Game 34: The Colonel's Bequest - Final Rating

There have been some tough games to rate over the course of this blog, but The Colonel’s Bequest will likely take the cake. The fact is that I probably haven’t played the game the way it was meant to be played, and yet I think I’m within my rights to play any game the way I see fit, rather than being forced down a specific path based on the will of the designers. I can only review and rate a game according to my own experience, but I think I will have to show some leniency in at least one category. Let’s see how it goes...

Puzzles and Solvability
The Colonel’s Bequest was clearly designed with multiple play throughs in mind. The player is supposed to play through reasonably quickly, picking up different clues each time, and trying to piece it all together gradually. I took a different approach, partly through choice, but mostly due to not wanting to get bogged down for too long with any one game on this blog. The truth is that I missed a lot of the adventure style puzzles in the game, meaning I was for the most part just an onlooker, gathering clues that amounted to very little. The bits I missed sound genuinely interesting, such as the stuff that occurs in the chapel and the basement, and would have allowed me to actually use all the items I collected on my way through the eight acts. However, now that I know why and how I missed these sections, I do think they were too well hidden. The belltower and armour puzzles weren’t majorly concealed, but the many deaths I encountered while trying to solve them simply put me off the scent. Other Sierra games might have given me a “perhaps if you tried that a different way” style message after these failures, to at least let me know that there was some benefit to persevering.

Once this occurred, I never considered ringing the bell again.

The other “puzzle” I have a problem with is the lost necklace one. Firstly, I didn’t know that Celie was missing a necklace. Secondly, there was nothing to suggest that the necklace was hidden in Beauregard’s doghouse. Thirdly, I looked in the doghouse numerous times and didn’t find the necklace, meaning it was only there at certain times. Fourthly, I was able to give the bone to Beauregard in the kitchen, at which point I was not able to get it back without restoring, which made the whole thing impossible to solve. It’s true that I finished the game without finding the necklace and therefore befriending Celie, so I shouldn't complain too much, but I feel I missed out on a major part of the “adventuring” through skipping it. I think part of the reason I struggled with the game overall is because I was waiting to be given a puzzle to solve. I spent little time trying to use my items because I had no real reason to. I didn’t need a lantern, so I didn’t spend much time trying to get it. I didn’t need a bell, so why would I try to attain one? Throughout the whole game, I didn’t “need” anything apart from the monocle, making it a very different beast to every other game on the list so far. I have to be harsh and give the game a 3 for this rating, but if I rated completely based on my experience, it could be even lower.
Rating: 3

 So giving the dog the bone was the right thing to do, but just not yet.

Interface and Inventory
The Colonel’s Bequest is a very professionally made game, and given how well established the Sierra technology was by the time it was made, it’s no surprise that the interface has no major flaws. With so much of the game revolving around questioning guests, the parser was always going to make or break it, and I think it was pretty good all up. I did have some minor issues, such as the game not thinking a character was in a room when they were, or interpreting my request for action was for an item in my possession rather than one within the room I was exploring, but nothing that threatened to lower my enjoyment levels. There were some pretty complex commands required too, such as “tell ethel about fifi and henri”, so I should commend it rather than criticise it. I never had any movement issues either, even though the mansion contained a few staircases (Sierra’s old Achilles heel). Finally there’s the inventory, which I can only describe as adequate. It was basically just a list of items that I could select to see a visual representation. I guess it would have been nice to have received a detailed description too, without having to use the parser to get one.
Rating: 6

The Colonel's Bequest was a very professionally made game all up. Glitches like this one were few and far between.

Story and Setting
The story of The Colonel’s Bequest is really a very cliché whodunit mystery, with many attempts made to make it difficult for the player to be certain who the killer is. The intro sets things up really nicely, although I really do have to question the sanity of anyone that would almost suggest family members take each other out the way Colonel Dijon does. He might as well have said: “Whoever is still left standing at the time of my death can split the remaining money. Now off you go!” It’s difficult to call the story and setting unique at this stage of the genre’s evolution, particularly as Mortville Manor had a very similar setup (to a lesser extent, so did Psycho), but it certainly gave Sierra fans a different experience to the typical Space Quest and King’s Quest fair. I do really like that it was set in the 1920s, as that gave the whole thing a flavour I wasn’t highly accustomed with. While I’m being positive, the twist towards the end of the game (when it appeared as though Lillian wasn’t the killer) really caught me by surprise, and it played out nicely given the doubt that put in my mind. I also really like that the protagonist acted in a completely moral way throughout, refusing to touch items that didn’t belong to her, unless of course they had been left behind or discarded. Probably my biggest problem with the story (apart from the fact I was just a passenger) is how many seemingly important threads were created that didn’t turn out to have any relevance (what was Gloria’s medical condition? Why did we find out about Sunny Boy? etc. etc. etc.) I understand that all of these were there to create potential motives, but they caused me to ask a LOT of useless questions.
Rating: 5

 Things that seemed relevant in early acts played no role at all later in the game.

