south korea. together with google play apps & games….

Bringing Wooga’s Gaymers Night Back to Life

At wooga, not only do we talk the talk when it comes to diversity and inclusion., recommended from medium.

Alexander Nguyen

Level Up Coding

The resume that got a software engineer a $300,000 job at Google.

1-page. well-formatted..

Sufyan Maan, M.Eng

ILLUMINATION

What Happens When You Start Reading Every Day

Think before you speak. read before you think. — fran lebowitz.

Staff Picks

Stories to Help You Level-Up at Work

Self-Improvement 101

Productivity 101

Artturi Jalli

I Built an App in 6 Hours that Makes $1,500/Mo

Copy my strategy.

JavaScript in Plain English

Microsoft is ditching React

Here’s why microsoft considers react a mistake for edge..

10 Seconds That Ended My 20 Year Marriage

It’s august in northern virginia, hot and humid. i still haven’t showered from my morning trail run. i’m wearing my stay-at-home mom….

Scott Stockdale

The Startup

How Pieter Levels Makes (At Least) $210K a Month From His Laptop — With Zero Employees

I went through 126.8k tweets & found 7 patterns to pieter’s success.

Text to speech

June’s Journey Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Solve All Mysteries

By: Author Rachel Robbins

Posted on Last updated: February 16, 2024

Everyone loves a good mystery. There’s undoubtedly a measure of excitement in trying to solve crimes, ghost sightings, or other events that need more than commonplace logic to be explained. Mysteries beget intrigue, and humans are inherently drawn toward strange happenings if only to satisfy our curiosity and break the monotony of the everyday.

It’s why cartoons like Scooby Doo or shows like CSI , Ghost Hunters , or even Ancient Aliens have become such hits, there’s always an element of mystery to them, a puzzle that needs to be solved, a story to be unraveled. Of course, one cannot discount the importance of the Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew books, which have given readers the chance to step into these mysterious stories long before they’ve become staples of the big screen.

It’s no surprise then that games like June’s Journey can deftly pull players into a world of intrigue, romance, and crime. Set in the roaring ’20s, June’s Journey is a hidden objects game wherein you’re presented with a scene and are tasked to find objects corresponding to a set of words. The mechanics of the game seem simple enough at the onset, but there’s more to it than meets the eye, just like the mystery surrounding the deaths of June’s sister Clare and Clare’s husband, Harry.

Before giving an overview of how the game is played, let’s first talk about the story in which the game revolves so we can have some context into June’s motivation, which, by extension, also serves as your motivation as the player: June’s Journey begins with June Parker receiving news that her sister Clare had been killed by her husband, Harry, just before Harry himself committed suicide.

With their teenage daughter Viriginia left in the estate, June takes it upon herself to travel to her late sister’s house, which also happens to be the scene of the crime. Here, June discovers that her hunch had been right: that there was something awfully suspicious about the circumstances surrounding her sister and brother-in-law’s deaths. Though without any experience as a detective, June has nevertheless made up her mind to find out what truly happened to Clare and Harry.

Determined to get to the bottom of things, June sets off to find more clues, and this is where you, as the player, will come in.

In following the story, you will be, as mentioned, provided with scenes containing a set of words that pertain to specific objects found in that particular scene. Some of these objects can be easily spotted while others are hidden, testing your observation skills. Your goal is to find all the objects until every word in the list has been crossed out.

In some cases, an object included in that list is a clue that drives the story forward. Every time you play a round of a specific scene, the list of words and objects you have to find will change.

For every object that you click correctly, you stand to gain multipliers that will give you bonus points. The faster you click on the right objects, the higher the multipliers and your score will be.

Scores are calculated based on your speed, accuracy, and whether or not you’ve availed of hints. Using hints will decrease your score.

Scenes are considered as levels and playing a single round will require you to spend energy. Completing a round will earn you points that can gain you stars. Each level has a maximum of 5 stars, which will earn you Mastery of that level. There are multiple levels in each chapter and you may only proceed to the next chapter if you’ve achieved all its requirements, which may consist of stars and flowers.

If stars can be earned by mastering a level, flowers can be earned by buying decor for Orchid Island, which is where Clare’s estate is. As June, you’ve become the unofficial caretaker of the estate. Every piece of decor costs a varying amount of coins, which can be earned by completing rounds. Placing certain types of decor will also yield a varying amount of flowers. Aside from being used to access new chapters, flowers are also needed to level up your overall account. Increasing your account level will grant you access to more decor, more levels, more chapters, and so on.

The estate itself, which is considered an individual building, can be leveled up. Completing rounds may get you construction materials, which are necessary for the upgrade. Only specific decor can be leveled up, which can yield flowers after the upgrade has been completed. Buildings also passively produce coins, which can be collected after a waiting period.

Additionally, you may eventually expand accessible spots in Orchid Island when you collect compasses, which are used in exchange for expanding your plot. Reaching certain chapters in the main story or getting enough stars will also grant you access to different places around Orchid Island, such as the lighthouse, the hangar, or the shipyard.

Of course, you can get all of these rewards and open up more locations when you play the main hidden objects game following Clare and Harry’s murder mystery. But while the mechanics of the game sound rather simple, just find an object and click on it, it’s a lot more challenging than you might think.

With our beginner’s guide for June’s Journey, we’ll teach you some tricks to find objects in the fastest way possible, as well as tips to get those high scores, not waste a drop of energy, and decorate Orchid Island into a vintage paradise that will be the envy of your neighbors, and solve the murder mystery along the way, of course.

Spend Your Energy Well

As we mentioned earlier, playing a round will always require energy. As a beginner, you have roughly a maximum of 110 energy points. Each round costs a minimum of 15 energy points. Depending on how well you do in a round, you can either gain a star or portion of a star.

This means that if a level has a maximum of 5 stars to achieve Mastery, you likely have to play it more than 5 times as completing a round does not automatically mean gaining 1 whole star. Sometimes, you might gain only 12% of a star or 30% of a star.

Again, it depends on how quickly and accurately you find all the objects included in the word set. If you do extremely well in a round, perhaps even get a “Perfect” rating, then you might be able to get, say, 50% of a star.

However, if you do poorly, you might get only 12% of a star, for example. If you consistently get low percentages, this basically means that you’re spending a lot of energy without getting much in return. Additionally, 1 energy point regenerates every 2 minutes so waiting times can feel quite lengthy.

This brings us to the two ways you may choose to approach the game so you can allocate energy points in the most productive way: you can either gain mastery of one level at a time or find all the clues first to complete a whole chapter.

What difference do these two approaches make? They both have their pros and cons and here’s what sets them apart:

Gaining Mastery of a Level First

Gaining Mastery of one level means earning all 5 stars for that level. Again, this will likely take more than 5 rounds as the game doesn’t seem to let you earn 1 whole star with every round, even if you do manage to get a “Perfect” rating.

This can seem a little tedious at first, but the advantage of gaining Mastery of a level is that you’re only focused on one scene and though there will be objects added to it every time you play a round, you’ve already become familiar with most of where the objects are hidden that you’re more likely to get Perfect ratings even if the difficulty increases. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, so playing a level over and over to earn all 5 stars is definitely good practice.

Eventually, you would become quite familiar with the scene and the locations of objects that you’ll complete rounds faster without using hints. This then maximizes the energy you spend. Additionally, after attaining Mastery of a level, you get to open a 5-Star Box, which often contains Rare, Marvelous, and Special items.

The downside to this approach, however, is that the story won’t progress as fast and you won’t be able to unlock other areas in Orchid Island until later.

Finding Clues First

On the other hand, you may opt to complete searching for clues first then moving on to the next level instead of earning Mastery for one level. The way the game works is that in every level, you get to find 2 clues, the first of which you’ll encounter upon starting the level and the second when you’ve reached a certain number of stars for that scene.

Once you’ve found all the clues, you may unlock the next level (provided you also have enough of the flowers required) and proceed to play that scene. The advantage to this is that you’ll be able to drive the story forward and unlock more levels, chapters, and other features of the game such as unlockable locations around Orchid Island.

The downside is that most of the time, accessing the final level of a chapter requires a certain number of stars, which you’ll have to earn from previous levels. This means you may have to gain a Mastery rating of certain levels anyway.

Between these two approaches, gaining Mastery of each level may be the more productive approach when it comes to maximizing your energy points. It might seem slow in terms of story progression, but you won’t have to worry about going back to previous levels and trying to reacquaint yourself with a specific scene all over again.

You only have to focus on one scene at a time, raising your chances of getting a high score and Perfect ratings since you’re already familiar with the objects that can be found in the scene. Additionally, stars (alongside compasses) are also required to expand the plot around your estate, which is surrounded by fog. Certain decor items may also be unlocked when you earn a number of stars.

That said, you can consider gaining Mastery as the slow but steady approach that will ultimately lead to more rewards in the long run. All you need to do is be patient about your progression.

Thoroughly Study the Scene

As mentioned, high scores for each round depend on how quickly and accurately you find the right objects in a scene. During your first few tries, this can seem a little difficult and may take some time getting used to.

Many objects are cleverly hidden wherein some are shrouded in shadows, placed behind a more prominent object, or look as though they’re part of what our vision perceives as the background. Thus, you need to thoroughly study the scene to become familiar with what objects it contains from the get-go. But how exactly do you do that? Here are a few tips we’d like you to consider: 

Pick the Image Apart

The first time you encounter a particular scene, you’ll be given an overall view of what it looks like. You’ll quite literally get to see the entire picture but not all the details, at least, not immediately. Upon encountering a scene, we strongly recommend zooming into it first before clicking on any object as listed in the word set.

This is because clicking an object automatically begins the round, and how fast you find objects will be taken into account when tallying up your final score. Thus, it’s better to pick the image apart first before beginning the round so you don’t waste time zooming the picture in and out when the invisible timer has begun.

When zooming into portions of the scene, try to be methodical about it. One thing you can do is try to imagine lines dividing the picture into several parts. Let’s take this scene for example:

As you can see from the image above, we’ve divided the scene into three. Let’s look at the rightmost portion first. The most obvious objects are the big ones or those closest to the foreground, so take note of those first:

Smaller objects which may be mistaken as part of the background or can be easily overlooked include:

• Easel on the balcony
• Water tower beside the trees
• Crown on top of the fountain

At the center portion, the most obvious objects may include:

• Hanging flowers
• Flower bush

Further breaking the image into smaller objects, we can see the following:

• Lights on the second floor
• Clock on top of the front door
• Heart shapes on the front door
• Horn at the side of the car
• Steps to the entrance
• Golden decor on the balcony

The left side of the image also has a lot of small things that may be included in the word set:

• Basket on top of the car
• A stack of books on top of a suitcase
• Flowers of different colors
• Foggy windows from the car
• Small balcony
• Exclamation point

You might think that the last item sounds strange, but there will be times when numbers, shapes, and even Zodiac symbols will be part of the word set. This is why it’s important to take note of every small detail that you come across since they might be included as an object you have to find.

Take your time when doing this and go back and forth zooming in and out of the scene until you have a good grasp of all the objects you can possibly recognize. Don’t start until you’re confident that you’ve managed to discern most, if not all, objects in the scene.   

Take Note of Additional Items

Apart from recognizing hidden objects, the other challenging aspect in this game is that every round you play may have other objects added to what you’ve already encountered. Take for example these two images below:

It can be rather subtle, but the scene on the right has more objects in it, any one of which may be included in that round’s word set. This brings us back to our first tip, wherein it’s a good idea to pick the image apart as thoroughly as you can.

Additionally, you need to treat each round as though you’re encountering a new scene since objects will occasionally be added or even removed from it. Reacquaint yourself with the scene each time you play it and take note of what’s been added or what’s been removed. This way, you don’t get caught off-guard when a new word suddenly springs up from the word set. 

Remember the Words and Their Locations

Now it can be extremely difficult to memorize each and every object in every scene. Fortunately, some words get repeated, allowing you to better remember the object corresponding to this word.

Aside from just knowing what the object looks like, also take note of its general location. Keep in mind that you have about 2 to 3 seconds before bonus multipliers disappear, which may be enough time to find a specific object when you know its general location.

As for encountering new words in the set, their location might not always be where you expect as some objects are placed in spots that don’t always make sense, like a letter M on a fireplace…

… or a figure eight on a sofa.

If you’ve zoomed in and out of the scene before beginning the round, these odd locations can work as markers that will help you remember an object’s general location better.

Don’t Just Click Objects at Random

You might think that it’s a clever move to just start clicking at random and hope to find the object indicated in the word set, especially if you’ve been staring at the scene for what feels like ages. Surely, you’re bound to get lucky and click on the correct object, right?

While that may be somewhat true, keep in mind that accuracy is also taken into account when tallying your overall score. This means that for every mistaken click, you lose points.

How many points are lost seem to be arbitrary, but suffice it that they do affect your final score, thus lowering your chances of getting a high percentage when it comes to earning stars. That said, it may be better to lose just speed points instead of losing both speed and accuracy points. After all, you’ve already spent some time trying to find the object that you might as well click on the right thing.

Use Hints Only When Necessary

Sometimes, there’s just that one object you can’t seem to find in the scene. You’ve zoomed in and out of the image, stared intently at the picture, but this particular object remains hidden from view. In this case, you may click the hint button, which is the light bulb on the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Upon clicking the hint button, it will illuminate the object you’re looking for, allowing you to spot it. Below is one case where we used the hint button because the chapel was extremely difficult to see and looked deceptively part of the background.

Of course, using hints will decrease your overall score. You may use hints multiple times but the button has a waiting period before it can be used again. That said, use hints only when absolutely necessary. If you really can’t find the object, then it may be time to use a hint, especially if it’s the last item on the word set.

Similarly, you may want to use the hint button if the last word on the list is one you’ve yet to encounter and you don’t want to lose the speed multiplier bonus. Click the hint button just before the multiplier bonus appears so you can still at least have a decent high score even if some points will be deducted.

Don’t Expect Items to Look the Way You Imagined

As we’ve mentioned earlier, June’s Journey is set in the 1920s, so characters, scenes, and other features of the game are all made to align with this era’s vintage aesthetic. This poses a new challenge as objects from the word list might not look like the way you imagined.

For instance, in Chapter 1, in the Old Garden Gate (Level 4), you might be asked to find a thermometer. Of course, our idea of a thermometer looks different from the way it used to in the 1920s. This is how it’s presented in the Old Garden Gate:

You’ll encounter a similar instance in Chapter 2, when you play the scene for Harry’s Yacht (Level 7). Here’s how the thermometer in this scene looks like:

Neither of these images look the same, and neither of them are likely familiar to people today, but both of these images will be listed as “thermometer” if they pop out on the word set.

On the other hand, you might encounter a word that may be totally unfamiliar to you. One example is, again, in Harry’s Yacht (Level 7), where the word “Amphora” might spring up. Amphora isn’t an everyday word so we had to use the hint button to find out where the corresponding object is. It turns out that an amphora is an ancient Greek or Roman jar with a narrow neck and two handles.

Other times, the word included in the list can also be pretty vague or just simply isn’t what you’d expect. For instance, the word airplane or plane is something you might encounter once or twice, but it can mean either an actual plane, a paper plane, or even a poster of a plane.

The word star can mean a literal star in the sky, a carving shaped into a star, or even a starfish. Grapes can mean the literal fruit or might even pertain to stone grapes that are part of a statue or decor.

You won’t really be able to tell unless you’ve actually found the object for a particular scene so it’s best not to associate a certain word with what you might think it looks like since this can keep you from finding the right object when your eyes are looking for a specific appearance based on word-image association. As much as you can, keep both your eyes and your mind open to all sorts of possibilities so you can find the right objects even if they can be tricky.

Don’t Panic!

Last but not least, panic is definitely your worst enemy! With the way the game operates, you’ll be put under time pressure not to break your streak and the pressure to click objects correctly every single instance just to get a high score and earn bigger portions of stars. You’ll soon discover, as we did, that the game can be a little stingy when it comes to earning stars.

In this case, panicking won’t help as it can sometimes lead to paralysis and you’ll lose the chance to find an object as opposed to when you approach a scene calmly and methodically. When you don’t know which object a specific word is referring to, leave that word for now and move on to the other two words flashed on the screen.

Find the objects that are most familiar to you or those whose locations or appearances you can remember best. Upon correctly finding an object, a new word will be flashed so you can turn your attention towards that first until such time you can focus on an object or objects you’re not familiar with.

Additionally, it’s easier to be calm and find the right objects when you’re in an environment that has minimal distractions. If you’re the type to concentrate better in a quiet place, play the game at a location without too much noise. You may even choose to mute the game altogether if you find the music distracting (although this is hardly the case as the music playing for each scene is rather soft and relaxing).

Also, try not to play when you’re sleepy, if your eyes feel tired, or while you’re in a spot without ample light to avoid straining your vision. Your environment may play a significant role in keeping you calm and focused so it’s best to play in a setting that fosters these.

All in all, your performance in each round will rely on your skillfulness as an observer. It can take some time getting used to but it’ll be easier once you get the hang of things. Keep our tips in mind and don’t panic!

Claiming Rewards

Though June’s Journey can be a little bit stingy when it comes to giving rewards, there are a few avenues in which you can get some extra coins, energy, and other items just by playing the main game. Here are a few of them:

Opening Boxes

Occasionally, you’ll be able to earn both 1-star and 5-star boxes during and after playing scenes. Naturally, 1-star boxes typically give out common materials and are earned at random. On the other hand, 5-star boxes are usually earned after gaining Mastery of a level. Upon acquiring boxes, they’ll simply be kept unopened in your inventory so make sure to open them up when you’ve finished a round or have run out of energy to play.

Both 1-star and 5-star boxes have a varying chance of giving the following items:

• Coins: Used to purchase decor for Orchid Island.
• Gems: Used similarly as coins, but may also be spent for speedups and other purchases like decor.
• Compass: Used in exchange for expanding plots in Orchid Island.
• Energy: What you spend playing scenes.
• Construction materials: Used to upgrade certain buildings and fixtures in Orchid Island.
• Character cards: Can be collected so you can discover more about the characters indicated in cards. When you complete character cards, you’ll be able to play a mini game where you’ll put a fragmented picture of the character together.

