Adventures of Bertram Fiddle 1: A Dreadly Business

About

In "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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Adventures of Bertram Fiddle 1: A Dreadly Business screenshot

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 351 reviews

humor165 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and humorous writing, filled with clever puns and references.
Voice acting is well done, adding to the overall enjoyment of the game.
The gameplay is straightforward and accessible, making it suitable for casual gamers.

The game is very short, taking only about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
Puzzles are overly simplistic and lack challenge, making the game feel less engaging for experienced players.
The episodic nature of the game means players must purchase future episodes separately, which may not be appealing.

humor
165 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever puns, quirky British wit, and engaging dialogue, often drawing comparisons to classic comedic styles like Monty Python. While some players found the humor to be hit-or-miss or overly reliant on childish jokes, many appreciated the charming characters and amusing scenarios that kept them entertained throughout the short playtime. Overall, the game's lighthearted and whimsical approach to humor contributes significantly to its appeal as a fun point-and-click adventure.
- “Excellent game - captivating story, quite charming characters, fantastic music and funny dialogs with cleverly crafted puns.”
- “Funny Victorian detective parody.”
- “The humor is fun and the art style is charming.”
story
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players finding it charming and humorous, featuring witty dialogue and engaging characters set in a whimsical Victorian London. However, criticisms arise regarding its brevity and linearity, with some feeling that the narrative lacks depth and fails to fully develop within the short playtime. Overall, while the story is entertaining and well-presented, it leaves players wanting more, especially as it ends on a note that suggests continuation in future episodes.
- “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.”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
36%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, quirky, and cartoonish art style, which effectively complements the humor and storytelling. Many reviewers highlight the unique and visually appealing hand-drawn aesthetics, along with solid animations and voice acting, making the overall visual experience delightful. While the graphics are a standout feature, some players note that the game's simplicity and short length may detract from its overall impact.
- “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 and made-up Victorian-style names that kept a smile on my face all the way through.”
- “The delightfully simple animation and art style is a joy, with the cartoonishly grotesque character designs creating a wonderfully weird and memorable cast.”
- “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.”
- “I really like the drawing and graphic as it is new to me (although it is more like kid style).”
- “The game's art style reminds me of a cross between Flapjack and Rugrats, with a bit of Victorian flair.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
68%
8%
The gameplay is characterized as simple and linear, primarily following a point-and-click format with straightforward puzzles and a light-hearted, humorous tone. While some players appreciate its charm and the inclusion of mini-games, many find the experience too short (around 90 minutes) and lacking in depth, which may not satisfy those seeking a more challenging adventure. Overall, it offers a casual and enjoyable experience, particularly for fans of the genre, but may leave others wanting more complexity and content.
- “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.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
19%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and suitability, enhancing the overall whimsical and humorous atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, often describing it as fantastic, enjoyable, and a key element that complements the game's quirky characters and engaging story. While some opinions vary, the consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a memorable experience.
- “Excellent game - captivating story, quite charming characters, fantastic music and funny dialogs with cleverly crafted puns.”
- “The game itself feels like a typical point and click adventure game full of jokes, witty comments, memorable colorful characters, and an amazing soundtrack.”
- “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.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and well-crafted depiction of Victorian London, enhanced by humor and quirky character designs. Reviewers appreciate the combination of a steampunk aesthetic with engaging puzzles, creating a fun and enjoyable experience that captures the essence of the era.
- “Speaking of backgrounds, they are also perfectly designed, creating a needed atmosphere of Victorian London.”
- “The characters are funny, the atmosphere completely fits the Victorian London era, and the puzzles are enjoyable to complete.”
- “Great atmosphere, weird noses, the wits of Brits and puns to die for!”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to immerse players.”
- “Despite the intriguing setting, the overall ambiance fails to evoke any real sense of tension or excitement.”
- “The game’s atmosphere is marred by repetitive sound design and bland visuals that detract from the experience.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
While the game features charming character design and enjoyable dialogue, it lacks significant character development, leaving players without deep connections to the characters. The animation and art style are praised for their uniqueness, but the absence of meaningful interactions limits opportunities for growth and humor. Overall, the experience is fun but may feel superficial in terms of character depth.
- “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.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to excessive backtracking and slow-paced voice work, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game has a unique flair and humor, the repetitive nature of exploration and action sequences can make it feel more laborious than engaging. Overall, it may be more enjoyable to watch than to play.
- “The voice work is tediously slow, and for some characters just plain annoying - so you find yourself skipping most of it and reading the subtitles.”
- “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.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that the easy puzzles and straightforward gameplay do not encourage multiple playthroughs. Many feel that the single experience does not justify the price, especially given the game's short length.
- “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly alter the outcome, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With multiple endings and different paths to explore, the replayability factor is high, encouraging players to dive back in.”
- “The inclusion of unlockable content and hidden secrets motivates players to replay the game to discover everything it has to offer.”
- “Another issue is that there is absolutely no replayability, which would be fine if the game was a lot longer.”
- “With being a point-and-click game, 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.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent freezes and numerous bugs reported by users. Despite these technical problems, players still find value in its engaging story and characters.
- “It freezes every few seconds.”
- “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, but the stability issues are frustrating.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be heartwarming and charming, with a fun story and engaging characters that resonate deeply. The overall tone and graphics enhance this emotional experience, making it memorable and impactful.
- “For me, it was definitely something that made me feel like, 'Oh wow!'”
- “The story and characters are heartwarmingly charming; the narrative is fun, and the tone and graphics are amazing.”