Sound and Graphics
My first post was full of praise for the visuals and sound in The Colonel’s Bequest, but the promise that was displayed in my first session wasn’t completely lived up to. The wonderful 1920s music that came through in the intro was rarely heard in the actual game, only coming back when either Gloria or Fifi decided to put a record on (that is nice use of sound though). The quality of the visuals didn’t diminish, but the level of animated background life that was displayed early on did. For the most part the game is silent, which is something I’m hoping will be remedied in games on the list for 1990. There were some background sound effects (crickets, frogs etc.) heard in the outside locations, but otherwise sound is reserved for the opening of a door or the chiming of a clock. Graphics-wise, the game looks really nice. Characters are well represented, and each of them has a unique look. The use of light and shadows (not dynamic of course) was also really effective throughout, and despite the limited colour palette making it challenging to represent an atmospheric night-time mood, I think they did a good job. The animation was on the higher end of the spectrum too, being very smooth and convincing. Just watch Ethel stumbling around drunk, Rudy and Clarence having a fist fight, or Jeeves pinching Fifi’s bottom to see what I mean. The game isn’t on par with Indiana Jones or Hero’s Quest, but it was definitely as good as the chasing pack.
Rating: 6

 The use of shadow was really effective throughout

Environment and Atmosphere
Many of you predicted that this game might reach a new high for this category, and there’s no doubt that it’s the best thing about it. Given the game’s setting is one long night in a creepy mansion where guests are being brutally murdered one by one, it would have been a tragedy if it had lacked atmosphere. The estate where the whole mystery plays out is wonderful to behold. It’s a really beautiful place that I’d actually like to visit had it been real. I do however feel that it could have been used to better effect by the game’s designers, as I spent far too much time spying on people from hidden rooms in the mansion rather than solving interesting puzzles out in all the surrounding locations. The Colonel’s Bequest is dripping with atmosphere, with the murderer’s silhouette seen passing windows, spirits in the cemetery, and alligators guarding the swamps. I wish I’d found the bible in the chapel and found my way to the basement, as these missed sections had potential to increase this category even further. The player deaths were perhaps unfair, but they also added to the sense of danger, and who doesn’t love a good Psycho shower scene rip-off! I’m going high here, but my lack of involvement in what was actually going on, and the consistent silence, has to reduce the result somewhat.
Rating: 7

 The mansion itself was a major character in the game

Dialogue and Acting
As is the trend with the games I’ve played this year, there’s a lot of dialogue in The Colonel’s Bequest, and a lot of it is not really all that critical to the actual story. I have to say that it’s pretty well handled in this instance though, with each character having a distinct “voice”. The language used by each of them was convincing, and gave all of them a unique flavour, particularly Celie and Fifi (although I guess some of it is bordering on racial stereotyping). Ethel’s drunkenness was clearly apparent, as was Henri’s grumpiness, Gloria’s snobbishness, and Jeeves’ gloomy demeanour. The use of capital letters and even censored swear words also helped give the dialogue some life, and I noticed only a few minor errors despite the large quantity. There were no signs of branching dialogue trees, and I think this is a good example of a game that really could have done with them. I had to ask every character countless questions based on combinations of other guests’ names, and then had to repeat them time and time again later on, since things had changed. It got a bit tedious, especially as I rarely found out anything useful.
Rating: 6

 I was sad when Ethel died. She was pure entertainment!

Looking at the ratings I’ve attributed here, I think The Colonel’s Bequest is going to rate a bit higher than I’d expected. 3 + 6 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 33, divided by 60 = 0.55, which gives it a score of 55! That would put it equal with Space Quest I and III, as well as King’s Quest IV. While I enjoyed playing the game, I don’t think I’m happy with it sitting that high on the leader board, particularly since there are so few traditional adventure game puzzles in it, so I’m going to use my discretionary point to drop it down to 54.

Did anyone predict 54? I’m going to have a look right now. Well that has to be a first! Three people predicted 54, being Lars-Erik, Deimar and Canageek! I’m sure Lars-Erik would rather the prize go to either Deimar or Canageek, but I’ll do a round robin random number comp anyway. I’ll cut to the chase and say that Canageek has won a copy of Loom! However, since we’ve now figured out that the next game on the list that can actually be purchased is Hugo’s House of Horrors, he will have the choice between Loom and the Hugo Trilogy. I seem to recall Canageek were quite keen to watch me play Hugo, so perhaps you can join me for the “fun”.