Once you’ve acquired a number of these rewards, you may be able to play more scenes with additional energy, buy more decor, expand plots in Orchid Island, or get additional story-related information.

Daily Deliveries

You can get random rewards from the Daily Deliveries every day you log into the game. Fortunately, the reward counter won’t reset if you forget to login and you’ll simply be able to claim the next delivery. Any of the items mentioned above can be earned through the Daily Deliveries. At the end of five days each week, you’ll be able to get a special prize and a fancy decor item by the end of 30 days.

Opening Mail

There are times when you’ll receive letters from other characters, even those you might not have met yet. Included in these letters are small rewards such as a handful of coins. That said, check your mail from time to time in case you have a letter alongside a tiny reward.

Decorate and Expand Orchid Island

Speaking of decoration and expansion, these are two important activities that you need to accomplish aside from playing scenes and finding clues. As we briefly mentioned in the beginning, decorating Orchid Island will let you earn flowers, which are needed to level up your overall account. Flowers are also required to unlock levels, particularly the last level of a chapter.

You can earn flowers by buying decor, which will often cost coins, though some can be acquired by spending gems. You will gradually unlock more decor when you keep playing scenes and earning stars.

Some decor can be expensive but yield more flowers, while cheaper decor will only give you a handful of flowers. Often, decor that earns a lot of flowers will ask you to accomplish a long waiting period, which can last between 2 to 12 hours or much more.

Taking waiting times into account, it may be best to accumulate as many coins as you can so you can afford more expensive decor items instead of buying a multitude of cheaper ones. Basically, you can play the hidden objects game over and over to earn coins and open boxes, then buy the more costly decor by the end of the day so they’ll be ready the next time you log back into the game.

On the other hand, you can still buy cheaper decor if you only need a very small amount of flowers to level up your account or unlock a particular scene. This way, you don’t have to wait too long for just a handful of flowers to progress.

Upgrading your estate, too, requires a certain waiting period, but this is something you can start anytime, provided you have all the required construction materials. Upgrading your estate or other buildings like the fountain will take several hours so the earlier you can begin this, the better.

When this is done, you’ll be able to collect extra coins from these spots. The higher the level of these buildings, the more coins you can get.

Barring aside how many flowers you can earn, you can always just have fun decorating Orchid Island and the area surrounding your estate. Of course, you will need ample space to place all the decor you’ve bought, so don’t forget to click on the foggy areas to know how many stars and compasses you need to unlock those spots.

Each expandable spot requires a different number of compasses and stars so you technically can’t choose which foggy area you want to access first because of these varying requirements, unless you skip the expansion for one spot and pick the one you desire when you’ve earned enough stars and compasses for it. Otherwise, keep playing the hidden objects game and claiming rewards so you can accumulate expansion requirements.

Similarly, progressing the main story by unlocking more chapters may also give you access to other spots in Orchid Island. For instance, you can start renovating the lighthouse when you reach Chapter 3. When you reach Chapter 7, you’ll be able to access the hangar to the west of the island.

Some other spots, on the other hand, will require the complete renovation of other areas to be accessed. For example, this cottage on the northeast side of the estate can only be accessed when the lighthouse has been completely renovated.

On the other hand, the airplane on the east side can only be unlocked when you’ve earned 60 stars.

Occasionally check what needs to be upgraded and renovated in Orchid Island so you can unlock more features and, consequently, more modes and rewards.

Complete Challenges and Tasks

As with any mobile game, tasks and challenges will spring up from time to time. These are avenues from which you can earn additional rewards apart from playing the main game. During our run, we were able to catch the event for the Elegant Gazebo, which is an exclusive decor piece you can gain by earning points from buying specific decor.

Basically, you simply need to buy the decor indicated in the list to earn the Elegant Gazebo. Each time you buy these specific decor, you gain points that will fill up a bar. Once the bar has been filled, you’ll be rewarded the Elegant Gazebo, which will give you an extra 100 flowers.

Similarly, we also caught the Help Wanted challenge, which is a set of tasks you can accomplish to earn rewards like energy or coins. Tasks can include just about anything, from finding a certain amount of hidden objects to playing a number of scenes, and so on.

Frequently check which tasks are needed to be fulfilled so you can gain additional rewards. Don’t forget to claim these rewards as well so the task will refresh into a new one. Upon claiming rewards for a completed task, you will have to wait a few hours to view the new task, unless you watch an ad.

Watch Ads for Perks

Ah yes, ads, they’re a staple in mobile games. Though they can sometimes break your immersion from the game, ads in June’s Journey are helpful in that they offer a handful of perks in exchange for 30 to 45 seconds of watch time. Here are just some of the things that you can gain whenever you watch ads:

• Reduced energy expenditure: Before playing any scene, you can click on the purple button at the lower right-hand side of the screen so you can watch ads. Doing this will lessen the cost of playing scenes from 15 energy to just 10 energy for a duration of 10 minutes. Once your 10 minutes are up, you may watch another ad so you can bring the energy cost back down to 10 once more.

• Building renovation: Let’s say you’ve unlocked the lighthouse, which is in need of renovation. The only way you can actually renovate this spot is by watching ads. Depending on how far you’ve progressed into the renovation phase, you’ll need to watch a minimum of 1 to 2 ads. Once the renovation phase is completed, you’ll have to wait around 20 hours to be able to continue renovating the area. This way, you don’t have to watch ads continuously and the game actually gives you sort of a break from playing.

• Refresh tasks instantly: This one specifically applies to when you’ve encountered the Help Wanted challenge or other similar challenges. As we mentioned in the previous section, you’ll have to wait a couple of hours before you can view new tasks. However, you can skip this waiting time once you watch an ad for each new task you want to view instantly. Between waiting a couple of hours and watching a short ad, the latter sounds like a reasonable compromise so you can continue completing tasks and not waste energy without gaining additional rewards.

This brings us to the conclusion of our beginner’s guide for June’s Journey! Hopefully, our bag of tips and tricks are able to help you find objects faster, complete scenes with higher scores, maximize your energy points, and earn more rewards! Who do you think is the real killer? What’s the object you had the most difficult time finding? Do you have other tips for your fellow detectives? Share your thoughts in our comment section below!

Monday 22nd of April 2024

What are the golden keys and silver skips for?

Wednesday 14th of February 2024

I lost everything, I was already on the 3rd island

lucille Traylor

Monday 5th of February 2024

How to get rid of Big Box being charged to amazon

How to rid hidden box

Saturday 13th of January 2024

i like june's journey except for the snakes that are in the puzzles so much

Uncover the truth behind a terrible crime in June's Journey

A fun time hidden in plain sight.

There was a time in my life when I was deep into Big Fish Games. Maybe you’re familiar with “BFG,” perhaps you’re not, but in the early 2000s it was a powerhouse of pumping out cheap, low-effort games largely aimed at children (or gamblers). One of their primary exports? Hidden object games. And I played a lot of them. So every now and then, I get a hankerin’ to go back and revisit that obsession, which is how I recently found myself playing June’s Journey.

Falling solidly into the casual games category, hidden object games are considered by many to be scraping the bottom of the mobile game barrel, but you know what? They’re fun . We all loved I Spy books, right? Well, these are just I Spy books in the palm of your hand, and in the case of June’s Journey, you get to solve a salacious mystery at the same time.  By my calculations, that’s a win-win.

As it turns out, a few things actually have changed in the hidden object scene since my heyday. At its core, June’s Journey features the simple gameplay you’d expect, wherein you sift through densely packed scenes of brick-a-brack to uncover the one or two objects you need to progress the story; usually a clue, or a key, or something like that. That function in and of itself has not changed, but it has been made a bit more interesting by introducing a bonus points system.

Sift through densely packed scenes of brick-a-brack to uncover clues and get to the bottom of a grisly crime.

In June’s Journey, you have three item prompts across the bottom of your screen for what you need to find in any given scene. As you tick off items, new prompts replace completed ones, and by finding objects in quick succession, you can rack up a points multiplier to increase your overall score. If you take even a second too long to find the next object, your point multiplier fizzles out and you have to start over. You can get a perfect score in a scene by managing to find and click every single object without breaking your bonus point stream. 

It’s straightforward, but the added pressure to complete scenes as fast as possible lends the game an entertaining edge. What really threw me for a loop though, is all of the extra stuff that the game packs into the margins.

June’s Journey follows our heroine, June Parker, as she investigates the grisly deaths of her sister and brother-in-law. In this 1920s family drama, the local police have already closed the case as a murder-suicide, but the couple’s surviving daughter is certain her father couldn’t have killed her mother before turning the gun on himself, so she begs her Aunt June to investigate further. The whole setup has a heavy Agatha Christie vibe and I'm here for it. 

The first beautifully designed chapter of scenes you investigate is set in and around the deceased’s sprawling manor. Scenes are meant to be replayed multiple times, as higher scores will uncover additional story clues that may have been missed on the first pass. The list of findable objects changes a bit each time, so getting a perfect score becomes more possible the more you play a scene and get familiar with the layout.

Be an expert in 5 minutes

Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android

However, you also get all of these extra things for completing scenes, like bricks, copper, paint, etc. You can then use these resources to purchase upgrades for the estate, which you can place and reposition as you like. It’s completely unnecessary to the story, but as I unlocked more upgrades, I started to have a lot of fun customizing my manor.

There’s also a ridiculous loot box system for resources/upgrades, which you definitely don’t need to engage with. June’s Journey is free with in-app purchases, and is perfect for kids and casual gamers. 

It’s not complicated like Call of Duty , it’s not the highest quality like Deemo II , it’s not the highest budget, and it’s not even close to the most fun you can have in mobile gaming. However, for what it is, June’s Journey is a good game that delivers exactly the experience you’re expecting. 

June's Journey

You don't need me to spell it out for you. It's a fun hidden object game that's perfect for killing a few minutes now and then. 

Download from: Google Play Store

A lifelong gamer, Mogan has had a controller in hand since the PlayStation 1 ruled the world and Neopets seemed eternal. She loves to play new and old games alike, especially if it's something weird and charming. Puzzlers, JRPGs, adventure, and rhythm games are her favorites. 

GDC 2024: Google's vision for AI 'living games' sounds awful, but inevitable

Epic Games Store set to arrive on Android 'later this year'

Shhh, don't tell Amazon — Prime Day 2024 is over, but these TOP 10+ Android deals have slipped through the cracks

Most Popular

• 2 Amazon boasts record Prime Day sales fueled by electronics and back-to-school shopping
• 3 We tried Google Vids, the new AI-powered video generator in Workspace Labs
• 4 Hurry — this insane Prime Day power station deal is running out of juice
• 5 Last chance to grab this affordable 5G phone at its lowest price

EpicGamingTips.com

Best Mobile Game Guides

Generic selectors Exact matches only Search in title Search in content Post Type Selectors

June’s Journey Tips and Tricks: Our Top Picks for Newbies and Pros Alike!

Hey there, fellow June’s Journey fans! If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent countless hours immersed in this captivating world of mystery and adventure. From the stunning visuals to the intricate storylines, there’s just something about this game that keeps pulling us back in.

Over time, we’ve picked up a bunch of handy strategies and insights, and we thought, “Why not share the love?” So, whether you’re a newbie just dipping your toes or a seasoned pro looking for some fresh perspectives, we’ve got your back. Let’s embark on this journey together and uncover the secrets to becoming a top-notch detective in the world of June’s Journey!

Table of Contents

Tip 1: The Art of Taking Your Time

We get it. Sometimes, the excitement of the game makes us want to speed through, racing against the clock to find all those hidden objects. But here’s a little secret we’ve learned: slowing down can actually be your best strategy. When we take a moment to really absorb the scene, we start to notice little details that might have been overlooked in a rush. The artwork in June’s Journey is not just there for show; it’s intricately designed with clues and hints.

Another thing we’ve noticed? The more relaxed we are, the better our intuition works. Instead of frantically searching and second-guessing ourselves, we trust our gut and often find that elusive item right away. Plus, let’s be honest, the game’s visuals are downright gorgeous. By taking our time, we get to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship that went into creating each scene. So next time you’re feeling the pressure, take a deep breath, enjoy the view, and trust that sometimes, slower is better.

Tip 2: The Smart Way to Use Hints

Ah, hints. They’re like that trusty friend who gives you a nudge in the right direction when you’re feeling a bit lost. But just like any good thing, it’s all about moderation. We’ve been in those nail-biting moments where one pesky item remains hidden, and the temptation to use a hint is sky-high. And hey, that’s what they’re there for! But here’s our strategy to get the most out of them.

First off, before tapping that hint button, give the scene a second or even third look. Sometimes, a fresh perspective or a slight shift in focus is all it takes. We like to scan the scene methodically, breaking it down into sections. This way, we often spot items that were hiding in plain sight.

But let’s say you’ve done all that and you’re still stumped. Go ahead and use that hint! However, remember they’re a limited resource. So, after using one, try to challenge yourself in the next few scenes without relying on them. This not only helps improve your observation skills but also ensures you have hints saved up for those super tricky levels down the road.

Lastly, don’t let the idea of “perfection” get to you. It’s okay to use hints. After all, they’re a part of the game for a reason. The key is to use them as a tool, not a crutch.

Tip 3: The Daily Dive-In Strategy

Now, we’re all for balance in life, but when it comes to June’s Journey, a little daily dedication goes a long way. We’ve found that making this game a part of our everyday routine has some pretty sweet perks. Let’s break it down.

First up, consistency is key. Just like any skill, the more you practice, the better you get. By playing daily, even if it’s just for a few minutes, you’re training your eyes and brain to pick up on patterns and details faster. Over time, you’ll find that scenes you once struggled with become a breeze.

Next, there’s the matter of those delightful daily rewards. Who doesn’t love a good bonus? By logging in every day, you’re treated to a steady stream of goodies that can help you progress in the game. From energy boosts to coins, these rewards are like a little “thank you” from the game for your dedication.

But beyond the practical benefits, there’s something to be said for the simple joy of immersing yourself in June’s world every day. It becomes a little escape, a moment of adventure amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whether it’s unraveling a new part of the story or simply enjoying the serene landscapes, there’s always something to look forward to.

So, if you’re looking to up your June’s Journey game, consider making it a daily ritual. Trust us, both your detective skills and your in-game inventory will thank you!

Tip 4: Island Makeover Magic

Alright, let’s chat about one of the most fun parts of June’s Journey: decorating your island! At first glance, it might seem like a side activity, something to do when you want a break from the main storyline. But, oh boy, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here’s why we’re totally obsessed with giving our island a personal touch.

For starters, every decoration you place isn’t just for show. They actually have a purpose! Each decoration you add earns you coins and flowers. And let’s be real, in the world of June’s Journey, having some extra in-game currency is always a win. It’s like getting rewarded for letting your inner interior designer shine.

But it’s not just about the practical benefits. Designing and decorating your island is a creative outlet. We’ve spent hours mixing and matching, rearranging, and dreaming up themes for different parts of our island. Whether you’re going for a tropical paradise, a serene zen garden, or a bustling town center, the possibilities are endless.

Another cool thing? As you progress in the game, you unlock even more decorations and buildings. This means your island is constantly evolving, reflecting your journey in the game. It’s like a visual diary of your achievements and adventures.

In short, don’t sleep on the island decorating feature. It’s a blend of strategy, creativity, and pure fun. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing your island flourish and grow as you make your way through the game.

Tip 5: Friends Make Everything Better

You know that saying, “It’s more fun when we’re together?” Well, it couldn’t be truer for June’s Journey. Connecting with friends in the game has been a game-changer for us, and here’s why.

First off, there’s the friendly competition. We can’t help but feel a little thrill when we see our scores stacking up against our pals. It’s all in good fun, of course, but it adds an extra layer of excitement to the game. Trying to outscore each other, even if just by a few points, keeps things fresh and challenging.

But it’s not just about the scores. By connecting with friends, you can send and receive energy. And let’s face it, running out of energy in the middle of a gaming session is a real bummer. Having a group of friends to exchange energy with means you can play longer and progress faster. It’s a win-win!

And then there’s the sense of community. Sharing tips, discussing strategies, or simply chatting about the latest plot twist in June’s story makes the game feel more immersive. It’s like being part of a detective club, where everyone’s on the same journey, discovering clues and unraveling mysteries together.

So, if you haven’t already, consider reaching out and connecting with other players. Whether it’s real-life friends who also play the game or new buddies you meet within the June’s Journey community, having a group to share the experience with makes it all the more enjoyable. After all, every detective could use a partner in crime (solving)!

Wrapping Up Our June’s Journey Adventure

There you have it, fellow detectives! Our personal deep dive into the world of June’s Journey. From mastering the art of observation to connecting with fellow players, there’s always something new to learn and explore in this game. And the best part? The journey never truly ends. As we continue to play, we discover new strategies, face fresh challenges, and get even more engrossed in June’s captivating story.

But remember, while we’ve shared our top tips , the beauty of June’s Journey is that everyone’s experience is unique. So, forge your own path, experiment with different strategies, and most importantly, have fun!

Looking to dive deeper into the community? Here are some helpful links to get you started:

• June’s Journey Reddit Community : A bustling hub of players discussing tips, sharing experiences, and helping out newcomers.
• June’s Journey Help & Tips – Facebook Group : A dedicated space for players to share their island pictures, ask questions, and embark on the journey together.
• June’s Journey – Complaints Allowed – Facebook Group : A place to voice your opinions, share feedback, and connect with fellow players.

So, gear up, dive in, and let’s continue this adventure together. Happy gaming, and see you on the island!

Similar Posts

Toy Blast Triumph: Tips and Tricks for Tackling Every Twist and Turn!

Unveiling Tips & Tricks for Mastering Empires & Puzzles!

Our Favorite Cashman Casino Tips and Tricks

Last Shelter: Survival Tips and Tricks: A Casual Guide

Top 5 Best Pokémon GO Tips and Tricks: Catch ‘Em All the Easy Way!

Best Project Makeover Tips and Tricks: Straight from the Gamers’ Couch!

