- "Diabolical box" and "Diabolical Box" redirect here. For the relic this game is named after, see the Elysian Box.
- "In this mind-bending mystery, puzzles hide in every corner. As rumors of a cursed artifact circulate, the professor's mentor is found dead in mysterious circumstances, and the only apparent clue is a ticket for the Molentary Express... Test your wits in this engrossing, mind-bending adventure!"
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, known as Professor Layton and Pandora's Box in Europe and Australia, is the second game in the Professor Layton series. It is preceded by Professor Layton and the Curious Village and followed by Professor Layton and the Unwound Future.
The game follows Professor Layton and Luke on a quest to solve the mystery of the Elysian Box, a relic rumored to kill anybody who opens it.
HD remake[]
In November 2018, an HD remake of the game was announced called Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box EXHD for Smartphone[n 1][1], following the remake of the previous game. It was released on December 5th, 2018 in Japan and on June 20th, 2019 in North America and Europe.
Gameplay Changes[]
- The red exclamation point is now only used when there is a puzzle to solve. If there is no puzzle, 4 white lines appear instead.
- You can now use the Memo feature on all puzzles.
- The puzzle index no longer unlocks all hints for a puzzle once you have solved it.
- You can now go back to the title screen from the trunk.
- Hint coins are now displayed as your current number of hint coins next to your number of hint coins found.
Chapters[]
- Prologue: The Elysian Box
- Chapter 1: The Legendary Molentary Express
- Chapter 2: The Country Village of Dropstone
- Chapter 3: A Diverging Path
- Chapter 4: The Phantom Town of Folsense
- Chapter 5: Shadows on the Street Corner
- Chapter 6: The Road to Herzen Castle
- Chapter 7: An Encounter at the End of the Line
Mysteries[]
- Main article: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box/Mysteries
Plot[]
Prologue: The Elysian Box[]
Layton and Luke entering Schrader's home.
Layton receives a letter about the Elysian Box from his mentor Dr. Andrew Schrader, telling him that he had been researching the box for quite some time and had finally decided to open it. Dr. Schrader tells Layton that if
The train ticket.
the box kills him like it was rumored to do so, that he wanted Layton to continue his research. Layton and Luke travel to London to go and see Dr. Schrader after receiving his letter, only to find out that Layton's mentor is dead and the box is not in the apartment. Upon investigating at the crime scene (without any help from Inspector Chelmey), they discover a train ticket for the well known Molentary Express but they find it odd when the ticket doesn't seem to have a destination on it. They also discover a strange photo that's been torn into multiple fragments, but Chelmey confiscates it and throws them out. Layton decides their best course of action is to board the Molentary Express.
Chapter One: The Legendary Molentary Express[]
The Molentary Express leaving London.
Deciding to take a trip on the train in hopes to find something out about the box, Layton and Luke meet up with Inspector Chelmey (who is apparently following the same lead) and aid him in trying to locate another passenger's missing 'boy', Tom. During their search, they meet up with the founder of the Molentary Express, Mr. Beluga and his rocker nephew (and train conductor) Sammy Thunder. After a while of searching, they discover that Tom is really a dog and some other passengers said they saw a young woman with a dog on the train. When they find the young woman, they discover that it was Flora and they agree to let her come with them on their journey if she promises to be careful. They take Tom back to his owner and return to their cabin, so they can wait until they get to the first stop, a farming village called Dropstone. Before they could get there, the train stops. They find out that there's another train blocking their way.
Layton and Luke leaving the train.
After Layton assists Sammy and the mechanic, the train finally reaches Dropstone.