55 CAPs for Lars-Erik
• Sponsor Award - 20 CAPs - For sponsoring the blog with free games
• Psychic Prediction Award – 10 CAPs – For predicting what score I would give the game (first)
• Kickstarter Award – 10 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game Kickstarter campaign
• Companion Award – 5 CAPs – For at least giving the game a shot
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game sale on Steam
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game sale on Steam

45 CAPs for Laukku
• Honesty Award – 10 CAPs – For informing me how crappy my screenshots were
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing along and completing the game.
• Evil Dog Award – 10 CAPs – He knows why
• Explanation Award – 10 CAPs – For going through everything I missed in my playthrough
• Easter Egg Award – 5 CAPs – For posting a few neat links

40 CAPs for Ilmari
• Helping Hand Award – 20 CAPs – For generally giving hints and advice to all of us playing the game.
• Werewolves and Priestesses Award – 10 CAPs – He knows why
• Explanation Award – 10 CAPs – For going through everything I missed in my playthrough

35 CAPs for Cush1978
• D Riddle Award – 30 CAPs – For solving my D riddle
• Sweet Brown Award – 5 CAPs – For not having time for that

20 CAPs for Zenic Reverie
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing along and completing the game.
• Fingerprint Award – 5 CAPs – For helping Draconius to get past the copy protection screen
• Family Relations Award – 5 CAPs – For letting me know that Gloria and Clarence were not married

20 CAPs for Cro Gamer
• What’s Your Story Award – 20 CAPs – For answering the What’s Your Story questionnaire

18 CAPs for Canageek
• Psychic Prediction Award – 8 CAPs – For predicting what score I would give the game (second)
• PNG Program Award – 5 CAPs – For helping me find a new way of managing my screenshots
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game sale on Steam

10 CAPs for Joe Pranevich
• Explanation Award – 10 CAPs – For going through everything I missed in my playthrough

10 CAPs for Draconius
• True Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For playing along and completing the game.

10 CAPs for Apermama
• Snakes and Ladders and Santa Claus Award – 10 CAPs – He knows why

10 CAPs for Knurek
• PNG Program Award – 10 CAPs - For telling me about PNGOut

10 CAPs for mpx
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game on GOG
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For announcing a new adventure game sale on GOG

10 CAPs for Andy_Panthro
• Companion Award – 10 CAPs – For at least giving the game a shot

10 CAPs for Jarikith
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game sale on Steam
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game on Steam

9 CAPs for Deimar
• Psychic Prediction Award – 9 CAPs – For predicting what score I would give the game (second)

5 CAPs for Kenny McCormick
• Genre Support Award – 5 CAPs – For commenting about a new adventure game sale on Steam

Game 34: The Colonel's Bequest - Won!

Laura Bow Journal Entry 8: "I finally did something worthy of my father's training, but it's very hard to feel good about it. I shot Rudy was he was trying to kill the Colonel in the attic. Thankfully I didn't kill him, so the police were able to come and take him away. I can't understand why Rudy would try to kill Henri after all that has happened. After all, he didn't kill anyone else. It was all Lillian, with Rudy greedily trying to finish what she started so he could get to all of Henri's money quicker that he would have otherwise. I can't believe my good friend was so insane! I guess that's why I couldn't see what was going on until it was too late. I just want to go home now..."

 Act VII: Where Everyone Just Hangs Out and Stuff

So here we are at Act VII of The Colonel’s Bequest! There were only five guests possibly alive at this point; with a fair chance at least one of Lillian, Henri, Clarence, Celie and Rudy had also bitten the dust at the end of Act VI. My money was on Clarence, and I also had a strong feeling that Lillian was going to be the one behind the whole traumatic evening. As usual, I set out in search of all these remaining characters, and since I’d finished Act VI just outside the study with Rudy, I went back inside to begin the hunt. Immediately I noticed something interesting! The glass case that had previously contained a silver derringer had been smashed, and the gun was gone! One of the weapon cabinets was also wide open, so I set about looking for clues. I didn’t find any, with no other weapons missing and seemingly no prints on any of it. I now knew that someone had a gun though, and it was likely the murderer! Instead of going further into the house, I decided to see whether Rudy was still sitting on the steps outside. He wasn’t on the steps, but he was there, walking away from the house and then off screen.