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Game Controls
• Multi-Instance
• Multi-Instance Sync
• Smart Controls
• Native Gamepad Support
• Performance Modes
• Trim Memory
• Real-time Translation
• Shooting Mode
• High Definition Graphics
• UTC Converter
• Role Playing
• Gamepad & Controller
• App Reviews
• Redeem Codes
• Inside BlueStacks
• BlueStacks Roundups

BlueStacks Videos

• June’s Journey: Hidden Objects

June's Journey: Hidden Objects - Beginner’s Guide to Get a Kick Start

Posted by: BlueStacks Content Team

Editor’s Rating:

Apr 15, 2024

Welcome to June’s Journey , a game where you hunt for hidden objects, like finding Waldo in Where’s Waldo? But this game on PC is even trickier than the books because it has extra stuff that can confuse new players. But don’t worry! This guide will explain everything in an easy way.  June’s Journey is available on mobile platforms such as iOS and Google Play and PC using an Android emulator.

In June’s Journey, unlocking new puzzles isn’t just about finishing parts of the main story. There are other ways to unlock new stages and game modes. If you’re new to the game, keep reading this guide to avoid getting lost. Here are some simple tips to help you get started.

Embarking on a Journey of Mystery and Intrigue

June’s Journey invites players into a world shrouded in mystery and intrigue, where they embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind a tragic family incident. The game’s captivating narrative weaves a tale of suspense and drama, immersing players in a richly detailed storyline filled with unexpected twists and turns. From the moment players step into June’s shoes, they are thrust into a gripping adventure that keeps them hooked from the very beginning.

Mastering Hidden Object Puzzles

At the heart of June’s Journey are its challenging hidden object puzzles. Players must use their keen observational skills to locate specific items hidden within each scene. With a limited amount of time and a list of items to find, players must race against the clock to complete each puzzle. However, players can also use hints to aid them in their search, though excessive hint usage can lower their overall score. Mastering hidden object puzzles requires patience, persistence, and a sharp eye for detail.

Mastering the Gameplay Mechanics

As players navigate through the world of June’s Journey, they must master its intricate gameplay mechanics to progress effectively. Managing energy levels becomes crucial as players tackle hidden object puzzles and unravel the mysteries that lie within. Balancing resource management with puzzle-solving prowess is essential for overcoming obstacles and advancing further into the storyline. With each puzzle solved, players gain valuable insights and unlock new avenues of exploration, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.

Crafting Your Personal Paradise

Beyond the main storyline, June’s Journey offers players the opportunity to craft their own island paradise through the Island mini-game. Here, players can customize and upgrade their personal retreat, unlocking new features and rewards along the way. From building structures to decorating the landscape, players have the freedom to create a unique sanctuary that reflects their style and preferences. The island serves as a tranquil escape from the main storyline, allowing players to relax and unwind as they immerse themselves in the beauty of their surroundings.

Unveiling Hidden Truths Through Character Portraits

Throughout their journey, players collect character portraits that offer deeper insights into the game’s richly detailed world. These collectible items unlock additional backstory and character information, rewarding players with valuable resources and enhancing their understanding of the narrative. As players piece together the fragments of each character’s story, they gain a greater appreciation for the complexities of the game’s overarching plot, making each discovery feel all the more meaningful.

Tips and Strategies for Success

Players should keep a few key tips and strategies in mind to excel during the June tour. First and foremost, players should focus on completing story stages to uncover new clues and advance the story. Managing energy levels is also important, as healing energy can stop progress in the game. Additionally, players can prioritize collecting characters and earning stars to unlock new items and earn greater rewards. Ultimately, hidden object puzzles require practice and patience to master, so players should take their time and carefully examine each scene for clues. Here are some of the best tips and tricks  that will help you become better at June’s Journey. 

Maximizing Points and Rewards

The key to winning the June trip is scoring points, as player positions are determined on the leaderboard. Players can maximize their points by completing puzzles quickly and accurately, avoiding mistakes, and using hints sparingly. Additionally, earning stars from hidden object scenes unlocks new rooms, furnishings, and bold items for The Island. By managing their resources and successfully completing tasks, players can unlock new items and progress further in the game.

With each hidden object discovered and each puzzle solved, you draw closer to the heart of the narrative, uncovering secrets that will leave you spellbound. Whether you’re exploring the lush landscapes of the island or delving into the depths of the main storyline, may your adventure be filled with excitement and discovery. Embrace the challenge, cherish the journey, and remember, Play June’s Journey on PC  with BlueStacks for an enhanced experience on a larger screen with keyboard and mouse controls! Uncover mysteries and dive into the adventure like never before.

You Might Like These

Oct 18, 2021

June’s Journey: Hidden Objects Tips and Tricks to Optimize your Progression

How to Play June’s Journey: Hidden Objects on PC with BlueStacks

Sep 15, 2022

Solve Puzzles Easily in June’s Journey: Hidden Objects Using BlueStacks Tools

Jun 30, 2023

The Lord of the Rings: War - Latest Military Guide | Game Guide

Jul 07, 2023

All the best weapons in MIGHTY DOOM | Gaming Tips by BlueStacks

UNDAWN: Survival Shooter Game Featuring Will Smith | Experience on BlueStacks

• Tips and Tricks
• Beginner's Guide
• Beginner Tips
• BlueStacks X

Play June’s Journey: Hidden Objects on PC

June’s Journey: Hidden Objects - FAQs

Play June’s Journey: Hidden Objects on your PC or Mac by following these simple steps.

• Click on 'Play June’s Journey: Hidden Objects on PC’ to download BlueStacks
• Install it and log-in to Google Play Store
• Launch and play the game.

BlueStacks respects your privacy and is always safe and secure to use. It does not carry any malware, spyware, or any sort of additional software that could harm your PC.

It is engineered to optimize speed and performance for a seamless gaming experience.

Minimum requirement to run June’s Journey: Hidden Objects on your PC

• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 and above
• Processor: Intel or AMD Processor
• RAM: Your PC must have at least 2GB of RAM. (Note that having 2GB or more disk space is not a substitute for RAM)
• HDD: 5GB Free Disk Space.
• You must be an Administrator on your PC.

May 18, 2024

5 Android Games Similar to NBA 2K24

May 21, 2024

15 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right Now

May 17, 2024

FMovies Best Alternatives: Your Guide to Stream High Quality Movies and TV Shows

20 Most Anticipated Movies in 2024

15 Best Shows on Netflix

Where To Watch Movies For Free

Games. Guides. Trends. And more. Delivered to your inbox weekly.

Check out your inbox to confirm your invite., get access to the most comprehensive gaming content in our weekly newsletter., play your favorite android games on pc..

BlueStacks is a PC platform.

Since you are on your phone, we are going to send you to the Google Play page.

In some cases BlueStacks uses affiliate links when linking to Google Play

Sorry, BlueStacks is available only for PC or Mac

BlueStacks 4 is not available on Windows XP. You must have Windows 7 or higher. Windows 10 is recommended.

Making history and smashing milestones with June's Journey

• Wooga’s flagship title reached the $1 billion mark just after its sixth anniversary making it the first German game to reach such heights
• Wooga's vice president of games Martin Müller tells us about how the game achieved success and touches on the games inclusive demographic

A subsidiary of Playtika, Wooga, announced in November that its flagship title, June’s Journey, had achieved $1 billion in revenue . In addition, this also meant it was the first German mobile game to reach such heights in the past six years. June’s Journey stands as the highest-grossing hidden object game on both the App Store and Google Play, with a large number of female players accounting for its player base.

We spoke with Wooga ’s vice president of games, Martin Müller, who shared his insight into why June’s Journey has been able to achieve such highs and how an inclusive and diverse audience has not only played a part in that success but also how it plays a significant role in Wooga’s workplace culture.

PocketGamer.biz: June's Journey recently reached the massive milestone of the $1 billion mark. How do you feel about this accomplishment and what do you believe made it possible?

Martin Müller: I’m incredibly proud of the Wooga team for this outstanding achievement. The key factor contributing to our success lies in our continuous commitment to listening to our players. By understanding their gameplay habits and motivations, we have enhanced and expanded the game over the past six years, leading to this impressive milestone.

“Since the beginning of Wooga, our goal has been to develop games that are inclusive and engaging for a diverse audience.”

A huge percentage of June’s Journey players are women over 55, an audience that is overlooked in many other games but has been a critical factor for success here. How did you engage so deeply with these players and nurture a loyal fanbase?

Since the beginning of Wooga, our goal has been to develop games that are inclusive and engaging for a diverse audience. As a natural outcome, our games have garnered a large female player base. One way we’ve strengthened this relationship with our longtime players is through special annual events celebrating the anniversary of June’s Journey. These events involve inviting players to take part in contests, creating opportunities for face-to-face interactions.

This deliberate initiative has played a crucial role in fostering a community and establishing lasting connections with our players. However, engaging our community of players goes far beyond yearly anniversary celebrations. Throughout the year, the game provides many ways for our players to form tight-knit gaming communities by engaging with our club features or via in-game events.

How could other developers do more to make their games more inclusive? Any advice you could offer?

For us, embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion is of utmost importance. It goes beyond our hiring practices and workplace culture all the way to our stories and in-game characters. Creating a rich and inclusive narrative starts by forming a diverse team responsible for writing the stories and developing characters.

We also place a high priority on thorough testing with players, actively seeking their input through processes like UX testing. Embracing diversity will always remain a fundamental aspect of our approach. The key for me is to not have an agenda or try to place specific messages into the story. The world is a rich and diverse place and our stories reflect that. We neither exaggerate nor shy away.

June’s Journey is also the fastest German mobile game ever to reach these heights and is now the highest-grossing hidden object game worldwide! What do you think sets the game apart from others?

The game offers an immersive experience by captivating players with an engaging story set in the vast world of June. Over the years, we have consistently introduced new features and extensions to cater to a wide range of player interests. For example, story enthusiasts can delve into additional side stories, social players can collaborate with their club members to solve cases, and those seeking competition and challenge can participate in competitive events.

How do you reflect on the game’s journey so far and what comes next?

“We face challenges in acquiring new users due to rule changes across various platforms, such as IDFA two years ago and subsequent adjustments by Google.”

Looking ahead, we are dedicated to continuously serving our players and community for the long haul. We have numerous ideas to improve and broaden the June's Journey experience. With players actively involved for over five years in our in-game community, our ongoing goal is to consistently bring joy and inspiration to these dedicated participants.

What do you think are some of the biggest market challenges right now and how can we combat them?

As a market leader in our genre, it is our responsibility to generate innovative ideas that improve the experience, making sure our game remains enjoyable, engaging, and immersive in the ever-changing world of gaming. To achieve this, we prioritise a continual and thorough understanding of our user base.

In addition, we face challenges in acquiring new users due to rule changes across various platforms, such as IDFA two years ago and subsequent adjustments by Google. These changes have impacted user acquisition strategies across the gaming industry. To address this, we are placing a strong emphasis on building a robust community and encouraging word-of-mouth promotion. Our goal is to cultivate advocates within our player base, ensuring ongoing engagement and long-term gameplay.

What about the mobile market in general excites you most right now?

The most exciting aspect is the heartfelt appreciation we receive from players. The ability to hear firsthand how our work positively impacts their lives is one of the reasons why working in this industry is truly fantastic. Games are no longer played exclusively by hardcore gamers on stationary game devices. We can entertain anyone now, anywhere at any time.

Finally is there anything else you can tell us about what Wooga is working on or what we should be on the lookout for?

I assure you that our team is tirelessly working on innovative projects that we believe will bring a lot of excitement and entertainment to our players.

• #Hidden object
• #Game Development
• #Demographic

June's Journey

Relax with a story of romance, intrigue, and mystery in this glamorous hidden object game straight from the roaring 20s!

Discover a World of Offers

The June's Journey Online Shop is open! It's the best place to get a deal on diamonds, coins and more. Purchases made here will be directly deposited into your game, with great savings to make the most of your game! As a bonus, once you make your first purchase from the online shop you'll get the Furry Farmers decoration absolutely free! And there are a ton of other amazing deals to be found. And be sure to bookmark this page in your browser to visit again later!

Curl Up With a Good Mystery

Step into the role of amateur detective June Parker and set out on a journey through the glamorous roaring 20s. Escape to a bygone age of mystery, danger, and romance as you search for hidden object clues, from the parlors of New York to the sidewalks of Paris.

Behind the Scenes

Stay in the Loop

June's Journey is constantly evolving. Become part of a vibrant community and follow June on:

Game Troubles?

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/JunesJourney

June's Journey

June's Journey is a Mobile Phone Game released in 2017 by Wooga , a Hidden Object Game set in The Roaring '20s in which players follow the story of June Parker, a charismatic American detective who returns to her home on Orchid Island after the murder of her sister and brother-in-law. Together with her heartbroken niece Virginia, June rejects the murder-suicide hypothesis proposed by Sam Watts, the detective investigating the case, and begins to work towards uncovering the shocking truth behind the murders.

The game contains examples of:

