Professor Layton and Luke are on a mission to find the fabled Mask of Miracle in the town of Montdol. Rumors have been circulating that the mask has the power to grant wishes, but upon arrival, they discover that it's already being misused by a mysterious figure turning people to stone.
The game builds upon the physical button controls for puzzle-solving, utilizing the Nintendo 3DS hardware capabilities to render characters in polygons outside of cutscenes. The interface has also been polished with improvements such as the use of sprites and other visual enhancements.
As you explore Montdol, you'll encounter various mini-games that unlock as you progress through the story. These include:
Bunny : Help a struggling circus performer train their bunny to perform new tricks in exchange for performing at a theatrical show. You'll need to teach the bunny different moves and instruct it on what to do during each scene.
Robot : Acquire a toy robot and play levels where you control its movements through a grid, trying to reach the end square before running out of battery. You can use special items or boosters to overcome obstacles and enemies.
Shop : Assist a friend in need by arranging items in a store to make them appealing to customers. You'll need to strategically place similar items next to each other to catch the customer's eye.
Beside these mini-games, you can collect various items during your exploration and access flashback sub-stories that reveal more about the characters' pasts. These stories are presented as short episodes with varying character appearances.