This is why you should have listened to me when I typed "smash glass and get gun" earlier on

 Catch and kiss was always very exciting on the estate

I followed Rudy, only to find that he was strolling along the same aimless route that Ethel had been taking earlier on when in her drunken state. At one point he said to me: “Somethin’s wrong; I can feel it. I don’t understand what’s goin’ on around here. Where is everybody?!” He didn’t stop at any of the locations he passed, but I did! When I entered the chapel, the progress clock appeared and ticked over to 1:15. Celie was sitting on one of the pews praying, and she spoke the following to me after my entrance: “What’re you doin’ here, girl? Somethin’ mighty terrible is happenin’! Evil spirits is all ‘round us. I think we’re a’goin ‘ to die before this night is over!!” I tried to get more out of her, but she didn’t appear to want to listen to me. If both Rudy and Celie were to be believed, neither of them knew where all the missing family members were, meaning neither of them were the killer. They both could have been lying of course, but I didn’t have any major reason to suspect either of them. Soon afterwards I entered the playhouse to find Lillian once again talking crazy with her dolls. The clock ticked over to 1:30, yet I wasn’t able to communicate with her in any way. I did notice something very telling though! There was a chalk board in the corner of the room with seven marks on it. One for each victim!

 If you'd listened to anything I've been telling you, you'd bloody well know where they are!

 You always know how to cheer me up Celie!

 I wonder what it means? Oh well, never mind!

I checked out all the other outside locations, but couldn’t find Clarence or Henri. I therefore re-entered the house, heading straight for the parlor to see what quote I could get out of Polly. “AWWKK! Sleep tight, my pretties. AWWKK! In the basement... the basement.” Well that was very interesting indeed! I tried to think of who might have said that, and could only come up with Lillian or possibly Celie. Was the murderer storing the victim’s bodies in the basement? Where was the basement anyway!? Jeeves’ room is in the cellar, but I’d been there recently enough to know that there weren’t any bodies down there. What had I missed!? I put that question aside for the time being, and made my way up to Clarence’s room. As soon as I entered, it was very apparent that he’d been the next victim! “Uh, oh! A bad feeling comes over you as you look around this room. The small desk chair has been knocked over and you see a fresh bloodstain on the rug!” The notebook that Clarence had been writing in was still on the desk, so I made my way over to it and took a look. The progress clock popped up once again, and it was now 1:45.

 AWWKK! Where's exactly is the basement...the basement. AWWKK!

 Well it serves you right chair! I told you to stay out fights! Now look at you!

Clarence had only written on one page of the book, which was dated May 27th, 1925. “I’m terribly apprehensive about what’s going on here. I can’t say why... just call it a bad sensation... but as the evening wears on I’m feeling more and more alone. Where’s Wilbur? Where’s Gertie? Where’s Gloria? Could they have left without me? Is there a way to leave the island that I’m not aware of? Still, the spine-tingling feeling won’t leave, and frankly, I’m scared.” I couldn’t find anything else of interest, either on the floor or on the desk, so I moved on with a purpose. I’d suddenly remembered that Lillian had been writing in a book that she stored in her case during Act VI. Since she was now in the playhouse, perhaps I could find out what she’d been writing about?! I stopped briefly on the way to see whether any other items had been left behind in the hidden rooms, finding a dusty bootprint on the floor in one. As with the other bootprints I’d come across so far, I didn’t appear to be able to do anything with it, so left. On entering the room where Lillian’s case was situated, I was shocked to find Rudy there, and the progress clock moved onto 2:00am...Act VIII!

 Excellent! If only my father had taught me what to do with it!

 Act VIII: Where Laura Finally Does Something, After Initially Doing Nothing

I didn’t want Act VII to be over yet, as I still hadn’t found Clarence’s body, so I restored a couple of minutes back and looked in all of the remaining rooms. I found Clarence in the bathtub, with a dagger lodged deep in his chest! I searched his body: “Shaking terribly, you search Clarence’s body and establish that he did indeed die by a stab wound to the chest. Upon further searching you discover a pack of matches in Clarence’s coat pocket. Thinking it might come in handy, you take it with you.” I immediately thought of the lantern hanging behind the Colonel’s horse Blaze, and how I hadn’t been able to get to it. Surely the matches were to light the lantern, but for what purpose (the basement?), and how could I possibly get it without Blaze kicking me to death? I spent some time restoring to each fifteen minute interval, marking down where everyone was at each stage. Normally I would stop at this point and write a new post, but I felt like the end of the game was very close now. I decided to push on, and will do the same here in an attempt to get both Acts VII and VIII done in one session.

 This kid is a natural I tell you!