• '20s Bob Haircut : Sported by June, among many other characters.
• Abusive Parents : Mr. McEwan has his daughter Skye locked up in a sanatorium because of her relationship with Virginia. He comes around when he finds out said facility is much more of a prison than a hospital.
• The Ace : June is an adventurous, well-traveled, very skilled woman who can pick a lock, dress a wound, charm a stranger and neutralize a bad guy with equal efficiency. Jack is a fantastic daredevil pilot and a writer.
• Ace Pilot : Jack, and Tommy Fogarty is following in his footsteps.
• Action Mom : Irene's thefts continued throughout most of June's childhood, and even now that she's put her criminal career to rest, she collaborates with Interpol to catch her former partner-in-crime.
• Action Girl : June once she grows into her job as a detective, and more so after ICARUS takes her on as an agent.
• Addled Addict : Jack's father Avery Hayes drinks himself to death.
• Affably Evil : The Yakuza patriarch in Oshima has excellent manners and a strict code of honor, but he also locks people away in a sauna to let them die of a heat stroke.
• Affectionate Nickname : Jack tends to call June "Juney".
• The Alcoholic : Jack used to be this, but he has gotten better the more time he has put between himself and the war.
• Alcoholic Parent : Jack's father Avery; it has long been a strain on their relationship.
• All Gays Love Theater : A variation; Jewel is a trans woman, not gay, but becoming part of a vaudeville show is what first gave her the opportunity to live out her true self.
• Subverted with Kimiko Hamada; her boyfriend Yugo has been freshly recruited by Yakuza, but he turns out to be the sweetest guy who just wants to elope with his girlfriend and have a happy life with her.
• Also Virginia's teacher, H elena H illingdon.
• Aurelia's mother was named D alphine D umas.
• All Love Is Unrequited : Poor Luca Russo gets turned down by Virginia when he professes his love to her.
• Alone with the Psycho : Franny when she goes to confront Elliot; he snaps and threatens to kill her if she doesn't give him the child he fathered on her.
• Aloof Dark-Haired Girl : Clare had a habit of putting on a cool façade and not letting much on about her feelings.
• Amateur Sleuth : Both June and her niece Virginia have a nose for detective work. Later in the game, June earns a professional reputation as a detective, and several people write to her asking for help.
• Amazon Chaser : Gunnar is smitten with Rosa, an intimidating and bossy woman who's also very obviously exasperated with him .
• Ambiguously Bi : When Julián Reyes, who had a serious crush on June the first time around, shows up again, he remarks on the attractiveness of a male waiter who later turns out to be the spy Nathaniel.
• Ambiguously Gay : Antiques dealer Genevieve was very close to Amelia's mother Dalphine; Amelia thinks there was "more than friendship" between them.
• Ambition Is Evil : Arabella stomps towns into dust and walks over dead bodies to get to the social and financial top.
• June and Nicky make peace with their past after their adventure in Nigeria, and become friends.
• Anger Born of Worry : June gets angry with Virginia when she finds out her niece has been skipping school and climbing about abandoned theme parks. It's obvious that Virginia has a hard time coping with the loss of her parents and the recent kidnapping via her biological father, and June doesn't know how to get through to her.
• Annoying Younger Sibling : Teenage Clare thought this way of her energetic little sister June.
• Anti-Frustration Features : After many people complained that they were stuck because they didn't have enough space on their island to place more buildings (and therefore couldn't earn the flowers necessary to unlock the next scene), the creators introduced an airport to the island, through which the players could trade raw materials for flowers, gold and even items. This made unlocking scenes much easier.
• Anti-Hero : Charlie fights for actors and stuntpeople to have a union, and wants freedom for his brother who was unjustly sent to jail. He also has a nasty temper, is known for having beaten a man to the brink of the hospital, and locks his girlfriend into a room so she won't interfere with his attempt to kill his cousin.
• Arch-Enemy : Arabella Peel has decided that June is hers .
• Aristocrats Are Evil : Count Petrescu had an entire village massacred via his military to enforce an ambitious dam construction. The Marquise, the only survivor of Listrita, has not forgiven him that.
• Jack isn't sure if his parents were ever in love; Tippy was picked for Avery by his mother because she was from a good family. They got along well enough, but Avery also cheated on her.
• Art Deco : Since the first two volumes of the game take place in The Roaring '20s and seamlessly flow into the 1930s, Art Deco is present throughout the game.
• Artificial Limbs : Pierre, a war veteran, has a prosthetic arm.
• June and Polly use Minnie's listening device to illegally record a conversation between Duke Duchamp and his lawyer Larry. They show the tape to a judge, and the evidence is accepted as valid, even though Duke rightfully points out that it shouldn't be admissible because it was not obtained legally.
• Ascended Extra : Polly Johnson was a deputy June met during a case before she became, quite a while later, June's partner in her own detective office.
• No one would really cry for Elliot Bernard, a murderer who framed his girlfriend for the deed and sexually extorted his housemaid.
• Count Petrescu, the Romanian aristocrat the Marquise shot, was responsible for massacring the Marquise's family and entire village to push through a dam construction project.
• Attention Whore : Phony Psychic Marjorie O'Flaherty can't stop making herself the center of attention with her dramatic "premonitions". Jack and Tommy have faith in her, but June gets increasingly annoyed with Marjorie's obvious sleights of hand, needling comments, and even causing a bar fight on which she later comments how flattering it is that "men start fighting wherever she goes".
• Awful Wedded Life : George and Irene Parker started out Happily Married , but over the years made each other miserable, Irene by holding onto her criminal activities, George by having an affair.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other : June has a fraught relationship with her mother, but as soon as she hears Irene is in trouble, she travels across half the world to help her.
• Ax-Crazy : Annette Harris, who wants June and every member of her family dead.
• Babies Ever After : Amelia has a baby daughter with her new husband Edouard, whom she names after her mother Dalphine.
• Also Virginia, who at age 16 kidnaps her biological father at gunpoint and presses information out of a contract killer.
• Badass Bookworm : Something Virginia and Jack have in common is their deep love for reading, and their adventurous side that leads them to help solve numerous crime mysteries.
• Bad Boss : Madame Boucher and Elmas verbally abuse their employees, but they have nothing on Elliot who impregnated his unwilling maid , and then threatened to kill her when she took off with her boyfriend.
• Balkan Bastard : Živko Markovic, an arms dealer who wants to kick off World War II six years early because there's a lot of profit in it. Worth noting that he is the hammiest villain so far, complete with a Supervillain Lair built inside a vulcan .
• Beware the Nice Ones : When Irene gets cold feet before her wedding, Mrs. Talbot tells June in no uncertain terms to bring her back immediately, because she has worked very hard to organize the wedding and her efforts will not be in vain. Whether Irene wants to or not, she will get married.
• The Beard : Discussed; when June found out that her husband Nicky was gay, she thought this trope was the only reason he married her in the first place. That's not how it went, but at that time June was too upset to listen to his Coming-Out Story .
• Behind Every Great Man : The reason why alcoholic, abrasive, and impulsive Avery Hayes ever made it to senator is his ruthlessly ambitious, very image-conscious, and calculating mother Vivian.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension : Elmas and her co-star Youssef are at each other's throats from day one, and end up Happily Married .
• Jack keeps switching roles depending on June's current boyfriend: Compared to hot-headed stuntman Charlie, he's the sweet and reliable Betty; compared to quiet and ready-to-settle David, he's the adventurous and charismatic Veronica.
• Beware the Quiet Ones : Hermann Wendel appears as an unassuming man who never says a word too much, but he can look back on a very successful career at Interpol, including some high-end arrests such as worldwide-wanted jewelry thief Irene Parker.
• Big Bad : Arabella Peel is the main villain of the third volume. She bid her time for more than half a decade to exact her revenge on June.
• Big Fancy House : The Parkers own several on Orchid Island: the main house, the mountain chateau and, as of 2020, the summer home.
• Bittersweet Ending : To Amelia's quest to find her mother. After many trials and tribulations, they find Dalphine's address, a church. Amelia is thrilled to finally meet her mother; she has a million questions...only to find out that her mother died ten years ago, and the nuns were the ones who kept paying for flowers to be laid at the monument celebrating Amelia's father. Amelia is heartbroken, but finds comfort in knowing what happened to her mother, and that her mother loved her and did not want to abandon her.
• Black-and-Grey Morality : June steals, lies, breaks and enters, and manipulates evidence on a semi-regular basis; however, since she's after literal murderers and criminals on a grand scale, she ends up looking heroic by comparison.
• Black and Nerdy : Emma Jones was a chemistry genius who developed a highly efficient new fuel; her career got cut short when she was murdered. Minnie Jackson fell in love with electronics and engineering even as a child, and made her PhD at university aged 20.
• Black Sheep : Jack deliberately distanced himself from his family when choosing a career as a show aviator and the odd job as a clown or helping out in the countryside, turning his back on the high-pressure environment of a family of wealthy socialites and politicians.
• Boxed Crook : Interpol offers Irene a chance to work for her probation, so she gives Hermann Wendel information to help him catch the Marquise. Interpol doesn't want to keep their end of the bargain and instead lock Irene away as soon as she's not of immediate use anymore, but Hermann is quite fine with turning a blind eye as she takes flight.
• Boyish Short Hair : Elodie, the first girl Virginia had a crush on, was a tomboy with a short haircut that got her mistaken for Virginia's "boyfriend".
• Bratty Teenage Daughter : Kimiko Hamada, although she's more of a brat to her older sister than to her Extreme Doormat father.
• Break the Cutie : After the investigation of her parents' deaths is rolled up, it becomes apparent that being orphaned and then abducted by a man she had to find out was her biological father has left quite a toll on Virginia.
• With the introduction of Memoirs , the players can spend diamonds to buy packs of snippets, and have a better chance at finishing the complete event and obtaining all the prizes.
• Polly Johnson, who helped out June in a case in the third volume, later returns to join June's very own detective agency.
• Butch Lesbian : Elodie dresses in shirt and pants and wears her hair short, something that’s still rather remarkable in the early 1930s, and she unabashedly flirts with Virginia. Similar for Miss Lam, except she is a few years older and thus flirting with June and Irene, the latter of which doesn't seem to mind .
• Neither is Callum when his father has his younger sister Skye locked away in a sanatorium because she's dating Virginia.
• Elmas lets her mother Gizem have it when the latter unapologetically tries to destroy her career because she's not on board with Elmas supposedly ruining her chances of a respectable marriage.
• Cannot Spit It Out : June can't bring herself to talk to Jack about her feelings for him on multiple occasions, one of which was even his Love Confession to her .
• Character Development : Virginia grows from a depressed teenager into a confident, courageous young woman with political ambitions.
• The Chess Master : Arabella Peel orchestrated most of the misfortunes June had to go through in volume three.
• Chick Magnet : Jack draws his fair share of attention, namely from Marjorie, Marie Hamada, and June herself. It's implied he used to take a lot more advantage of it when he was younger.
• Classy Cat-Burglar : Irene Parker is an internationally wanted, sophisticated jewel thief.
• June endeavors in the third volume to clear Irene's name after the latter gets unfairly accused of stealing the Jade Monkey.
• In the same volume, June must clear her own name after being framed by Arabella Peel for a murder she did not commit.
• Closet Key : Joseph was this for Nicky.
• Cool Big Bro : Skye's older brother Callum accepts her sexual orientation and her cries for social changes without question, and fights tooth and nail to get her out of the sanatorium their father has put her in.
• Cool Car : Elliot Bernard lends one of his sports cars to June so she and Mrs. Talbot can quickly reach Bobby in Mexico. It is also a very flashy car that Elliot can easily track to hunt down Bobby and Franny.
• Also Chief Hakoto-Totsiet, who helps June investigate the murder of his friend Aaron Lamb and fights for his tribe getting to keep their land.
• Cool Old Lady : Mixed with Silver Fox in the case of Irene Parker, a beautiful woman of many talents.
• The apple does not fall far from the tree in the Parker family. June's mother Irene also suffers from commitment issues and, just like her daughter, needs an amount of freedom that was highly unconventional for women at that time.
• Crusading Widow : Madame Palomer appears as this when Bonfils, who is responsible for the death of her lover, turns up dead. It wasn't her, though the actual murderer had a similar motive .
• Cure Your Gays : Attempted on Skye (and apparently other patients of the same Bedlam House ), but luckily, it never gets very far.
• Daddy's Girl : Several. Virginia was taught sailing by her father and gifted her own horse at a young age, both of the Hamada sisters were spoiled with worldly goods by their father (although Kimiko took more advantage of it than Marie), and of course there is Elmas Alabora whose father Behlil adores her and supports her career even against the wishes of his wife.
• June eventually runs out of luck and needs rescue after she had to jump into the harbor to get away from a man trying to shoot her. Another boat owner, Miss Lam, finds her and takes her in.
• Esperanza appears as this, but it turns out Anselmo didn't kidnap her so much as take care of her injuries after a landslide.
• Marie when Tom Burton holds her hostage.
• Skye in the sanatorium; she gets drugged and is therefore unable to help herself.
• Damsel out of Distress : Both June and Virginia show a tendency to have already helped themselves out of a tight spot when their rescuers arrive.
• Dark and Troubled Past : Most of the young women in the Peerage, the Marquise's syndicate, have turned to the offered community and crime to get away from worse life circumstances such as poverty and loss of their families. Same applies to the Marquise herself who was orphaned and, back when she was still Mirela, forced to work as a thief for the former Marquess, and to Irene whom she met and befriended at a workhouse.
• Dating Catwoman : Hermann Wendel started out as Irene's Interpol liaison, having been the one who tracked her down and convicted her, but over the course of their cooperation to catch the Marquise, they apparently get closer and, at the end of the first volume, married.
• Deadpan Snarker : June, especially when confronted with the antics of Jack. Virginia turns into one whenever her school is mentioned. And if flashbacks to Clare are any indication, she picked it up from her mother.
• Dead Person Impersonation : When Jack wakes up from his coma, he is disturbed to hear Gary Burton, who served in the war with him, spoke to June and Marie, as he very distinctly remembers the day Gary died before his eyes. It turns out to be Tom Burton, who wants vengeance for his dead brother.
• The reason why Saeed deserts ICARUS.
• Defrosting Ice Queen : Clare during June's visit to Orchid Island in the second volume; after a rather frosty start, she opens up to her about her regrets and difficulties with her life choices, and accepts both the insight from a different perspective and the advice June gives her.
• Kimiko and her boyfriend came up with staging Kimiko's kidnapping to get their hands on some money and be able to elope...apparently without taking into regard that yes, Kimiko's family would in fact be frantically looking for her, and Yugo's boss at the Yakuza would not be amused to be connected to a kidnapping and ransom demand he had nothing to do with.
• Distressed Dude : Yugo needs to be rescued from Yakuza, Jack from the mine where Arabella locked him in.
• In Chicago, it turns out that Ralph Bristol is a greedy version of this trope.
• On a bigger scale, there's Interpol agent Aguste Chartier, blackmailing criminals to do his bidding.
• Dirty Coward : Silvio Santini works with the Marquise, tries to cheat her out of a share of their loot, and promptly turns into a whimpering mess when she comes back for him.
• Disappeared Dad : Avery Jackson never met Hazel, his illegitimate child with Evelyn Lang, or took care of her in any way. He regrets this on his death bed, and makes Hazel the primary heir of his fortune.
• Doesn't Like Guns : June; this particular aversion is a leftover from the war. Her spy partner Nathaniel, who is too young to have served, finds her adamant refusal to use lethal weapons bemusing.
• The Dog Bites Back : Franny has finally had enough of Elliot harassing her, and confronts him with a gun to make him leave her, Bobby, and her unborn child alone. It's strongly implied that Elliot fathered said child by force.
• The Dragon : Mr. Rudd is this for Arabella.
• Dr. Jerk : Dr. Chevallier seduces pretty young nurses in his hospital's employ and then drops them as soon as he's gotten what he wanted, leaving poor Valerie with no income and a baby out of wedlock.
• Dude Magnet : June has men standing in line for her. Her marriage with Nicky didn't work out, but there is her relationship with Pierre, Dr. Chevallier's unsubtle flirting, Julián wishing to carry her off to a romantic vacation in the Carribean, the short-lived fling with Charlie Miller, her nearly making it to engagement with cop David West, and throughout all of that Jack's persistent feelings for her.
• Dude, Where's My Respect? : June finds working for Lord Belcham near intolerable because of his condescending attitude.
• June and her mother build a floating shrine in memory of Kam Chuen, who was shot by Theo.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas : By the beginning of the fourth volume, Mr. Rudd really just wants to go home to his mother and not sit in prison for crimes he committed on Arabella's bidding.
• Subverted with Annette who claims she's doing all for her son, but openly prioritizes her revenge when Maxwell is wrongly convicted of the crimes she committed.
• Even Evil Has Standards : The Marquise insists that it wasn't her who set a hitman on Irene. All evidence points to Irene being the only person the Marquise ever loved , so she is most likely telling the truth.
• Everybody Smokes : Pretty omnipresent; even June and Clare have a smoke every now and then. Joseph skeptically notes that Nicky "has this crazy idea that smoking can cause cancer".
• Everyone Can See It : June finds a photograph of Clare and Sam in one of Harry's old albums, and muses on how obvious it is that the two of them had feelings for each other.
• Evil Mentor : The seemingly straight-laced, professional Rosa turns out to be this for June. She reveals herself to be a Well-Intentioned Extremist who is willing to murder her own colleagues in her quest for power.
• Evil Plan : Annette, a woman from George Parker's past, wants to murder June and Virginia so that her illegitimate (and unaware) son would inherit their fortune.
• Also, as it turns out, Rosa Schultz.
• A mean nurse named Pratchett? Subverted; while the name obviously calls One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to mind, specifically the cruel Nurse Ratched, this one is actually a Jerk with a Heart of Gold .
• Fair Cop : David West is both a handsome and morally upstanding policeman.
• Faking the Dead : David's partner Bristol , in an attempt to get away with the money of the criminal who died in an accident and whose corpse he left behind as his own.
• Famed In-Story : June begins to gather some fame after a while — a wealthy socialite-turned-detective with a past in the war who has moved around half the world gets quite some attention from the press, which ends up giving Virginia grief.
• Family Portrait of Characterization : By opening three- and five-point star boxes, the player can gather enough characterization cards to put together a photo that offers information on one (or more) of the characters. These photos are stored in a photo album that can be accessed by the player at any time. The more character cards the player finds, the more background information they can unlock about the characters of the game.
• Family Versus Career : A point of dispute between the Parker sisters, one of whom married early and had a daughter, the other moved out from home at a young age and worked various jobs. Clare has her moments of regret, but so does June who chose the other side of the deal.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father : Avery tries this, but Jack is well into his thirties at that point, and the "fantasy" his father is trying to forbid is an already successful career as a screenwriter in Hollywood.
• Faux Affably Evil : Both Elliot Bernard and Renaud Bonfils present themselves as accommodating gentlemen with perfect manners, and either of them quickly drops the façade to frame, threaten, and blackmail people when it serves their purposes.
• Fiery Redhead : Virginia has a lot of energy and ginger hair — both of which she inherited from her father Sam , although the latter's temper was more on the violent side.
• The First Cut Is the Deepest : That her first husband Nicky ended up leaving her for another man has left June with trust issues, and makes her keep a certain distance in romantic relationships that she needs to overcome.
• First Girl Wins : June and Jack turn out to be this for each other. It's easy to forget over the numerous relationships both have over the years, but they actually first met in a field hospital during the war, way before June married Nicky.
• Florence Nightingale Effect : June falls in love with Pierre, her patient at the Hôtel-Dieu. Overlaps with Literally Loving Thy Neighbor .
• Downplayed, but Skye McEwan is the Responsible one who comes home to support her ailing father through financial hard times, in comparison to her brother Callum who puts all his energy into the labor movement and other idealistic goals.
• Marie Hamada is the Responsible one, her sister Kimiko the Foolish one who, at age 18, has already been caught driving drunk once and has no mind for finances or the consequences of her actions.
• Fortune Teller : Marjorie, a fling of Jack's who appears in the second volume, works as a fortune teller for a traveling circus.
• Fowl-Mouthed Parrot : Mortimer, Madame Boucher's parrot. He repeats the mean things he heard from his owner.
• Eddie Daggett didn't kill the van Burens. Sam Watts did.
• Stella Lee didn't murder her husband. It was her boyfriend Elliot.
• Kamal Mullar was innocently in jail for ten years. The robbery with manslaughter was his cousin Saleem's doing.
• Even the Marquise has been set up for an attempt on Irene's life. Aguste Chartier sent the killer, albeit not to have Irene end up dead, but to intimidate and blackmail her.
• Irene didn't steal the Jade Monkey. Wong Theo did, on behalf of Arabella.
• June finds herself accused of having murdered Aaron Lamb, and has to prove her innocence.
• Framing the Guilty Party : June and Amelia know that Professor Stone killed Emma years ago, but they cannot prove it. They fake evidence to catch him red-handed as he's trying to destroy said evidence. The plan works a little too well; Stone tries to get rid of June, too.
• Friendly Enemy : The Russian spy Svetlana, who opens June's eyes about ICARUS . She might not necessarily be a danger to June, but she is a danger to the other ICARUS agents such as Nathaniel .
• Friend to All Children : Jack is very good with children, becoming a surrogate father figure to Tommy, having his sister Hazel who only met him a good eight years into her life quickly warm up to him, and calming down Amelia's crying baby in a matter of seconds. It hits June like a rock that he would make for an awesome dad...and possibly also wants to be one.
• The Gambling Addict : Milton Hobbes; he even kills his own niece to pay off his dire gambling debts with her fortune.
• Gayngst : Skye and Virginia have their fair share when their relationship goes public, as Skye is put away in a Bedlam House by her father.
• Generation Xerox : The Marquise aka Mirela was a woman from humble beginnings who had lost her entire family and eventually avenged them, formed a close and potentially romantic bond with her co-criminal Irene, and worked her way to the top of the criminal food chain, becoming the leader of the Peerage. She is succeeded by Margot , a young woman from humble beginnings who had lost her entire family and eventually avenged them, seems to share a close bond with her co-criminal Anita, and worked her way up to the top of the Peerage to become their new leader after the previous Marquise's suicide.
• The Gentleman or the Scoundrel : Clare had the choice between wealthy, congenial, and reliable Harry as the Gentleman, with a whole domestic life attached that was well drawn-out for her, and Sam as the Scoundrel who offered her passion, adventures, and undeniable sparks on a sexual as well as intellectual level. She chose Harry after Sam threw a heavy book after her in a fit of rage, making her realize that, different than Sam, Harry makes her feel safe.
• Give the Baby a Father : Bobby for his girlfriend Franny's baby, Michel Boucher hits it off with Elise and raises her baby girl with her. Either man is positively doting on the respective kid.
• Gold Digger : Arabella married a series of wealthy men, always followed by her widowing hastily , to get back to the top of society.
• Good Bad Girl : June is unmarried and a spinster by the standards of the time until the end of the third volume when she ties the knot with Jack , and has been involved with at least five men, which would have caused a scandal in polite society.
• Good Is Not Soft : Virginia and both McEwan siblings can be rather rigid and unforgiving in their fights for social justice.
• Good Parents : The Talbots are loving and caring parents to their own son Bobby as well as being practically June's and Clare's additional parents. Another example is Evelyn Lang, a single mother who puts her everything into Hazel growing up healthy and happy.
• The Great Depression : The events of the third volume take place during the Great Depression. June and Jack travel around the country trying to help as many people as they can.
• Great White Feline : Živko has several paintings and figurines of white cats, Foreshadowing the massive white tiger by his side when June, Nathaniel, and Svetlana run into him in his hide-out.
• Green and Mean : The Marquise is a shrewd and ruthless crime boss who is usually seen in a green dress. Notably, in her background story that shows her as a young girl stricken by fate but still a lot more on the innocent side, she does not wear the color.
• Clare is jealous of June's freedom and adventures, and resents being the one who got saddled with taking care of the Orchid Estate.
• Sam was deeply jealous of Harry because Clare couldn't bring herself to leave him for Sam, and subsequently cut ties with his former best friend.
• The Grovel : June does a well and truly deserved one when she comes clean to Jack about her job at ICARUS.
• Guile Hero : Both June and Virginia are very clever and resourceful.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold : For the most part an Inverted Trope ; when someone with blonde hair shows up, they are usually not to be trusted — such as Elliot, Aguste, Tom Burton, Annette, Bonfils, Dr. Chevallier, Margot, and Svetlana. Polly Johnson and Martha Talbot, who play the trope straight, are the exception rather than the rule. Nathaniel is a Double Subversion , set up as kind of smarmy and dubious but proving himself to be a nice guy who does his job because he believes in its noble purpose.
• Hair-Trigger Temper : Sam; it's what cost him the relationship with Clare, and also what had him kill both Clare and Harry, something which he has come to deeply regret.
• Nicky and his husband are also very happy together, although they go through a rough patch in the third volume.
• Irene and Hermann are a surprising pair, with her being a thief and him an Interpol agent, but their marriage is a success.
• In the fourth volume, Rosa and her husband share a happy marriage based on trust...and on Rosa keeping ICARUS strictly a secret.
• Also in the fourth volume, we see Amelia happily married to Edouard.
• June's marriage with Jack starts out happy, and eventually gets there again. June fails to be honest with Jack about her insecurities, causing the crisis they go through in the fourth volume.
• Hard-Drinking Party Girl : High-class actress Louise Davis, although she tried to quit the drinking.
• Amelia admits to being surprised that she fell for Edouard, since a man who has such a good grip on his life is not her usual type. note  see Joe who got in with smugglers to make ends meet, and Pascal who stole art and sold forgeries
• Tippy Hayes comes around regarding her husband's decision to leave all of his money to his extramarital child, encouraging Evelyn to accept the inheritance for Hazel's sake.
• Mr. McEwan agrees to get Skye out of the sanatorium once he learns what a horrible place it is.
• Henpecked Husband : It was Clare, not Harry, who got the van Burens involved in bootlegging, and as it was Harry's fault they were in dire need of money in the first place, note  He had a kindhearted but ill-advised tendency to borrow every friend money who asked for it, without insurances on how to get it back. she didn't leave him much of a choice about it. Interestingly, it had them grow closer together and potentially even saved their marriage.
• Heroic BSoD : June has one when she sees Jack with a baby in his arms; overwhelmed with her commitment issues at the question of whether she and Jack will have children, she runs off to become a spy.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners : Amelia and June were this for the longest time when June still lived in Europe.
• Honor Among Thieves : The Peerage demands an abiding loyalty of its members.
• Horrible Judge of Character : Joe defends Bonfils against accusations, certain that he's a really good friend he can rely on. He's accordingly pissed when Bonfils is willing to sacrifice Joe's life to win a bet.
• Hospital Hottie : June in her profession as a nurse, first in the war and later in a Parisian hospital, attracts no fewer than four men — Jack, her first husband Nicky, the veteran Pierre Kippelen, and Dr. Chevallier.
• Hot Consort : One of the reasons Bonfils married Elmas Alabora, beside her family giving him the chance to connect to profitable trade contacts in Turkey. Elmas' own reasons for marrying him were similarly pragmatic.
• Humble Hero : June is a wealthy adventuress living in a huge mansion, but you wouldn't be able to tell that by looking at her. Her boyfriend David West is stunned when he visits her home and sees where she lives.
• Hyper-Competent Sidekick : Nathaniel, as he's been a spy for ICARUS way longer than June has. The only reason he comes off as a sidekick is because June is the game's protagonist.
• Hypocrite : Rosa Schultz made a name for herself as a prominent figure within the Prohibition movement, but regularly drinks alcohol and claims that it's a problem for society, not for her.
• Idle Rich : What June considered the life as a socialite that her sister Clare chose when she stayed at the family estate. She isn't entirely wrong about it, as Clare herself admits to some regrets due to the lack of adventures and novelty in her life.
• I Have Your Wife : A recurring event; Annette abducts Virginia, Arabella abducts Jack, both to blackmail June.
• An Immigrant's Tale : Charlie aka Chandra Mullar came to America to make money for his family. By the time he meets June, he has built a life for himself, but both the immigration authorities and his family being in need of help force him to return to India.
• Intergenerational Friendship : Virginia develops one with Nicky. It started when Virginia wrote to Nicky asking for advice regarding her sexuality.
• An Interior Designer Is You : Orchid Island (and smaller islands, once the player reaches a certain level) can be customized with buildings, gardens, roads, decorations etc.
• Clare soon recognizes Sam Watts in her daughter Virginia's hair color and temper.
• Luckily subverted in the case of Maxwell and his son William, both of which are kind, calm guys unlike Maxwell's Ax-Crazy and vengeful mother Annette.
• All of the Talbot men show a love for Jazz music; Walter, his brother Marvin, and Walter's son Bobby at some point all considered a career in that field, although it was ultimately only Bobby who made his passion a success.
