Adventures of Bertram Fiddle 1: A Dreadly Business
- April 2, 2015
- Rumpus
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Adventures of Bertram Fiddle 1: A Dreadly Business," players join amateur detective Bertram Fiddle in Victorian London to solve a series of strange murders. Through point-and-click gameplay, players explore the city, question suspects, and uncover clues. With its unique humor and hand-drawn art style, this game offers a comedic take on the classic adventure genre.
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Reviews
- Charming art style and humorous writing that keeps players engaged.
- Easy and intuitive puzzles make it accessible for casual gamers.
- Delightful voice acting and quirky characters enhance the overall experience.
- The game is very short, typically completed in under two hours.
- Puzzles are overly simplistic, lacking challenge for seasoned players.
- The episodic format may leave players feeling unsatisfied without a complete story.
- humor268 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle - Episode 1" is widely praised for its clever puns, cheeky British wit, and quirky character interactions, making it a delightful experience for fans of point-and-click adventures. While some found the humor to be a bit overdone or reliant on childish jokes, the overall consensus is that the game successfully delivers a charming and entertaining narrative filled with amusing dialogue and memorable characters. Despite its short length, many players enjoyed the lighthearted and whimsical atmosphere, often likening it to a Monty Python-esque experience.
“Excellent game - captivating story, quite charming characters, fantastic music and funny dialogs with cleverly crafted puns.”
“Puns galore, cheeky British humor, and so many dumb moments it's hard to describe.”
“The combination of incredibly funny dialogue mixed with interesting puzzles to solve really brings out the charm of Adventures of Bertram.”
- story176 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle" is characterized by its quirky humor, charming characters, and a whimsical Victorian London setting, though many players find it disappointingly short and lacking depth. While the dialogue is filled with clever puns and the narrative is engaging, the episodic format leaves some feeling unsatisfied, as the main plot involving a serial killer feels rushed and underdeveloped. Overall, the game offers a light-hearted experience with potential for more, but players express a desire for a more substantial storyline and longer gameplay.
“Excellent game - captivating story, quite charming characters, fantastic music and funny dialogues with cleverly crafted puns.”
“The story and characters are heartwarmingly charming, the story is fun and the tone and graphics are amazing.”
“A well-written story with a whimsical art style and good voice acting and cringe-worthy puns, I was surprised by how short this game is (I finished it in under 2 hours) and how the conclusion was quite unsatisfying - I was drawn into the story and was looking for more.”
“The main story barely has time to develop around the main quest, which is catching a serial killer.”
“I just think that unfortunately the game's story lets it down, which is a real shame considering most point-and-clicks are made fun because of their engaging narratives.”
“The puzzles are too easy, the jokes aren't that funny, the story isn't interesting, the characters aren't engaging... and it only takes about 1.5-2 hours to finish.”
- graphics140 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Bertram Fiddle" are widely praised for their charming, quirky, and cartoonish art style, which effectively captures the game's whimsical tone and humor. Many reviewers highlight the unique and visually appealing hand-drawn backgrounds, as well as the delightful character designs that contribute to the overall charm of the game. While the graphics are considered a standout feature, some players note that the simplicity of the visuals may not provide enough challenge in gameplay.
“Bertram Fiddle is a point & click game with a good-looking, stylized, cartoony art style that immediately catches the eye.”
“The graphics are great for this sort of game, the voice acting is superb and the humor is terrific, lots of puns & made up Victorian style names that kept a smile on my face all the way through.”
“The artwork is beautiful and unique, and the contrast between the drab environments and the main characters is carried out very well.”
“The simple layout of the game, whilst aesthetically pleasing, doesn’t leave a whole lot of things to click on so it is never really that challenging to decide what needs to be used with what.”
“The mixture of a cute, but gruesome, grotesque and unusual art style really gives this game not only a visual charm, but it's also reflected within the dialogue.”
“At first I didn't quite like the art style, but I really liked this game for its humor, its innuendos and references.”
- gameplay70 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as linear and straightforward, typical of classic point-and-click adventures, with simple puzzles and a humorous narrative. While it offers enjoyable mechanics and a light-hearted experience, many players find it too short (around 90 minutes) and lacking in depth, which may not satisfy fans of more complex adventure games. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate casual gameplay and British humor, despite its limitations.