Chapter Two: The Country Village Of Dropstone[]
The trio set out to explore the town in the hope of discovering some more leads while the train is being repaired. Upon their arrival, they discover that the village is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As they explore the village, they find out that the daughter of the village's wealthiest man and mayor, Katia, is planning to leave home in hopes to fulfill her late grandmother's last wish (Much to the dismay of her father). During the festival, Flora loses Layton and Luke in the crowd and gets pulled away by a shadowy figure. When Layton and Luke find her again, to them she seems more reclusive, but shrugs it off deciding that the length of the journey must be
Dropstone's Plaza
taking its toll on her. They go to board the train again, and meet a man named Romie who tells them of a phantom town that doesn't appear on any map. Apparently, the only way to get to this town is on the Molentary Express. The trio are about to board when they notice that there is a large crowd gathered there. They discover that the crowd are saying their goodbyes to a young woman with short purple hair; they deduce that the young woman must be Katia. They reboard the train, wondering where Katia is going, and why so many people decided to see her off.
Chapter Three: A Diverging Path[]
Layton and Luke getting back on the train.
Back on the train, Layton, Luke and Flora decide to explore the off-limits deluxe car in front of the train. As they are exploring the room, they are overcome with exhaustion and fall asleep as the train enters a long tunnel. In the darkness, the deluxe car splits off from the rest of the train and joins a different train headed for another town. Layton realizes that the ticket found in Schrader's home actually did have a destination written on it-it was just in code. The ticket is for the town of Folsense, which Schrader must have visited before his death. The three finally arrive in town, noting that it has gotten very dark in the short time they had been out. The abandoned station, they notice, is lined with ancient pictures of the town (which Layton judges to be about thirty years old). Upon entering, they are overcome with a wave of vertigo and are shocked to see that Folsense hasn't changed a bit in all the long years. Stranger still, the old station they just exited out of transforms as brilliant as the town. What's going on here?
Chapter Four: The Phantom Town Of Folsense[]
Layton and crew in the station.
As the trio search for leads, Flora says that she feels tired. They leave her behind in a hotel, as they search for more leads. As they talk to the locals, they discover a rumor that there is a vampire living in the late Duke's castle. They also discover that the town itself is believed to be cursed.
Layton running into Folsense.
Layton and Luke decide to visit the Herzen Museum, only to find that it's closed and Sammy and Beluga are inside having a fight. Layton spots a strange goat emblem on the ground and has a revelation. He asks Chelmey to show him the torn photo found at Schrader's flat, only to find that Chelmey has a hole in his pocket and the pieces were scattered about town. Layton and Luke decide to find the pieces and figure out what the photo is showing.
Chapter Five: Shadows On The Street Corner[]
Layton and Luke track down all the pieces and reconstruct the photo, which depicts the Elysian Box. On the top of the box is a goat emblem just like the one spotted in various locations around Folsense. Before they can paste the fragments together and use it to question the residents, the piece with the goat's eyes is blown away, and they hastily paste the remaining pieces together. Soon after, Barton (Inspector Chelmey's partner) asks them to return to the hotel because Chelmey had figured out who killed Dr. Schrader. They return to the hotel to find who is responsible for Schrader's murder.
Chapter Six: The Road To Herzen Castle[]
Layton and Luke return to the hotel to find that Chelmey has rounded up all of the suspects (Flora, Katia, Beluga, Sammy, Luke, and Layton). Upon his own deductive reasoning, Chelmey accuses Sammy Thunder of murdering Schrader deciding to beat his uncle to the box. As a denying Sammy is being taken away, Layton studies the photo and Flora comments on the "cute goat emblem" decorating the box. Layton has a revelation and stops Chelmey, pointing out that the only person who could know what the Elysian Box looks like is the guilty suspect. Thus, the murderer could only be Flora - the missing scrap of the photo makes the emblem look nothing like a goat, more like a frog. Since Flora commented on the "cute goat emblem", she must have seen the Elysian Box before. Layton is shocked to find out that Flora is none other than Don Paolo, who stole
Layton accusing Flora of having the Elysian Box.
the box from Schrader and has it in his possession. Don Paolo escapes, but drops the Elysian Box when being pursued by Chelmey and Barton. Luke spots it and picks it up.