• Intrepid Reporter : Marie Hamada developed a reputation for uncovering uncomfortable truths, and is quite adventurous.
• It's All About Me : Tommy and Kimiko can be rather demanding and self-centered in their respective arcs, but at least they have the excuse of being teenagers. Silvio Santini however is just an egotist who brings himself into trouble and then expects everyone to bend over backwards to help him out.
• In the third volume, June has a hard time connecting the dots of the misfortunes that haunt her and her family, as she doesn't know John Rudd who is trying to contest her ownership of Orchid Island. That's because he's only The Dragon to her old enemy Arabella Peel.
• I Work Alone : June has this bad during the third volume, calling her boyfriend Jack her "sidekick" and going on a job without him when she feels they're getting too domestic. This doesn't go so well for her, and she needs all of her family's and friends' help for the finale. And after internalizing this and making a speech on the importance of The Power of Friendship ...the fourth volume has her run off alone to become a spy because she feels smothered by her and Jack's marital domesticity .
• Japanese Politeness : Marie and her father both usually present this, but it fails the former when confronted with the antics of her younger sister, or with the close bond her fiancé Jack still shares with June.
• Jerkass Ball : Marie has been nothing but reasonable and pleasant to June through their previous encounters on the respective jobs, and has even made for a really good team with her when they went searching for Jack in Canada. Halfway to her wedding with Jack, Marie very suddenly turns into a Bridezilla who feels entitled to use Jack's money as she sees fit and a Green-Eyed Monster who rips up a photograph of June and Jack…while she herself keeps up a tight bond with her Unlucky Childhood Friend Tetsuya without caring that Jack is hurting over that.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Nurse Pratchett is very abrasive and sometimes unreasonable, but she has a good heart and looks out for the nurses under her care.
• Karmic Death : Elliot falls to his death after he tried to have a row of other people take the fall for crimes that he committed. Aguste Chartier has spent years blackmailing world-class criminals to do his bidding, and one of them, the Marquise, proves to be his match in ruthlessness as she kills him.
• Kid Hero All Grown Up : In the third volume, June goes to visit Virginia at the Edinburgh University and notes that her niece has left her teenage years behind and turned into a young woman.
• The Klutz : Polly the detective. If she touches something, there are high chances that she will drop / break / lose that thing.
• Lady Macbeth : It's Vivian who is holding the reins in the Hayes' political dynasty; her son and her daughter-in-law bow to her word, and she's not happy with her grandson Jack because he mostly keeps out of it.
• Light Is Not Good : Arabella insists on wearing a white dress; it's cut in the fashion of the 1890s rather than The Roaring '20s , a nod to her colonizer mindset. By the third volume, she has abandoned this look for a more appropriate black dress .
• Like Father, Like Son : Something that Jack really wishes to avoid. The similarity between him and Avery that they both use drinking as a coping mechanism is something that gnaws on him, and one of the reasons why Jack gives up on it.
• Limited Wardrobe : Characters wear the same clothes throughout the years, with few exceptions.
• Lipstick Lesbian : Virginia's girlfriend Skye wears skirts and blouses, has a knack for care work, and loves flowers.
• Long-Lost Relative : One result of her parents' unhappy marriage is June's half-brother Maxwell whom she only meets in their adult years. He has a son, too, and eventually they're both welcomed into the family.
• It's implied Dalphine Dumas became this for Genevieve, the antiques dealer with whom she lived for a few years.
• Lovable Alpha Bitch : Elmas sometimes acts in a manner befitting a diva, but she is a genuinely good person underneath her spoiled and demanding exterior. She's also self-aware enough to take zero offense at being called a primadonna.
• Love Confession : Jack makes one to June about two thirds through volume one, but the trouble with his family that immediately follows and June not replying have him ask her for a little time to himself. He and June each go through another failed relationship before June returns the confession.
• Love Makes You Crazy : Marjorie makes a pretty good case for it when she tries to crash the wedding of her sister to Marjorie's own ex , who she says is the love of her life...never mind that she left the town and him years ago. Averted when a sidequest reveals her actual motive: She knows her ex Seamus is prone to Domestic Abuse , and wants to prevent her sister from marrying a man who will mistreat her.
• David is in love with June, who still has unresolved feelings for Jack.
• It's never much spoken about, but the photo album's entries imply that Jack's conservative family was not happy about his plans to marry a Japanese woman.
• To Irene's credit, when June is threatened in her presence, she steps up to this role herself.
• More downplayed in Nicky Bennett and Joe Durand, both of whom are nice and compassionate guys; they're just prone to Didn't Think This Through and aren't always up for facing the consequences of their actions such as Joseph being rightfully worried sick when Nicky disappears without giving notice of where he is going, or Amelia leaving Joe when she found out he staged her career progress by paying an actress to play her patron.
• Marjorie lied to Tommy about finding his father via her "premonitions"; she actually found the address easily enough with mundane methods, but hid it from him so he and Jack would bring her to her destination first.
• Minnie Jackson, although with her it's implied that she just doesn't really get romance and focuses on her work because she doesn't care much for a partner.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy : Rosa and her husband Willy; she is the hardboiled leader of an internationally operating spy agency, he is a sweetheart who's taking care of their home and garden.
• The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life : Or your marriage. When Jack finds out about ICARUS after June has worked as a spy for months behind his back, they are in a deep crisis.
• Microtransactions : The game offers some rather expensive ones. You can buy energy, three- and five-point star boxes and even certain flash sale objects (usually from past seasonal collections).
• Mean Boss : Vernon West likes to present himself as Curtis Akau's benefactor, as he took the orphaned teenager in, but factually, Curtis is working for him without getting paid. They eventually sort this out, and Curtis gets a regular contract of employment.
• Meaningful Name : Elmas' name means "diamond" in Turkish. Fitting for a beautiful, dazzling and glamorous movie star whose talents were visible since infancy. The diamond is also a recuring theme in the titles of Elmas' movies.
• Miss Fanservice : Show singer Stella Lee comes with a lot of cleavage and a Sexy Slit Dress .
• The second volume of the story reveals that Amelia's mother left her in an orphanage and disappeared. It was because she was running away from some dangerous debt collectors.
• The Mistress : Evelyn Lang was this for Avery Hayes, Annette Harris for George Parker.
• Morality Chain : Curtis' grandmother Lahela can convince him to give back the money he stole from his boss. June tries to be one for Charlie and his brother Kamal, but after Kamal is shot, Charlie feels June has no right to meddle in his business, and breaks up with her.
• Morality Pet : Valerie is about the only person Nurse Pratchett shows open kindness, taking her under her wing after Valerie has been left unemployed and pregnant by Dr. Chevallier.
• Mouthy Kid : Esperanza doesn't take kindly to Dr. Chevallier's patronizing disbelief that a 14-year-old is running a tavern on her own, and indeed he and June have to rely on Esperanza a lot to handle their job in town and surroundings.
• Mr. Fanservice : Jack has quite a few shirtless scenes during the first volume. It has less to do with trying to look alluring and more with his cavalier attitude about appropriate appearances.
• Must Make Amends : June feels guilty for Eddie Daggett's death as Sam set him up to take the blame for murdering the van Burens because June kicked off new investigations of their deaths. When Sonny asks for her help finding his brother's inheritance, June jumps at the chance to do something for Eddie's family.
• My Beloved Smother : Gizem Alabora is really, really not on board with her daughter Elmas choosing a glamorous movie career over the traditional path of getting married. She even goes so far as to steal Elmas' film tapes on the eve of her opening night to ruin her career.
• My Greatest Failure : Jack has never quite gotten over not having been able to rescue his friend and comrade Gary Burton in the war. Unfortunately, the latter's brother Tom also thinks that's unforgivable.
• Mysterious Past : Most of the Marquise's life; a side quest sheds some light on the episode of her meeting Irene in a workhouse.
• Mystery Magnet : Even before she became a detective, June seemed to attract mysteries.
• New Job as the Plot Demands : Downplayed; the main focus of the game is obviously on June in her activity, later profession, as a detective. However, she is a trained nurse which comes in handy several times, and there are situations when she jumps in as a stand-in for an actress for a few days, goes undercover as a waitress, or has to fall back on the skills she learned when she worked jobs in London during her late teen years, such as a secretary, telephone operator, and photographer. And then there's her stint as a spy for ICARUS.
• There's also Arabella who, for all her scheming and the mining empire she builds, found herself on rock bottom before that and unable to even get back into a stable life situation and regular meals without marrying a wealthy man .
• Never My Fault : Annette feels zero responsibility for her actions landing her son in jail, putting the blame on June.
• Non-Action Guy : During her search for Virginia in Cuba, June is helped by Julián Reyes, an old acquaintance of Jack's. June and Jack handle the action parts of Virginia's rescue, but Julián can give them a great deal of information, and lends them his boat so they can travel into the jungle.
• Non-Idle Rich : Although she is a wealthy woman, June does not shy away from hard work, wanting to make it on her own in London and working as a nurse during the war and afterwards. She is also never shown to take money from the people she helps with her detective work.
• Not in Front of the Parrot! : When Madame Boucher dies after seemingly falling down the stairs, her neighbors June and Pierre don't think there is any foul play until they break into her apartment, alarmed by her parrot's cries for help. Turns out that Mortimer the parrot did witness something illegal happening, and now repeats some suspicious phrases in front of June and Pierre.
• Not So Stoic : The Marquise's cold, collected demeanor cracks when she is confronted with the past destruction of her village and death of her entire family .
• Rather surprisingly, June comes to befriend her spy partner Nathaniel. He's a few years younger than her, having to play his wife on occasion makes June supremely uncomfortable , and they are at odds about use of weapons, but they are both passionate about their spy jobs and an excellent team in dire circumstances, and once Nathaniel lets down his smarmy act for a bit, June finds he's a decent guy underneath that.
• Off the Wagon : Pierre when June goes off to Spain on a moment's notice to offer medical aid in an epidemic, leaving him seriously unsteady and without support. When June comes back, she has to drag him out of an opium dent.
• Old Money : Lord Belcham, and he behaves accordingly . The Hayes aren't quite as old (mainly by virtue of being Americans, not Brits), but they have been in politics for several generations, and their Big Fancy House is nothing to sneeze at.
• Jewel only ever introduces herself by her stage name, but considering Trans Tribulations in her time, it might be only that or deadnaming.
• When June learns that Virginia has a girlfriend , she is immediately and without question accepting. Her experience with Nicky might have helped.
• Nathaniel and Saeed are basically Red Oni, Blue Oni , the former a cool-headed, polite, always neatly-dressed top agent, the latter a rugged, impulsive hothead and renegade. It's what made them a great team and a loving couple.
• Paparazzi : A nasty example is offered with the paparazzo who follows June to Edinburgh University and snaps a photograph of Virginia kissing her girlfriend Skye , which ends up splattered across the newspaper.
• Sam Watts proves himself as one to Virginia with his final act.
• Parental Abandonment : Something Jack's father and June's father have in common: Both have an extramarital child they never took care of; Hazel and Maxwell grew up without their respective fathers.
• Mrs. Talbot is this to Clare, June and Virginia.
• Clare and June suffered the effects of their parents' ill-matched marriage, their mother often being out and about the globe, their father trying to compensate with a conservative, stern parenting style, but both George and Irene ultimately wanted what was best for their daughters.
• Passing the Torch : The Marquise made sure that, after her suicide, Margot would find her valuables and papers so she would be able to take her place and carry on with the Peerage as the new Marquise.
• Nurse Pratchett keeps in touch with June after the latter has left Paris, keeping her up to date regarding Valerie and her baby.
• Minnie wrote a myriad of questions to a scientist she admired, Harlan Swift, and with him replying to her curiosity, they built a mentoring relationship via letters.
• Platonic Life-Partners : Irene Parker and the Marquise. They were infamous jewel thieves who worked together for decades until Irene wanted to leave that life behind. The Marquise did not react well to that. Their background story reveals that it was not always quite so platonic.
• Plucky Girl : Once she recovers from the death of her parents, Virginia becomes a bundle of energy and vivacity.
• Politically Incorrect Villain : Paparazzo Rupert Gray calls Virginia a pervert in the tabloid headlines when he brings out the story about her lesbian relationship.
• One has to wonder if the situation between the van Burens and Sam Watts would have escalated like that, had Clare been honest about Virginia's paternity from the start.
• Considering their traditionally Arranged Marriage , it makes sense that Saleem and Elina would be discreet about Elina having an affair with Saleem's full knowledge and approval , but it gets Elina's boyfriend Evon into a tight spot as June and Charlie suspect him of wanting to Murder the Hypotenuse .
• Posthumous Character : Clare, her husband Harry and June's father George Parker have all died before the beginning of the story. They appear in flashbacks, are often mentioned in conversations, and their lives and personalities are brought to life in the photo album the player has at their disposal. As the second volume plays several years before the first, Clare and Harry are living, acting characters in it.
• Practically Different Generations : Jack is a full 23 years older than his half-sister Hazel because his father cheated with a much younger woman . Regardless, the two siblings get on like a house on fire.
• Pretty in Mink : Svetlana almost always wears a fur-trimmed coat with matching hat.
• Professional Killer : One tries to kill June; he was sent by Annette Harris, her father's mistress. Virginia tracks the man down by purporting to want to hire one herself, for which she has to seek out the hitman's middleman, an innocuous-looking toy store clerk named Mr. Hubble.
• Marie doesn't appear as one in the beginning, putting more value on her Intrepid Reporter image, but at her home in Japan and with the preparations for her wedding, she gets a lot closer to Yamato Nadeshiko .
• Proud Beauty : Several — Elmas, Stella, Marjorie, Clare, and Arabella. In all fairness, all but the latter two of them are working in the show business, and as a socialite of The Beautiful Elite and a Gold Digger Serial Spouse , respectively, Clare and Arabella still definitely profit from their good looks.
• Puzzle Game : Each chapter has a puzzle at the end. Solving the puzzle brings the story forward, and is a prerequisite to unlocking the next chapter.
• The Queenpin : Angel Damasco is the leading arms dealer in Rio de Janeiro, although she's only of interest for one arc. A more present figure would be the Marquise, who stands on top of a syndicate of thieves and smugglers.
• Quirky Curls : Polly shares two distinct traits with her grandmother, her sister, and her little nephew : exuberant energy and a mop of blonde curls. note  turned grey in her grandmother's case
• Polly was orphaned young and taken in by her grandmother who unfortunately couldn't afford to keep her sister Shirley as well.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin : The look of the Parker women. It's an early tell that Virginia doesn't quite fit in there optically.
• Kam Chuen gives one to his snobbish rival Wong Theo and is promptly shot for his troubles.
• Redemption Equals Death : Sam Watts shields his biological daughter Virginia with his body from Annette's bullet and refuses to get the wound tended to, as it would mean a potentially fatal delay. He eventually succumbs to his wound. In-universe, this does not absolve him from murdering Clare and Harry , but it gives Virginia conflicted feelings about him.
• Redhead In Green : Virginia has red hair and is mostly seen wearing a green dress or blouse.
• Red Herring : Nasty Madame Boucher, June's neighbor, dies after supposedly falling down the stairs. June and Pierre begin investigating her death and question her young housekeeper, Elise, who tells them that she saw Madame Boucher's estranged son leaving her apartment carrying a suitcase. Knowing that Madame Boucher's jewelry is missing, June and Pierre begin to suspect that her son might be behind his mother's "accident". He's not. He might be a bit abrasive, but otherwise a nice guy. He forgives Elise for stealing his mother's earrings and her money, and gives her a job at his restaurant so that she and her unborn child won't starve.
• Red Scare : Played with in regards to Soviet agents like Viktor Yenin and Svetlana, both of which are established as well-informed and dangerous, although ultimately also as people who are just doing their jobs.
• Returning Big Bad : The cruel and greedy Arabella Peel returns in the third volume to fulfill the role of major antagonist.
• Theo doesn't let an opportunity pass to tell Kam Chuen and June that he thinks they are second-class people.
• Roadside Surgery : Occasionally; luckily, June has been a field nurse in the world war and is up to help Joe, Eddie Daggett, Saleem, Jack, and Nathaniel on a moment's notice.
• Romantic Rain : Amelia and her fiancé Joe have a walk through Paris under an Umbrella of Togetherness ; June experiences that same time as a Gray Rain of Depression and is therefore trying to avoid her friends so as not to ruin the mood.
• Runaway Bride : Irene Parker gets cold feet before her second wedding and runs out into the estate garden. Fortunately, June is there to reassure her, and the wedding goes off without a hitch.
• An orderly at the sanatorium gives June, Virginia, and Callum directions when he catches them sneaking in to find Skye, admitting that it's not right how the patients are treated there.
• After all Irene has done for Interpol, Hermann Wendel doesn't agree with locking her up again, and burns all files on her to set her free from her past.
• Similarly, her disaster of a marriage to George Parker left Irene insecure if she really is material for another relationship, but she and Hermann Wendel grow to be very happy together.
• Secret-Keeper : Mr. Davis knew that Emma stole chemicals and lab instruments in the university, but he left her to it because he sympathized with her wanting to follow her passion despite not being able to study.
• Elmas wasn't very public about her marriage to Bonfils , partly because she thought her mother would disapprove of her marriage to a man who was not a Turk, partly because their union had very little to do with love and a lot more with the opportunities they could offer each other.
• Elliot had two, one with Stella who was still married at the time, and one that he enforced on his employee Franny. However, for the longest time, he was on the unknowing end himself as Franny had begun to see Bobby Talbot, and ended up running away from Elliot with him.
• Elina is married but has an ongoing relationship with her husband's best friend Evon Varma. In an additional twist, Saleem knows about it, and fully approves since he and Elina can't get divorced without kicking off a scandal.
• Kimiko and her boyfriend were discreet about their relationship at first because Yugo is a new Yakuza recruit.
• Virginia tries to keep her relationship with Skye a secret, although it's out quickly when a paparazzi thinks they make for a good tabloid story.
• Nathaniel had a relationship with Saeed, his partner agent before June. Both professional reasons and their orientation made it necessary to keep quiet about it.
• Something that Jack and June share is their desire to make it on their own, independently from their well-off families. June moved to London at the age of 17, worked various jobs and eventually became a wartime nurse and later a detective; Jack had jobs in the countryside, was a soldier, then after the war a show aviator, and eventually found his success in screenwriting.
• The second volume features Pierre, a shell-shocked veteran who uses opium to self-medicate.
• Similarly, Jack turned to alcohol after the war, although he's since left this habit behind.
• Mrs. Talbot is very much on board with June and Jack's relationship, and suggests the latter move in at the Parker's Orchid Island estate. To be fair, she was also supportive of David when he was still courting June.
• Sibling Team : Emma and Lewis Jones worked together at Lewis' garage, and Emma tuned his cars for the races he attended.
• Silk Hiding Steel : Clare was very much this, having her perfect manners and looks carry an air of Proper Lady around her while also negotiating a contract with a bootlegger, and shooting a man who attacked her and her husband because of their entanglement in said criminal activities , all to save her family from financial ruin.
• Sleazy Politician : Avery Jackson may be a senator, but it's actually his mother Vivian and his election campaign manager Dale Zigler who fit this trope, bribing and lying their way out of Avery's antics for him.
• Smart People Wear Glasses : Minnie, a bespectacled young technology genius who made her PhD at age 20 and is The Smart Guy first for ICARUS, later at June's detective office.
• Smoking Is Glamorous : Business woman Barbara Madison, lawyer Sandra Ahn, nightclub owner Madame Palomer, spy agency director Rosa Schultz, and crime boss Angel Damasco all are confident, fashionable ladies with an imposing presence and always a cigarette at hand.
• Smug Smiler : Mostly shows up with characters that are openly sleazy or shady, such as Aguste Chartier, Theo, Arabella, Dale Zigler, or Straw Misogynist Lord Belcham. Then there are Elliot, Dr. Chevallier, and Rosa , who seem to be alright if a bit on the smarmy side, but their smug expression turns out to be an early tell on their shabby morals.
• Snail Mail : Occasionally, June will receive a letter from the many people she interacts with throughout her adventures. It can be a thank-you letter from someone she has helped, a threat from someone she has angered, a simple hello from an old friend or an advertisement for the business of one of her clients.
• The So-Called Coward : Tommy's father Niall deserted the army in the war, something Tommy resents, but once he meets his father again and sees him working as a doctor in a city torn up by civil war, he realizes that Niall's reasons for desertion had nothing to do with cowardice.
• So Proud of You : June to Virginia, whom she notes to be a lot more mature and responsible than she herself was at Virginia's age.
• Spirited Young Lady : Virginia becomes this after she recovers from the pain she experienced due to the death of her parents.
• Spoiled Sweet : Virginia is the child of New York upper class parents, was sent to private schools, had her own horse as soon as she was old enough to ride, and was taught sailing among other things. Growing up aware of her privilege, she set her mind on supporting the labor movement to help others.
• Stalker with a Crush : Set up with Halim but ultimately subverted : While he does adore Elmas and has built something of a little shrine to her, he affirms that he sees her as his muse in a purely artistic sense as he doesn’t have romantic feelings for women.
• Starting a New Life : Silvio Santini after he's rescued by the Parker women and shipped off to Malta; there's no way for him to regain his former wealth, but he has also cut ties with his crimes and therefore no-one looking for him, for which he is grateful.
• Starving Artist : Notably averted with June's friend Amelia Dumas. For the most part, she is a prolific and successful artist living in Paris, although she starts out having some hard times that have her and her boyfriend Pascal forging and selling art.
• Straight Gay : Basically all the gay men in the game: Nicky, Joseph, Saeed, and Nathaniel. The most effeminate it gets is the latter being usually dressed very nicely. Considering the times in which the game plays, it's not a surprise that they wouldn't be exactly flamboyant about it.
• Strong Family Resemblance : Amelia is surprised to learn that she looks a lot like her Missing Mom .
• Street Smart : A feature Irene and the women of the Peerage share; they all had to learn to survive by their wits.
• Stuff Blowing Up : The Marquise has her ship explode in the face of the water police to get away from them.
• Supreme Chef : Mrs. Talbot's cooking is universally praised by all who are lucky enough to sample it.
• Sweet Polly Oliver : For her painting heist in Silvio's gallery, Viola wears pants, a cap, and her deceased husband's waistcoat; it gets her mistaken by René Baudin for "a very pretty man".
• More clearly defied with the Mullars; June acknowledges that Kamal and Charlie have a right to feel angry with Saleem, the former because his cousin cost him ten years in prison under false accusations, the latter because if not for Saleem, his brother would be alive , but she prevents either of them from murder because she regards it as generally wrong.
• Take a Third Option : Annette initially gave June two options: either do nothing and wait for another assassin to come and finish the job, or follow the clues she laid out in places around the world significant to Annette and George Parker's relationship . June decides to take a third option and skip the wild goose chase, and after some detective work she goes straight to the island where Annette is holding Virginia hostage.
• Teach Me How To Fight : June gets some training when she joins ICARUS. She's not a bad agent by any means, but she has a strong aversion to lethal weapons.
• Textile Work Is Feminine : June insists that the only sewing she's any good at is doing medical sutures; she chalks that up to her tomboyish personality.
• Time Skip : At the end of the first volume (Virginia is off to college, Bobby and his wife are expecting a second child). The whole second volume is a time skip to the past where we witness June and Amelia's search for Amelia's mother, June's work as a nurse, her adventures with Jack and other shenanigans. The third volume starts with yet another timeskip, this time of five years.
• Third Act Stupidity : June and David have discovered the true culprit behind the murder of a man who had stumbled upon a stash of money a long time ago. His pregnant widow is left destitute because the money found by her husband ends up as evidence and is not returned to her. Both June and David worry about her desperate situation, to the point where David resorts to stealing the money from the evidence locker and returning it to the widow. If only June was a wealthy heiress who can afford to fly around the world on a moment's notice and stay in swanky hotels...oh wait! Inexplicably, she doesn't even consider to help the poor woman financially.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl : June is the pants-wearing, adventurous tomboy while her sister Clare is the girly girl. June recalls how Clare insisted on putting lipstick on before leaving the house even when she was in labor, and that she wanted to look perfect at all times.
• Tomboy with a Girly Streak : June, while a die-hard pants-wearer and adventurer who goes climbing, racing, riding and hiking, loves trying out more elegant fashion when the occasion arises.
• Took a Level in Badass : Between the start and the end of the first volume, Virginia goes from a Damsel in Distress who can just barely sneak out when her kidnapper has turned his back to a courageous Action Girl who picks locks, confronts a contract killer, and kidnaps the man who once kidnapped her at gunpoint.
• Tragic Keepsake : Amelia's locket becomes one after she finds out her mother died a decade before. June's hat turns out to be one, as it was given to her by her late sister Claire as a sign of reconciliation at the end of the second volume.
• Trespassing Hero : Both June and Virginia regularly sneak or break into places where they're not supposed to be. While most of the time June's snooping has a well-intended reason behind it (she's usually hunting for clues), sometimes she trespasses out of pure nosiness, such as when she sneaks into Marjorie's trailer because she is curious about the other women in Jack's life.
• True Companions : June and her co-detectives in the Athena Agency: Polly, Minnie, and Sandra Ahn.
• Tsundere : Marjorie the fortune teller alternates between being angry and overly sweet to Jack. June finds it off-putting.
• Undercover as Lovers : June and Nathaniel tend to play a married couple on their spy missions. However, there is zero romantic interest between them; June dearly misses her Jack, and Nathaniel his Saeed.
• Kam Chuen has this toward Irene after she gave him a chance to break out of his criminal life , turning over every stone to prove her innocence of an artifact theft.
• Unholy Matrimony : John Rudd and Arabella are both partners in crime and lovers; it was usually Rudd who rid Arabella of her various Meal Ticket husbands so she could rebuild her mining empire.
• It's a riddle for the ages how June's and Clare's parents ever wound up married, George the son of a wealthy family with homes in London and New York whose life is the epitome of bourgeois, Irene a woman with no family ties who had to steal to survive, pursued an impressive criminal career, and loves the risks and challenges that come with it.
• Uptown Girl : David comes to see June as this once he realizes he's dating a wealthy heiress; it makes June rather uncomfortable.
• Nathaniel is also on the receiving end of this with Minnie who enjoys needling him.
• We Used to Be Friends : Kam Chuen and Wong Theo went to the same school, but when Theo found out Chuen was from a poor district of the city, he began treating him as a second-class person.
• Wicked Cultured : Bonfils, Elliot, and especially Živko have each at least one beautifully furnished estate, complete with a library, Luxurious Liquor , and fancy suits to top it off.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Each David and Jack serve June one, at separate times but for very similar reasons as June has let her Commitment Issues get the better of her and was dishonest with her respective partner at the time, costing her the relationship with David and almost her marriage with Jack.
• Who's Your Daddy? : Clare cheated on Harry with Sam ; by the time she chose and married the former, she was already pregnant and couldn't tell who was the father. When Virginia was born, Clare noticed pretty quickly after whom she took, and it's implied she told Harry at some point as he mentioned Sam's purely biological ties to his family in a letter, in which he also made clear that Sam should not try to make a claim on Virginia, whom Harry never treated as anything other than his own daughter.
• Wire Dilemma : A few puzzles have to do with cutting or connecting the right wire.
• Woman Scorned : George leaving Annette without ever learning that she was pregnant with his child is what drives her to her attempt to murder everyone left of the Parker family.
• Worthy Opponent : The Marquise acknowledges this upon her second confrontation with June, despite not having the same respect for her that she has for Irene .
• Would Hit a Girl : Well, an elderly lady, in any case. Dale Zigler hits Vivian Hayes over the head with a brick in an attempt to kill her.
• Wrong Side All Along : Nathaniel and June are very distraught to learn the truth about ICARUS.
• Yandere : When Irene wanted to leave her life as a criminal behind for good to salvage her marriage and be there for her family, the Marquise threatened to kill her daughters if Irene didn't stay with her. As they seemed to have quite some sparks between them when they were younger, the Marquise may well have regarded Irene's marriage with a component of Green-Eyed Monster .
• Jade Empire
• LGBTRepresentationInMedia/Video Games
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Judge Dredd vs. Zombies
• Mobile Phone Game
• Jurassic Park Builder
• Hidden Object Game
• King's Heir: Rise to the Throne