“The gameplay is pretty linear and simple, but enjoyable.”
“About an hour of gameplay, simple point-and-click, clues are easy to figure out.”
“If you like not-too-long old-style point & click adventures with easy gameplay plus wacky British humor, then this is definitely the game for you.”
“If you think that sounds pretty funny, you might forgive the clunky gameplay and unsatisfying ending.”
“Without anything substantial to draw you in, you become very aware of the actual flaws of the gameplay itself (e.g. a lack of things to click on), and end up losing interest quickly.”
“It thrives on humor and style more than it does in-depth gameplay, which is likely to leave non-casual adventure gamers dissatisfied with its brief length and lack of intricate puzzles.”
- music38 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and suitability, enhancing the whimsical and humorous atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the fantastic soundtrack as a standout feature, often describing it as phenomenal and integral to the overall experience. While some mention that the music is decent, the general consensus is that it significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a worthwhile purchase.
“The game itself feels like a typical point and click adventure game full of jokes, witty comments, memorable colorful characters, and an amazing soundtrack.”
“And I'd like the soundtrack too, the music is phenomenal.”
“The music is decent.”
“Although, the soundtrack almost makes it worth the purchase alone... well worth it if you get it now for just over 4 US dollars.”
“I find the overdone British accents, the hand-drawn graphics, music, story, and humor to be charming; the puzzles weren't hard but I actually quite enjoyed that aspect.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, effectively capturing the humor and charm of Victorian London with well-designed backgrounds and quirky characters. Reviewers highlight the enjoyable blend of steampunk elements and witty dialogue, contributing to a fun and engaging experience. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently described as fitting and delightful, enhancing the gameplay.
“The characters are funny, the atmosphere completely fits the Victorian London era, and the puzzles are enjoyable to complete.”
“Speaking of backgrounds, they are also perfectly designed, creating a needed atmosphere of Victorian London.”
“Great atmosphere, weird noses, the wits of Brits and puns to die for!”
- character development12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
While the game features impressive character design, smooth animation, and engaging dialogue, it lacks substantial character development, leaving players without deep connections to the characters. The absence of interactive dialogue options further diminishes opportunities for character growth and engagement. Overall, the visual and auditory elements shine, but the characters themselves remain underdeveloped.
“By far, the main draw of this game is the character design and smooth animation styles, with a lot of fun dialogue sprinkled throughout.”
“Love the dialogue and character design.”
“The delightfully simple animation and art style is a joy with the cartoonishly grotesque character designs creating a wonderfully weird and memorable cast.”
“There's no character development or in-depth characters to become attached to.”
“You can't converse with Gavin; a wasted opportunity for character development, humor, and hints.”
“There's no character development or in-depth characters to become attached to.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that the easy puzzles and guided gameplay diminish the challenge and engagement typically found in point-and-click adventures. As a result, players feel that the single playthrough does not justify the price, especially given the game's short length.
“Another issue is there is absolutely no replayability, which would be fine if the game was a lot longer.”
“With being a point and click, there isn't much replayability, so that one experience through the story is all you're getting for that $11.00.”
“The cursor shows you which items are playable and the puzzles are so easy they hardly feel like puzzles as they're not challenging at all.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes and numerous bugs reported by users. Despite these technical problems, many players still find the game enjoyable due to its engaging story and characters.
“It freezes every few seconds.”
“Add to that, scanning the reviews, I saw a lot of people complaining it was really buggy.”
“With a couple of glitches to boot, this charming, funny point and click is definitely worth it, with a hilarious story and intriguing characters, as well as great locations.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly during repetitive action sequences and walking mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. However, some users appreciate the humor and classiness that accompany these moments, providing a slight offset to the monotony.
“The small action sequences are tedious rather than invigorating and will have you flailing suddenly for the keyboard after hours of point and click.”
“Sometimes walking within the game can be a bit tedious.”
“A bit tedious, but funny, and classy.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging, praising its heartwarming story and charming characters. The combination of fun narrative, appealing tone, and impressive graphics contributes to a memorable emotional experience.
“The story and characters are heartwarmingly charming; the narrative is engaging, and the tone and graphics are amazing.”
“For me, it was definitely something that made me feel like, 'Oh wow!'”