Mr. Beluga demands that the box be given to him after explaining that it is a Herzen family heirloom and it is also the key to unlocking the family's fortune and that he is the son of the late Duke Herzen. But before Layton hands him the box, the hotel's bellhop says that he doesn't have any claim over the
Layton about to open the box.
box as he abandoned the town over fifty years ago and cut all ties to his family after a dispute between him and his father. Layton takes the box back to his room and opens it, only to find out that it is completely empty, and they didn't die. The two take to the street again to find some answers. Thanks to Sammy as a thank you for clearing his name, they go to the Herzen Museum where they learn that Mr. Beluga was the founder of the museum and that he has an older brother called Anton, who apparently still lives in the family castle. They are led to an abandoned mine where they discover that the Herzen family became rich from mining gold and that the miners found another precious metal in the mine. But they were weary of it because after they unearthed the metal, the workers and some residents became ill and died, leading to the closing of the mine.
Anton's welcoming.
Chapter Seven: An Encounter At The End Of The Line[]
They decide to go to the castle, where they meet Anton, but are wary of the fact that he looks exactly the same as he did in a portrait painted fifty years ago. Anton invites them to stay the night at the castle. When they go to bed, Layton and Luke see a vision of themselves at a ball being held in the castle and they see a woman that bears a striking resemblance to Katia, dancing with Anton. All of a sudden, the dancers stop and stare at Layton and Luke. When they awake, they find themselves tied up in a storage room, as Anton explains that he must make preparations for dinner and that the two should enjoy their last moments they have in each other's company, before he leaves.
Anton explaining the Elysian Box's story.
During this time, Layton and Luke manage to escape and find Katia. As the three of them head for the exit, Anton shows up. When he sees Katia, he is shocked and calls to Katia, calling her Sophia instead, to come to him. She shakes her head and hides behind Layton. In fury, believing that his beloved 'Sophia' has fallen for the other man, he points a sword at Layton. Layton grabs a sword from some armor and they begin to fight, only stopping when Anton becomes short of
Anton and Sophia's dance.
breath. Katia yells for them to stop, saying that her grandfather's body can't take the strain. At this point, she explains that she is Anton's granddaughter. When he says he is too young to be anyone's grandfather. Katia begins to explain that his youth is just an illusion, only to be cut off by Layton. He explains that fifty years ago, the miners accidentally uncovered a vein of hallucinogenic gas. Since they are all breathing it in and had seen the photos at the station, they are seeing the town (and its residents) as it were fifty years ago.
The sword fight with Anton.
Anton goes on to explain that he fell in love with Sophia over fifty years ago, but she abandoned him, saying that there was someone else who needed her love more than him. Katia explains that she didn't fall in love with someone else, but she was referring to her pregnancy, and that the only reason she left was because she thought the town was too dangerous to raise their child in. Unable to accept that Sophia is dead, Anton swings his sword around, accidentally severing one of the cables that held the chandelier up, causing it to fall down and causing the castle to collapse. All four of them make out unharmed, but Anton is shocked to see the town is an abandoned desolate place and that his youth is gone. It was there that Layton returns the Elysian box to him and
Anton's true self.
explains that the metal the box is made out of is infused with the gas, and the people who opened it, expecting it to kill them, fulfilled their own grim predictions. Anton then went on to explain that the Elysian box contains a letter he wrote to Sophia, but because of its value, it kept getting stolen. When Luke says the box is empty last they checked, Anton explains that there is a second way to open it and tells them what he used to tell Sophia; "The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows, you will know my heart.
After solving the puzzle, they discover a letter which they hand to Anton. He is shocked to discover that it isn't his handwriting but Sophia's, meaning that she did receive his letter. The letter she wrote explains that she never told him that she was carrying their baby, because she knew he couldn't leave Folsense because he was next in line to rule over the town. She also wishes to meet up with him again in the next life because she doesn't have much longer. Anton smiles at the letter saying, "I hope you can forgive me, my dear, but our reunion on the other side will have to wait a little longer, because I have someone here that I need to get to know first" as he puts his arm around Katia.