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Image Fixer
• New Articles
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

The finale in sight, Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs looks back on his 'Top Chef' journey

Where does Dan Jacobs get the energy? 

The Milwaukee chef took a phone call with the Journal Sentinel just before prepping one of his restaurants, DanDan , 360 E. Erie St., for a private event — mere hours after a whirlwind trip to Chicago to attend the prestigious James Beard Award ceremony, where he and business partner, chef Dan Van Rite, had been nominated in the category of Best Chef, Midwest . 

They didn’t bring home the medal this year, but Jacobs wasn’t let down. 

“At least we’ll be able to use the tuxedos another time,” he said. 

It was the pair’s sixth nomination for the award, but their first time making the short list. Pretty impressive during the stretch when their fine-dining restaurant, EsterEv , 2165 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., was transitioning from a space inside sister restaurant DanDan to its new, standalone digs in Bay View . 

It's even more impressive considering the opening coincided with the beginning of Jacobs’ spectacular run as a contestant on Season 21 of “Top Chef,” the popular Bravo cooking competition show that was set in Wisconsin this season . 

And on June 19, he might just take home the title. 

After 13 weeks in competition, Jacobs is one of three contestants moving on to the finale , along with Danny Garcia of New York City and Savannah Miller of Durham, North Carolina.

If he wins, Jacobs will take home $250,000, be featured in Food & Wine magazine and make a special appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado. And that doesn’t include the inevitable boost both his restaurants will receive from superfans who want a taste of the food from a “Top Chef” champion. 

But for now, he’s stoked to have made it to the competition’s end. 

“I’m so proud of how I’ve been able to represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin on the show,” Jacobs said. “It’s such a cool thing. I’m going to cook in the finale! I’m one of 60 people that have ever been able to do that over 20-plus years. 

“It really justifies the voice in my head that always said that I could do this and was good enough to be in my position." 

Jacobs was cast this season after applying to compete nearly a dozen times, the first time a professionally working chef from Wisconsin has been cast on the show. In an interview with the Journal Sentinel after the season premiered, he said there was something about this season’s tryout that just felt right. 

“I never gave up on it,” he said. “And it’s something that has made it all the sweeter, that it’s taken a little bit longer. I don’t know if I would have done as well as a younger version of myself. But I’ve always known I could do this.” 

