Game 53: Hugo II: Whodunit? - Introduction

Written by Deimar

And here we go again one more time. With a game that comes back just like me. With a vengeance. Brace yourselves for the continuation of 1990’s worst game… Hugo II: Whodunit?

Carmen Sandiego, no doubt. That fedora and suspicious behaviour are unmistakable

There is little to add to the introduction of the first game. By this point, David Gray had left his previous job developing software for UK Ministry of Defense to go fully self employed. “Hugo II: Whodunit?”, also called “Hugo’s Mystery Adventure” or even “Hugo’s Who Done it?”, was his first game after going independent and seems to keep the same level of excellence and charm as the original. Whatever that level you think it is. I will simply say that is a commendable effort for a single-person project.

After the success of the first installment, Gray almost immediately started to think in a sequel. In this interview he admits that he was trying to come up with a clever rhyme or alliteration for the name and ended up deciding between “Hugo whodunit?” and “Hugo’s there?”. As a non-english speaker I’m missing the point of the pun in the first one, but as the second one is lame even by Hugo’s standard, it was the chosen one. And being a fan of Agatha Christie’s mystery novels, it was decided that the second game would be a murder mystery game. I bet the murderer was Bensonmum.

See the magnifying glass? MYSTERY!! (image source)

The story takes off where the first one ended. After rescuing his girlfriend Penelope and fleeing the House of Horrors, Hugo decides to take Penelope to visit his Great Uncle Horace, at his English country-side secluded cottage. Well, at least is not a house in the middle of a swamp or else I might become suspicious.

 

Ok, I regret anything I said. This an acceptable picture of a house.

Inside the cottage, the saucy-looking french maid welcomes them and invites them to a room upstairs. The name of the maiden may be Fifi or may be not, as she doesn’t say any other phrase than “go to your room”. But it is lovely seeing how she blocks any movement that doesn’t involve going up to the room.

And… the graphics go full paint-mode inside.
Almost as horrible as the maid’s french accent.
I’m starting to miss the House of Horror’s decoration...

In any case, Hugo reluctantly obeys and goes to his room with Penelope, who immediately goes to sleep. Being the curious and adventurous type, Hugo starts to loot the ro… erm… search what can he do to pass the time when he touches a yellow book in the bookcase which opens it and makes Hugo disappear.

Bye. bye Hugo. We will miss your startling personality and good taste in clothing

And here is where the game really starts, as we take control of Penelope which is awaken by a heavy noise to an empty room. Giving absolutely no attention to Hugo’s disappearance, I guess he must disappear quite frequently to seek a secluded spot and cry while saying “Bullet!! Bullet!!” , she decides to peek through a keyhole to see what’s causing the noise. And then she becomes the only witness to uncle Horace’s murder.

Sadly, I have to say that any person wearing that jersey deserves to die

I’ll be playing the DosBox version, included within the Windows trilogy. I can see that the game is already at the bottom of everyone’s guess for 1991 so we are probably starting the year with something that will make anything else look amazing. We will see in the following posts but if anything I have to wish this game to be as short as the first one or else I’m in a lot of trouble...

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