End[]
As they go home, Layton shows Flora and Luke an article in the paper saying that Dr. Schrader is alive, and that he was actually in a coma which copied the symptoms of death.
Spoilers end here
Locations[]
The front screen.
Characters[]
Old[]
New[]
- Anton Herzen, the current duke of Folsense and the main antagonist of the game, thought to be an immortal vampire.
- Sophia, the lover of Anton.
- Katia, Sophia's granddaughter.
- Mr. Beluga, Anton's brother and owner of the Molentary Express.
- Barton, Chelmey's bobby.
- Dr. Andrew Schrader, Layton's mentor, whose death kickstarts the plot.
- Duke Herzen, the former duke of Folsense and Anton and Beluga's father.
- Mr. Anderson, a wealthy and influential man in Dropstone and Katia's father.
- Sammy Thunder, the conductor of the Molentary Express.
- Macaroon, the chef of the Molentary Express.
- Chester, a waiter aboard the Molentary Express.
- Hank (US); Steve(UK), the repairman of the Molentary Express.
- Damon, a streetwise kid who teaches Layton and Luke about Hint Coins.
- Capone, a diminutive CEO and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Mitzi, Capone's talkative wife and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Lili, a precocious girl and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Sally, a waitress aboard the Molentary Express.
- Conrad, a college student from Dropstone and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Babette, a wealthy, plump woman and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Tom, Babette's pet dog.
- Hamster, Macaroon's gluttonous pet.
- Angus, a man with an eyepatch who runs the booths at the carnival in Dropstone and Lulu's brother.
- Kostya, an elderly man who is a longtime resident of Dropstone.
- Dorothea, a maid who serves the Anderson family.
- Clabber, a dairy farmer who is often at odds with Oscar.
- Oscar, a dairy farmer who is often at odds with Clabber.
- Nick, a friendly kid who lives in Dropstone.
- Gabe, a chef who lives in Dropstone and Balsa's husband.
- Balsa, a carpenter and Gabe's wife.
- Dogey (US); Dylan (UK), a dog-faced man who once worked in the mines in Folsense.
- Narice (US); Clarice (UK), a ghost fanatic.
- Ilyana (US); Vera (UK), a showgirl who works at the Folsense cabaret.
- Garland, owner of the grocery store in Folsense and Marina's father.
- Nigel, Anton's butler.
- Jacques, the Anderson family's butler.
- Grousley, an artist and a passenger on the Molentary Express.
- Marjorie, a teacher and a resident of Dropstone.
- Lulu, a girl with pigtails who hosts the livestock competition in Dropstone and Angus's sister.
- Albert, a resident of Dropstone who researches its history.
- Madeline, a bipolar woman and a resident of Dropstone.
- Karla, a wealthy globetrotter and a passenger of the Molentary Express.
- Romie, an explorer in Dropstone who knows of the Elysian Box.
- Wurtzer, a compassionate man who is a resident of Dropstone and a close friend of Mr. Anderson.
- Lopez, a fashionista and a resident of Dropstone.
- Laurel, an elderly resident of Dropstone who gives Layton and Luke the Tea Set.
- Parcelle, a postman based in Dropstone whose route takes him all the way to Folsense.
- Remy, the Anderson family's narcoleptic guardsman.
- Winston, the Anderson family's chauffer.
- Joseph, a man who runs the Photo Studio in Folsense.
- Rory, a boy who stands in front of Folsense Station, waiting for his girlfriend.
- Lila, a resident of Folsense who likes to gossip.
- Felix, the bouncer of Folsense's restaurant.
- Niles, a resident of Folsense looking for a playmate and Duke's younger brother.
- Duke, a resident of Folsense who bears an uncanny resemblance to Luke and Niles's older brother.