Finale prep meant studying, staying away from the kitchen 

After Jacobs earned his spot in the top four on Episode 12 , he and the other contestants took a weekslong hiatus before reuniting for the finale in Curaçao. Garcia, Miller and top-four finalist Laura Ozyilmaz split off to their homes on the coasts while Jacobs remained in Milwaukee, his home just five minutes from the downtown hotel the contestants had been sequestered in for about six weeks. 

In a sense, it was a relief for Jacobs, who could finally spend time with his wife, Kate Riley, and pop into his restaurants that had been operating without him for a month and a half. 

“It was weird. I wanted to be there, but I didn’t want to jump back in since I knew I would be leaving again,” he said. “That lasted one service ... or maybe an hour into one service. Then I was back in plating at EsterEv and talking to tables. It was really hard for me to not be present during it.” 

When he could pull himself away from his restaurants, he spent time studying Caribbean cuisine, something he knew would be at the forefront of his finale challenges. 

He ate at Caribbean restaurants in Milwaukee and Chicago, and texted back and forth with “Top Chef: Wisconsin” contestant Charly Pierre, who is Haitian, for advice. 

“It was a deep dive,” he said. “And now I have a love for habaneros and scotch bonnets that I never had before. They’re by far my favorite peppers now.” 

But he also allowed some time to recharge, a much-needed reset after weeks of relentless competition. 

“I think I was running a little low on gas,” he said of the end of his regular-season run. “I felt like if we would have kept going, I don’t think we’d be having the discussion we’re having right now.” 

Experience and time were key factors in his 'Top Chef' run 

At 46, Jacobs is the oldest contestant on Season 21, always quick to crack a joke about his position as “the old man” in the group of younger chefs around him. But he was always able to keep up, especially admirable considering he competed all these weeks while battling Kennedy’s Disease , a neuromuscular condition that affects his ability to walk, use his hands and swallow. All things he’d need to rely on while competing on “Top Chef.” 

He revealed his condition to his fellow contestants on Episode 2, and he relied on leg braces and a cane to maneuver around the Top Chef Kitchen and challenge destinations as he competed. 

Some would’ve leaned on his condition as a handicap, but Jacobs’ years of restaurant experience and a disease that forces him to slow down may be contributing factors to his success on the show. 

“Top Chef” judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons said as much when they spoke to the Journal Sentinel in an interview in Milwaukee last summer after Dan had made the top five. 

“Dan doesn’t move as quickly as the other chefs in the kitchen, and we all know why and are respectful of that,” Simmons said. “But there hasn’t been an instance, ever, when he hasn’t accomplished just as much if not more than anyone else. And it makes you think, the other chefs are just clamoring and rushing so fast, maybe there’s something to be said for taking a minute, thinking a little more slowly, and moving more slowly, with purpose and intention. Because he’s still here. He’s top five, and he’s at the top of his game.” 

“Obviously he’s struggling with his illness, but he’s been a trooper, and he wanted to come on the show because of that, to show everyone that it’s not stopping him, and he’s definitely done that,” Colicchio said. “He’s already won the season without winning the season.” 

Jacobs’ biggest struggles and successes on “Top Chef” 

Jacobs owes much of his success on the show to methodical thinking. When approaching each challenge, he kept a checklist of things he knew he needed to do to pull it off successfully. 

“The two times I deviated from the checklist were the two times I found myself in the bottom,” he said, referring to the Brewers’ Famous Racing Sausages challenge and the tablescape challenge . “I learned that, as long as I followed my gut and followed what I’d prepared myself for, I was always good.” 

The main focus of the checklist was to correctly interpret each challenge and stick to the theme. Those two times he fell in the bottom, he said he was trying to force his cooking into a concept where it didn’t fit. 

Also on his checklist were creativity and correct plating (“You’re not going to pick a bowl where someone needs to cut meat,” he said. “You have to think about how somebody’s going to eat a dish.”), but the most important item was to have fun. 

“Both of the challenges where I found myself on the bottom, I was tense or uncomfortable with something happening, and just not having fun,” he said. “I really had to make sure that I would go into the challenge in the correct headspace.” 

The chaos cuisine challenge was one of his favorites of the season, a head-scratcher of a prompt that let the chefs basically do whatever they wanted in the kitchen as long as it was creative. 

“I thought the chaos challenge got a bad rap, but I got to just make something that I knew was gonna be really fun, almost stoner-y, but still really, really good,” he said. (Jacobs made a playful, savory take on Japanese okonomiyaki funnel cake.) 

The Indigenous food challenge was another favorite — for the opposite reason. The chefs were limited to using only Indigenous ingredients that many had never worked with, and Jacobs said that restriction forced him to push himself in a new direction. 

“It was one of those moments where you’re so constricted and there are so many parameters that you become creative because of it,” he said. “I also have a lot of admiration and respect for those judges,” referring to guest judges chef Sean Sherman of Owamni and NATIFS , Elena Terry of Wild Bearies and Bryce Stevenson of Miijim . 

Jacobs placed high on both of his favorite challenges, but he won two outright this season: the supper club challenge and Restaurant Wars.  

Both were collaborative challenges where teams worked together to create a complete menu. 

“I’m not shocked by that, because I look at restaurants and cooking professionally as a team sport,” he said. “You’re only as good as the people that you have on your team.” 

New cooking skills and special bonds were formed in the Top Chef Kitchen 

Although he was competing against them, Jacobs thought of his fellow contestants as a team the entire time, and remains close with them. 

“We have a really active group chat,” he said. “We all genuinely like each other.” 

He said there’s a special bond with the contestants who stuck around longer in the competition.  

And, yes, he’s still tight with his on-screen bestie, contestant Amanda Turner. He said of the other half of the duo dubbed “Damanda” on the show, “I found somebody I’m going to be friends with for the rest of my life.” 

He’s not just taking those friendships with him. Jacobs has walked away with a new appreciation for cooking after watching and learning from his fellow contestants. 

“You’re surrounded by all these creatives and we all kind of fed off each other,” he said. “That’s what cooking is about, learning from other people around you.” 

He pointed to fellow finalist Garcia as a source of inspiration — the notoriously technical chef creates dishes that look like artwork. He picked up pastry skills from Kévin D'Andrea, too. And he called watching Michelle Wallace make fried chicken “such a pleasure.” 

He even learned a few tricks for home cooking from Manny Barella. 

“I would ask Manny to tell me about all this super junk food — the kind of stuff we would make and eat on our own ... that was always really fun,” he said. 

“There’s always going to be somebody who knows something you don’t know anything about, and you just try to pick up from them by watching.” 

Jacobs is welcoming many of his fellow “Top Chef” contestants to DanDan and EsterEv in a series of guest chef dinners and brunches held through November this year. Turner, Kaleena Bliss and Soo Ahn have already participated. Garcia, Miller, Barella and Wallace will come back to cook in the months to come. It’s a chance for Jacobs to see his old friends and give the people of Milwaukee a taste of the cooking that inspired him throughout the competition. 

And it’s another chance for the chefs to spend time in Milwaukee, too. 

Milwaukee didn’t need 'Top Chef' to be cool ... but it’s nice to be recognized 

Jacobs acted as a city ambassador to the cast and crew as they filmed here late last summer, pointing out historical sites and favorite spots around town. 

“Every time we bring a chef up here from anywhere around the country, they’re always like, ‘Holy (expletive), Milwaukee is cool!’” he said. “It’s something I said even early on: We’re so cool that we don’t even know we’re cool.” 

It was clear to everyone — even the judges — how special this place is to him, and how special he is to the city. 

“He’s obviously beloved,” Simmons said. “Every guest judge who’s walked into our kitchen has been so excited to see him. This show is going to make him famous around the country, but, apparently, he was already the most popular chef in Milwaukee to begin with.” 

“This is a really cool place to live, work and call home,” Jacobs said. “And I’ve had the pleasure of doing that for 13 years now. I’m so excited for whatever’s to come in the future. I’m all in. This place is home.” 

Home is where Jacobs plans to watch the “Top Chef: Wisconsin” finale. He might invite a couple friends over, but, right now, he said, his social battery is running low. 

Maybe he’ll have time to tuck away his new tuxedo, add a new dish to EsterEv’s tasting menu or gear up for DanDan’s new vendor post at Summerfest this year. 

He’s already thinking about what his next big TV endeavor would be, as he fell in love with television filming during his time on the show. 

But after this year, and an incredible run to the “Top Chef: Wisconsin” finale, no one could blame him if he took a little rest. 

How to watch 'Top Chef: Wisconsin' finale: TV channel, streaming  

The finale of "Top Chef: Wisconsin" will air live on Bravo on June 19 at 8 p.m., and will be available to stream the next day on  Peacock ,  BravoTV.com  or the  Bravo app.  

Rachel Bernhard  joined the Journal Sentinel as dining critic in June 2023. She’s been busy exploring the Milwaukee area food scene to share her favorite finds with readers along the way. Like all Journal Sentinel reporters, she buys all meals, accepts no gifts and is independent of all establishments she covers.    

What should she cover next? Contact her at  [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at  @rachelbernhard  or on Instagram at  @rach.eats.mke .     

• Edit source
• 1 Orchid Island Residents
• 2 Hayes Family
• 3 Characters from Volume 1
• 4 Characters from Volume 2

Orchid Island Residents [ ]

Hayes Family [ ]

Characters from Volume 1 [ ]

Characters from Volume 2 [ ]

Hurricane watch issued for Beryl in Texas

Editor's note: Read USA TODAY's live coverage of Beryl for Sunday, July 7, including the storm's track as it heads toward Texas.

Watches and warnings for flooding rainfall, storm surge and hurricane winds were in effect along much of the Texas coast on Saturday, as the National Hurricane Center watches to see whether Tropical Storm Beryl will become a hurricane again as it approaches the Texas coast on Monday.

In its 10 a.m. Central update on Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said a hurricane watch covers the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to San Luis Pass, south of Galveston. A tropical storm warning is in effect south of Baffin Bay to the Rio Grande. And the storm surge watch is in effect south of High Island, meaning almost the entire coast.

Beryl is forecast to approach Matagorda Bay the coast of Texas and northeastern Mexico on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane with 85-mph winds, but first it has to recover from its trip over the Yucatan Peninsula and the dry air and wind shear it has been fighting in the Gulf of Mexico. Almost the entire Texas coast lies within the hurricane center's potential forecast for the center of Beryl's path over the next five days.

On Saturday morning, Beryl had 60-mph winds and was about 460 miles Southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, moving west-northwest.

The average forecast track error at 48 hour is about 70 miles, the hurricane center said on Saturday morning. Because of the angle of the storm's approach to Texas, that size margin of error can make a significant difference in where the biggest impacts occur.

Beryl is forecast to produce 5-10 inches of rainfall in Texas , with up to 15 inches in isolated locations, across portions of the coast and in eastern Texas beginning late Sunday through the middle of next week, the hurricane center said. The storm also is forecast to deliver a storm surge amounts of 2-5 feet along the coast and dangerous rip currents.

Residents in Texas should be familiar with their flood zones – as well as those who live in Louisiana – and should be closely monitoring the storm's progress, according to the hurricane center.

"All of South Texas should be preparing for a hurricane," Kirsten Snodgrass, a meteorologist in Corpus Christi wrote in a Friday morning forecast update.

Even though heat is a concern going into the weekend, for those that live in Beryl's potential path, now is the time to make sure preparations are complete, know your flood zone and check on your neighbors, especially those who may be vulnerable, forecasters said.

It's important to know your risk , Michael Brennan, hurricane center director, told USA TODAY in March. It’s "knowing  if you live in a storm surge evacuation zone ."

What is a hurricane watch?

A watch means hurricane force winds above 74 mph are possible within 48 hours.

What is a hurricane warning?

A warning means hurricane force winds above 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.

What is a tropical storm warning?

A warning means tropical storm force winds of 39-73 mph are expected within 36 hours.

What is a tropical storm watch?

A watch means tropical storm force winds 39-73 mph are possible within 48 hours.

What's the forecast for Louisiana and Texas?

After ripping through the Caribbean , brushing Jamaica and making landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula, the storm's winds have weakened considerably, but the hurricane center's forecasters aren't quite sure what will happen once Beryl fully re-enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Its future wind strength depends on how much of its core remains intact, and its future path depends on how strong Beryl becomes and how it interacts with atmospheric systems over the southern United States. At 10 a.m. C.T. on Saturday, the forecast called for Beryl to gradually intensify over the Gulf, making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with 85-mph winds on Monday.

Regardless of the path or intensity of the storm, life-threatening beach conditions are expected later today across much of the Gulf Coast and are forecast to continue through the weekend.

Track Beryl's forecast

Forecasters say it's important to monitor the storm's progress, but remember the hurricane center's forecast cone shows only the likely path of the center of the storm. Weather impacts could occur many miles away.

How to prepare your home

If you're in an area where high winds are possible with Hurricane Beryl, here are things you can do to get ready .

• Secure loose items in your yard that could be blown over, such as lawn furniture, grills, bicycles, etc.
• Check your emergency go-bag and medical supplies in case you must evacuate
• Charge your phone
• Fill up or charge your vehicle 
• Help your neighbors, especially if they're vulnerable.

What is storm surge?

Brennan has said water is one of the greatest dangers in a hurricane , including storm surge, intense rainfall and rip currents. Storm surge occurs when the winds of a hurricane push the water higher than normal high tides, raising the ocean level, and then big waves occur on top of that. It's one of the most destructive forces in a hurricane.

Understanding storm surge Graphics explain the deadly phenomenon

Preparing a kit

If you live in a low-lying area prone to flooding, you might be asked to evacuate and need to prepare an emergency "go bag" to take with you . As of Friday, the forecast called for up to 10 inches of rain in areas along the coast, with even higher amounts in isolated locations . A flash flood risk extends well east along the Gulf Coast into Louisiana by Tuesday.

Hurricane season is here: Here's how to put together your preparedness kit or "go bag"

Beryl's historic journey

Beryl was born as a tropical depression on June 28 and became a tropical storm later that evening. It broke records over the next several days for rapid intensification so early in hurricane season. It became a hurricane within 24 hours of formation. Within another 24 hours, its winds had increased 55 mph, reaching 130 mph, almost a Category 4 hurricane.

Hurricane Beryl: A history making path through the Caribbean

Beryl battered the Windward Islands along the eastern Caribbean, causing widespread destruction in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada , destroying or severely damaging more than 90% of the homes and buildings on at least three islands. After plowing through the islands, Beryl again re-strengthened, becoming a Category 5 storm , then reaching winds of 165 mph on the morning of July 2.

Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice cover climate and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach Dinah at [email protected] and Doyle at [email protected].

• Share full article

For more audio journalism and storytelling, download New York Times Audio , a new iOS app available for news subscribers.

The Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

What we know about the shooting at a rally in pennsylvania..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. And this is The Daily. [MUSIC PLAYING]

The nation is waking up to a new reality after former President Donald Trump was injured in an apparent assassination attempt.

Gunshots ripping through a Pennsylvania campaign rally and carving their way into the history book.

I heard pop, pop.

I think a lot of people in the crowd just thought it was fireworks going off. I knew immediately it was gunshots.

And everybody screaming drop. And you can see the blood, like, splatter on his face. And the Secret Service just barricades him. And, you know, it was just, like, so scary.

Senior law enforcement officials say the gunman was a 20-year-old man from Pennsylvania.

A gunman was on the roof of a building several hundred feet from the lectern where Trump was speaking. Joining us —

— what we know about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.

I just go back to this idea that something has been fundamentally changed. People are desperate for answers to figure out how this could have happened, how to prevent it.

My colleague, photographer Doug Mills, recounts what it was like to witness the shooting. And reporter Glenn Thrush on the state of the investigation into the man who did it.

It’s Monday, July 15.

Well, this is him. I have to reroute through this thing, though. Hold on.

Hey, Sabrina. How are you?

How are you?

Oh, still a little shaken up, actually. Never thought I’d ever be in a situation like this or be part of a story like this. It’s not something I ever dreamed of having happened in my career. And it shakes you up. I mean, it’s pretty damn frightening.

Doug Mills has been photographing presidents for “The Times” for the past 40 years. I spoke to him on Saturday night about four hours after the shooting.

What’s in your head right now?

My first thought is obviously I am thankful that the former President is not more seriously injured than he is. I’m saddened that other people lost their life.

I mean, as much as I cover president of the United States, whether it’s former President Trump, or President Biden, or President Obama, all the way back to Reagan, it seems, you know, more and more intense and more and more divided, and sadly, scarier as the days go on.

And just having this happen in front of you, and I’m sitting here in the car, and I’m in a dark parking lot. And I’m, you know, just hearing those gunshots.

Where were you? How far from the former President were you?

When the shots came from him, I was probably less than three feet from him, maybe four at the most, because I was right up against the stage, and he was directly above me.

Oh, my God. Doug, you yourself could have been hit.

Believe me, Sabrina. When he was whisked off, I turned around. And I saw people scattering. And I thought, oh, my God, I was right in the line.

My heart was pounding through my chest. And I was shaking. And I was just, like, I can’t believe this happened.

So tell me exactly what you saw through your camera lens, Doug? What were you looking at right before? And then what did you see exactly at the moment that it happened?

I was focused on the president as he was making his remarks. There was a huge flag, American flag above him flying. I was trying to do something that showed him on the podium and him with the flag up there.

And I was in the right moment, as far as concentrating and being right there so I could see him. [BACKGROUND REMARKS]

And then the former President was making remarks. He was gesturing towards his right. And when he put his hand out to gesture —

Take a look at what happened.

[GUNSHOTS FIRED] Oh.

[CROWD SCREAMING]

There were these three or four loud pops. And I just kept taking pictures. And it all became a blur. I just kept my finger on the shutter.

And then he grabbed his ear and then fell from behind the podium. I didn’t see him behind the Trump sign. And I ran to the left to try and see what was going on.

And by that time, he was being covered by the Secret Service. And there was a lot of yelling and pushing and, you know, just them trying to protect him and getting over top of him. I’m positive I heard them say, “Sir, sir, sir,” you know, and I think they were just trying to see how bad he was hit.

And after that, it was very chaotic. There was a lot of, like, move back, get out of the way, move back.

Did you know where the gunman was?

No. I only knew that the pops came definitely from my left ear. I could hear it very loud. So I assumed that’s where they came from.

And did that person continue to shoot?

I thought I heard maybe two or three more shots.

After the former President disappeared from your lens?

Correct yeah. And I don’t know if that was the Secret Service shooting back at that point, but I did hear more than the first three or four. I mean, they were very quick which, now that I look back, I was an idiot to be that close. But instincts just brought me closer to the stage to try and see what was going on.

[CROWD CONFUSION]

And then when they brought him up, I thought my god, he’s OK. He’s alive. And then he put his fist up.

And then as he got closer to the steps, he kind of stopped with the agents. And I could tell the agents were trying to put their arms over him to shield him. And he was defying and putting his fist up. And he didn’t say anything, but he just pumped his fist.

What did you think when you saw Trump do that? You captured that moment. What did you think when he did that?

Aw, he was just so just pissed off, like, defiant. That’s all that I could think of is God, he’s mad as hell. He is really mad.

You know, the image that you took of former President Trump pumping his fist in the air with the blood on his face, with the Secret Service all huddled around him, the one you referenced, this photo, is in many ways already becoming really the iconic photo of this moment, defining the episode in history, really. Did you know immediately that would be the case?

I didn’t, Sabrina. I didn’t. I didn’t know, you know, because it was happening so fast.

And at that point, my camera went from in my eye to lifting it up above me. And just because there were people in front of me. I just had no idea that it would be the image it is until I saw it on the camera afterwards, when I was shaking and looking at my pictures thinking, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

You know, it brings chills to me. It is definitely an image that I’ll think about when I close my eyes tonight to go to sleep at some wee hour in the morning.

Doug, there’s one photograph you took with a kind of blurred moving image, and it looks like it might actually be a bullet, a bullet streaking past the former President. Can you talk about that photo? Is that actually one of the bullets?

I never thought that I would have a picture of the bullet behind him. But after the event had happened and I’m looking through my camera at pictures that I’m going to send to the office, and I said to the editor, Jennifer, “Listen, Jen, I’m sending you the sequence of when he was speaking, when the shots rang out. And please look at them closely.”

Because at that point, there were speculation that he was not shot. And I called Maggie, one of our reporters, Maggie Haberman, and said, “Hey, Maggie, I definitely think he was shot. Because he looks to his right. He flinches. He grabs his ear. His hand has blood on it at that point. And then he went down.”

So when I asked Jen, can you look at him closely, and Jen said, I will. And she literally texted me back a minute later and said, you won’t believe this. We think there’s a picture of the bullet flying behind the former president’s head. And I said, what? And I’m getting chills now because now that I’ve seen the picture, and I am looking at the sequence because there’s nothing there, nothing there, nothing there, and then it’s right behind his head.

Well, of course, we haven’t at this hour, 9:54 PM exactly confirmed that this is the image of the bullet that hurt him. But it certainly seems like it could be that you captured the exact moment that he got shot.

I mean, from what I can tell, it’s definitely a bullet that was fired at him. Whether it hit him or not is TBD. I just don’t know at this time, like you said.

Doug, you said that when this shooting happened, that your instinct was to keep your finger on the shutter. And, you know, that’s a pretty unique instinct. It’s a photographer instinct, and I love that.

I’m assuming that’s all your accumulated experience over the decades, you referenced this earlier, but you’ve covered presidents for four decades. You’ve captured the most historic moments, probably present for more of the history in our country than any other journalist in Washington. How are you thinking about this event in the context of all of the others that you’ve been present for?

Yeah, this is by far the most remarkable and sad situation that I’ve ever witnessed, you know? Seeing a person running for president of the United States, someone’s trying to end their life. And, as a photographer, you hope that if you’re there for that day that you’re able to do your job and then you’re in the right place to do your job. And that’s all I kept thinking as I was trying to run around the stage, trying just to see how the president was doing. And I hope I didn’t blink.

I hopefully captured what happened. And that’s what my job is to record history. And this is definitely one of those historic moments that, sadly, I was a part of. But also I’m grateful that I didn’t flinch, and I didn’t blink, and I wasn’t shot. So I’m grateful for that.

Yes. You were our witness, Doug.

Well, thank you, Sabrina.

We’ll be right back.

Glenn, you’ve been reporting on the investigation into the shooting at President Trump’s rally on Saturday. We’re talking to you at 4:55 PM on Sunday. Before we get to the details of what’s been found so far, what do we know about how Trump is doing, how he’s been in the hours since the shooting?

Remarkably well. While it was sort of shocking on television, you could see the blood splatter across his cheek, it was an injury on his ear. But his injuries were relatively minimal. He was cleared at a local hospital, flew back to his golf resort at Bedminster in New Jersey, and has made it entirely clear that he doesn’t have any intention to skip the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.

And do we know for sure it was a bullet that hit him?

That’s a little bit ambiguous. There were some reports that he was injured by flying glass from his teleprompter. But in a Truth Social post, he said he was shot by a bullet. And in a conference call today with the FBI, they refused to address the issue at all.

Got it. And what about the people in the crowd who were also hit?

One man was killed. His name is Corey Comperatore, and he was apparently shielding his family from the gunfire. And in addition, two other bystanders, were seriously injured and they were taken to the hospital.

So Glenn, what is the picture that law enforcement has pieced together about what happened on Saturday?

Well, the FBI and Department of justice are investigating this as an assassination attempt and also a potential incident of domestic terrorism. And here’s the picture that they’ve compiled.

It started off as a regular Trump rally. Everything seemed to be in order. People were in a good mood. Trump started speaking at around 6:00 PM. And roughly 10 minutes into his speech, Trump was talking about immigration.

That’s when a gunshot is heard. Trump stops mid-sentence, then he flinches. Trump then clutched his ear, and you could see the splatter of blood across his cheeks.

Then another two shots are quickly fired, and he ducks behind the podium. And almost immediately, this whole clutch of Secret Service agents surrounds Trump. And then you hear a burst of about five more shots.

The crowd was completely disoriented. Some people were sort of cheering. Other people started screaming.

And you could see behind Trump that folks were responding to those people who had been injured. At some point, a Secret Service sniper shoots back and kills the shooter. We know from looking at footage that at this point he’s lying dead on a rooftop about 4 to 500 feet away from Trump. And some of the images show an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle laying near his body.

The Secret Service are still laying on top of Trump shielding him. Then you hear, a couple of seconds later, “Shooter down, shooter down.” And it’s at that point that they start to move. The agents that surround him, kind of in a shell, slowly move him off stage.

And the thing I found most extraordinary, having covered Trump on and off all these years, is how quickly, when he realized that he was physically OK, that he pivoted to a complete understanding of what the image was, what the moment meant politically.

And there’s just this extraordinary moment of defiance where he balls his fists, and the crowd starts to chant, “USA, USA, USA.” I just can’t emphasize how extraordinary that was.

And just, like, he had this instinct that this may have been a horrific event, but he was somehow seeing it as a political one. He was making use of it and really connecting with the people at the rally.

Somebody who worked with Trump for many years said this to me a long time ago. A lot of other politicians play the music. They can read the notes. Trump can hear the music. And that was one of those moments where he intuitively understood the moment, understood the image, understood the sound, and behaved in a way that maximized his position going forward. It was really, really something else.

OK. So on the shooter, it wasn’t that he somehow passed through a security check or evaded a security check. He was just completely outside the zone that the Secret Service considered the zone of danger, right?

The shooter was completely outside the event on a warehouse roof outside of where Trump was speaking. There’s some reporting that he may have attempted to get in earlier, but part of the complication here was that he wasn’t actually within the perimeter of the event itself.

Got it. And what is the Secret Service saying about why it was that that building, with an apparent clear shot of the podium, was outside the perimeter?

Well, the Secret Service is an independent security agency that’s responsible for the protection of the president and other senior American officials. Candidates get protection as well.

But they don’t operate in isolation. When they come to a town, they often coordinate with local law enforcement. Sometimes you’ll see, for instance, state police sealing off highways when the motorcade comes through.

Well, oftentimes Secret Service will have control over the event itself while local law enforcement is tasked with controlling things outside of the perimeter. That appears to have been what happened in Pennsylvania. There were four counter-sniper teams on Saturday, two Secret Service and two local. And the building outside the perimeter would typically have been under the purview of local law enforcement.

Got it. So basically, Secret Service was taking care of security inside the lines of that perimeter. And local law enforcement was taking care of the security outside those lines. And that’s where the shooter was shooting from, outside the lines. Do we know what happened with local law enforcement there, how this shooter getting to the top of a roof ended up kind of falling through the cracks for them?

Nobody’s quite sure. But the speed with which this happened seems to have been an important dynamic. It wasn’t like this guy was camped out for hours. It appears that he scrambled up onto the roof of the warehouse, moving rather quickly, and planted himself and then fired. So there wasn’t a lot of time for law enforcement to react, apparently.

And what do we know so far about the shooter? What have investigators learned?

His name is Thomas Matthew Crooks. He is 20 years old. He’s from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which is about 40 miles from the scene of the shooting.

He was generally regarded in school as a quiet, intelligent guy. And he’d been working as a dietary aide at a local nursing home. And investigators told us that he was interested in chess and that he had recently taken up computer coding.

And what did the authorities say about his motive?

They don’t know. That is the big question. The public record is very scant.

He is a registered Republican. This would have been his first presidential election voting. And it appears that he gave $15, according to some reports, to a group that generally identifies as liberal.

But mostly, I would say, investigators are exasperated by the lack of any kind of directionality in terms of what his motivation or political beliefs have been. He has, for instance, not written any kind of a political manifesto, and there aren’t even a trail of social media posts to fall back on. They’re really hoping that once they are able to breach his cell phone, that that will unlock a trove of information that will point them in the right direction. But he really is an enigmatic character right now.

Do authorities think his attack was highly planned? And is there any indication that more attacks were planned?

Nobody really knows. The gun that he used was purchased by his father. Authorities are not clear whether or not his father gave it to him, lent it to him, or if he took it from his father. But they don’t believe his father bought it on his behalf.

What they did find were some explosive devices. There were apparently some canisters found in the car that he had been driving, which served the purpose of delaying the investigation for hours and hours yesterday as the bomb squad removed and deactivated these devices. And a law enforcement official told me that there was also a suspicious device found at his residence. So he clearly had some knowledge of both firearms and explosives, but they aren’t sure where he picked it up and what he intended to do.

So this, of course, as you know, is the first time in about 40 years that a current or former president has been wounded in an assassination attempt. Ronald Reagan, of course, was shot in 1981. What fundamentally went wrong here? Is there any way to see this other than as a colossal failure by the Secret Service?

I think this is going to be regarded as one of the darkest days in the history of the Secret Service. Now, all of us who have covered the White House have traveled with agents, tremendously high level of professionalism. And the job is difficult, bordering on impossible at times.

But allowing someone to have a clear firing line to a major presidential candidate in the middle of this kind of highly polarized environment is frankly inconceivable. And I think the other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and folks at the Department of Justice, were fairly unvarnished in private in their criticism of the way that the Secret Service planned this.

So there are a lot of unanswered questions. And some lawmakers have called for there to be a significant investigation of this. And the House Oversight Committee will call the head of the Secret Service to testify over the next couple of weeks.

What has Trump said since the shooting?

He’s been relatively muted. I think one of the really amazing moments and something which has been kind of overlooked, Joe Biden called up Donald Trump. And they seem to have had a civil exchange. I think it was this very, very rare and brief moment of comity in this campaign, which is just suffused with negativity and hostility.

And then Trump called for national unity. And he’s basically kind of kept up that vibe for the past 24 hours. But in his signature defiant way, he wrote, in a text message to supporters, I will never surrender. And on Truth Social, he called for his supporters to stand united and not to allow, quote, evil to win.

But he really seems to be toeing the line between his typical bombast and adopting a tone which is a little more conciliatory at a moment when Americans of all political stripes are extremely uneasy. And many are just, frankly, terrified.

And what have been the other reactions to this assassination attempt? What’s been happening in Washington? What have people been saying?

Democrats and administration officials have called for unity, essentially saying that this was not just an attack on Trump, but an attack on democracy.

Look, there’s no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick. It’s sick.

President Biden made it very clear in a couple of appearances over the weekend that he condemned the violence.

We cannot allow for this to be happening. We cannot be like this. We cannot condone this.

And said that this kind of reaction, regardless of your political stance, was completely unacceptable. Republicans had a wider range of reactions. There were some in the party who took a measured approach.

Everyone needs to turn the rhetoric down.

Like from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

You have political opposition and political opponents, but we’re all Americans. And we have to treat one another with dignity and respect.

But you also heard some Republicans taking a far different approach. You had people like Mike Collins, a kind of a firebrand Republican from Georgia, writing on social media that Joe Biden sent the orders to shoot Donald Trump.

Obviously, there’s no evidence for that.

I do believe that Joe Biden is responsible for the shooting today.

And you had Lauren Boebert from Colorado in a television interview saying Joe Biden is responsible for the shooting.

Everyone who has called him a fascist, everyone who has called him a threat to democracy, who said that he should be —

Essentially saying that it was Democratic rhetoric that caused this. Again, there’s been no evidence whatsoever yet that the shooter was motivated by that kind of rhetoric. But that was a common Republican talking point that you saw emerging, to say that using all of this description of Trump as an existential threat to democracy had somehow whipped up people to enact violent acts.

OK. So there are some crosscurrents of rhetoric here in the aftermath of the shooting. And we see some signs of unity. But it seems undeniable that this is a very fraught political moment. How much have you been hearing in your reporting about the possibility of further violence?

It’s a huge fear. And it’s building upon concerns that FBI and Justice Department officials have talked to us about for months and months and months, that they are worried about violence springing up in this election.

On a call on Sunday, they reiterated that the threat level is really high. For months, they’ve been telling us that they’re worried about shootings, spawning copycats. And also, outside of violence, it’s this wave of misinformation that tends to accompany these big events that can also create a bad cycle. People get whipped up and that, in turn, incites more violence.

So I think there is a level of tremendous uncertainty. And political conventions, as we have seen in years past, are a gathering point for all kinds of folks. Mostly people who are engaged in peaceful protests, but it’s also been catalytic for individuals who want to create all kinds of problems.

I think if there is a silver lining, it is that this near miss, this near national catastrophe has alerted law enforcement agencies, particularly the Secret Service, to up their vigilance to the highest possible level. So to a certain extent, like a near-miss of an airliner potentially crashing, it might have the positive impact of having people pay more attention at a time of what appears to be maximum danger.

Glenn, what happens now? I mean, you mentioned political conventions. The Republican National Convention is starting on Monday. Do we have any idea of how that event will play out, given what just happened, how this changes things?

Well, first and foremost, I think you’re going to see a level of security at both conventions that’s unprecedented. In terms of the political impact, that’s a little harder to predict. This presents Donald Trump with an enormous opportunity to reset his image, but it’s an entirely unpredictable political environment. And the situation could change.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I think its greatest meaning, its most resonant meaning is that our politics is changing and moving into a darker and more dangerous place. And the question is, are we entering an age where political violence becomes commonplace? Or is this a moment where we realize collectively that this is not the future we can accept?

And what happens in the next few days is going to be quite important to help give an answer to that.

Glenn, thank you.

Here’s what else you should know today. On Saturday, Israel conducted a major airstrike in the Southern Gaza Strip that it said targeted Hamas’ top military commander, who was allegedly one of the architects of the October 7th attack on Israel. Gazan health authorities said that at least 90 people died in the assault. But by Sunday night, it was not clear whether the commander targeted in the strike, Mohammed Deif, was among them.

Today’s episode was produced by Rob Szypko, Shannon Lin, Lynsea Garrison, and Stella Tan with help from Carlos Prieto. It was edited by Patricia Willens with help from Paige Cowett, fact checked by Susan Lee, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Diane Wong, Pat McCusker, and Sophia Lanman and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Beth Flynn, Simon Levien, and Jessica Metzger.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

• July 19, 2024   •   35:10 At the Republican Convention, Trump Achieves Mythical Status
• July 18, 2024   •   41:29 Trump 2.0: He’s Never Sounded Like This Before
• July 17, 2024   •   25:48 The Surprise Ending to the Mar-a-Lago Documents Case
• July 16, 2024   •   28:27 Trump Picks His Running Mate, and Political Heir
• July 15, 2024   •   31:26 The Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump
• July 14, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies’
• July 12, 2024   •   27:43 Loving Their Pets to Debt
• July 11, 2024   •   35:40 72 Hours Inside Biden’s Campaign to Save His Candidacy
• July 10, 2024   •   32:25 Why Britain Just Ended 14 Years of Conservative Rule
• July 9, 2024   •   27:33 The Era of Killer Robots Is Here
• July 8, 2024   •   26:17 The Supreme Court Is Not Done Remaking America
• July 5, 2024   •   26:50 How Bad Is Drinking for You, Really?

Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise

Featuring Doug Mills and Glenn Thrush

Produced by Rob Szypko ,  Shannon M. Lin ,  Lynsea Garrison and Stella Tan

With Carlos Prieto

Edited by Patricia Willens and Paige Cowett

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Pat McCusker ,  Sophia Lanman and Diane Wong

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Today’s episode sets out what we know about the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening.

Doug Mills, a photographer for The Times, recounts what it was like to witness the shooting, and Glenn Thrush, who covers gun violence for The Times, discusses the state of the investigation into the man who did it.

On today’s episode

Doug Mills , a photographer in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.

Glenn Thrush , who reports on the Justice Department for The New York Times.

Background reading

What we know about the assassination attempt against Donald J. Trump.

A Times photographer who was feet away from Mr. Trump describes the shooting.

The gunman appears to have acted alone, but his motives remain unclear .

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Michael Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson, Nina Lassam and Nick Pitman.

An earlier version of this episode referred imprecisely to Doug Mills’s experience photographing presidents. He has been photographing U.S. presidents since 1983, but   joined The New York Times in 2002.

How we handle corrections

Doug Mills has been a photographer in the Washington bureau of The Times since 2002. He previously worked at The Associated Press, where he won two Pulitzer Prizes. His Instagram is @nytmills . More about Doug Mills

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice and has also written about gun violence, civil rights and conditions in the country’s jails and prisons. More about Glenn Thrush

Advertisement