- Hopper, a party-boy and a resident of Folsense.
- Olson, a man with bad eyesight who is touring Folsense.
- Derby, a man who moved to Folsense due to being fascinated by its reputation.
- Dawson, a man who runs the antique shop in Folsense.
- Joanie, a headstrong young girl and a resident of Folsense.
- Krantz, the manager of the Folsense Hotel.
- Grinko, the curator of the Herzen Museum.
- Marina, a young girl who likes baking cookies and Garland's daughter.
- Opal, an aristocrat in Folsense.
- Ray, a resident of Folsense who wears sunglasses at night to intimidate others.
- Gregorio, a chess fanatic and a resident of Folsense.
- Gertie, a cook in Folsense who specializes in making pancakes.
- Precious, a guard dog in Folsense.
- The Puzzle Troupe: Puzzle Guys 1-5(US)/Puzzle Lads 1-5(UK) and Puzzle Gals 1-5(US)/Puzzle Lasses 1-5(UK), a group of ten diminutive people who act as the many characters featured in the hypothetical situations presented in the puzzles.
Puzzles[]
See Diabolical Box Puzzle Index.
Boxarts & Logo[]
Media[]
- Main article: Gallery:Diabolical Box
| Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box OST | ||
|---|---|---|
| Release date: Dec 24, 2008 | 
| |
| Publisher: FRAME (distributed by King Records) | ||
| Composer: Tomohito Nishiura, Layton Grand Caravan Orchestra, Ryoki Matsumoto | ||
| Format: CD | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1 | Theme of the Elysian Box | 2:09 |
| 2 | In London | 2:28 |
| 3 | Puzzles Remixed | 3:33 |
| 4 | The Molentary Express | 3:24 |
| 5 | Suspense | 3:54 |
| 6 | The Village of Dropstone | 3:32 |
| 7 | An Uneasy Atmosphere | 2:45 |
| 8 | Folsense | 3:12 |
| 9 | The Town's Past | 3:25 |
| 10 | Time for a Break | 2:34 |
| 11 | The Dark Forest | 3:06 |
| 12 | Into the Depths of the Dark | 2:38 |
| 13 | Unspoken Feelings | 3:07 |
| 14 | The Somber Castle | 2:26 |
| 15 | The Ball | 1:51 |
| 16 | The True Folsense | 0:36 |
| 17 | Iris (Music Box Version) | 3:09 |
| 18 | Theme of the Elysian Box (Live Version) | 3:34 |
| 19 | Folsense (Live Version) | 5:23 |
| 20 | Don Paolo's Theme (Live Version) | 4:05 |
| 21 | Time for a Break (Live Version) | 4:24 |
| 22 | The Town's Past (High Quality) | 3:25 |
| 23 | The Dark Forest (High Quality) | 3:06 |
| 24 | The Somber Castle (High Quality) | 2:28 |
| Total time: | 74:14 | |
Main Theme[]
Elysian Box Theme |
Length: 3m34s |
Trivia[]
- Starting from this game, Layton faces at the character he's talking to during character conversations rather than facing at the screen in Curious Village .
- Like the previous and future games, if the player has Curious Village and Unwound Future, they can unlock the hidden door for both the Secrets of the Elysian Box and the Ticket to Time Travel.
- "Iris~Shiawase no Hako", a song by Salyu, was completely re-composed without the vocals as a music box version and an instrumental version for non-Japanese versions of the game.
- Strangely enough, the "Pandora's Box" references and nickname were omitted from Diabolical Box, unlike Pandora's Box.
- The first time Inspector Chelmey appears in person, as opposed to as a disguise is in this game.
Notes[]
- ^ レイトン教授と悪魔の箱 EXHD for スマートフォン
Reiton kyōju to akuma no bako EXHD for sumāto fon
References[]
External Links[]
- Official English website (UK)
- Official Japanese website
- Official website for the HD remake
- Official Soundtrack (Japanese)
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