What I make of Act VII

• Lillian begins the hour in the playhouse talking to her dolls, before leaving for an unknown destination.
• Henri spends most of the hour in his room, before typically disappearing around 1:45.
• Celie spends the entire hour in the chapel praying
• Rudy walks around outside for the first three quarters of an hour, before entering the house at 1:45 and searching for something in my room.

 I can promise you that there is only dust under there. Believe me, I looked!

I watched, intrigued, as Rudy walked around the room, pausing to look under each piece of furniture. It wasn’t clear exactly what he was looking for, and trying to speak to him resulted in him telling me to “Beat it, kid! This ain’t none of your business!” As soon as he left, I opened Lillian’s case and read her diary: “Dear Diary, I’m so terrible upset! I can’t believe Uncle Henri would do this to me! I thought I was like a daughter to him and now I find out I’m no more important than any of those other creeps! They can’t get away with it, you know...they just can’t! Between you and me, Diary, you know they have to go...because of what they all did to me. I KNOW they were all in it together to have me put away in the nuthouse. I was never crazy, they just wanted me out of the picture! Now they have to...” That’s where the diary stopped, but it was enough to inform me that Lillian was not only acting crazy this evening, she’d clearly behaved this way before. So much so that her family had put her in a mental asylum! It was time to go and find out who she’d got to next, but first I used the monocle on the diary and found another fingerprint.

 

...and find...a fingerprint!

There were only four people to find now, so I figured it shouldn’t take long to get through Act VIII. The only one I could find in the house was Henri though, sitting in his wheelchair in his room smoking a cigar, just as he generally always was. The only other thing of note that occurred in the house was that Polly told me the following: “Gotta get the gun... get the gun! AWWKK!” Well I knew that someone had stolen the gun, but not who it was. I figured it wouldn’t be long before I would find out! So where would Celie, Lillian and Rudy be? I decided to head straight for Celie’s shack, and her response to my knocking was “Please!! Leave me outta this!”. It really did seem that she was going to stay locked in her shack for the rest of the night! I made my way from screen to screen in search of Lillian and Rudy, only to stumble on a scene I really hadn’t expected!!!! I walked into the hedge garden as the progress clock appeared onscreen and ticked over to 2:15am, and there I found a body lying next to the fountain. It was Lillian!!!!! I’d been quite certain that she was the killer, so it came as quite a shock to find her dead. There was a gun lying next to her on the grass. Had she perhaps killed herself? My examination revealed a “horrible gunshot wound to her chest area”, making suicide an unlikely cause of death.

 Oh oh! It's Polly isn't it! I should have known! It's always the quiet ones!

 Well, the game certainly surprised me with this one!

“What’s this?! You suddenly find a skeleton key in a pocket of the old army cape. Since it may be useful, you take it with you.” Aha...the key would likely get me into the attic!!! I picked up the gun: “As you stop to pick up the derringer your eye happens to fall upon the bullet not far from Lillian’s hand.” I picked up the bullet too, and successfully put it in the gun. I made my way back to Celie’s shack to make sure she was still there at quarter past two. She was, but as I walked away, a message appeared saying “Is that Beauregard barking?” I went from screen to screen looking for the Colonel’s dog, eventually finding him scratching near the front door. I thought perhaps he was trying to show me an entrance to the basement, but couldn’t find anything of the sort. There was however a note attached to the doorknocker: “Meet me in the hedge harden.” It seemed likely (at the time) the note had been put there to draw Lillian into a trap that resulted in her death. I entered the house, where I was told that “You hear scuffling further upstairs.” I made my way up to the attic, stopping in on Henri’s room to see whether he was there. He wasn’t, but there was something on the floor that hadn’t been there previously.

What? No prints on the gun? So now they're being careful?!

I give in! Is it?

What do you think I'm doing!?

It was Wilbur’s doctor bag, so I looked inside. “The contents are a mess inside. It looks as if someone has hurriedly searched through it.” I didn’t understand what that might mean, but I excitedly climbed the stairs to the attic door and unlocked it with the skeleton key. I entered the attic to find Rudy and Henri wrestling with each other. “Oh, no!! Colonel Dijon and Rudy are in the midst of a fierce struggle! You see a hypodermic needle between them and it’s impossible to tell which of the two men is the aggressor. This is indeed a dangerous situation!” I hesitated, trying to figure out which of the two was attacking the other, only for Rudy to stick the needle into Henri. I was shown a close-up of Rudy: “Whew, that was close! I want you to know that I acted strictly in self-defense! That old coot lured me up here and when I wasn’t lookin’ he tried to stick me with a hypodermic needle from Dr’ Feels’ bag. I hate to think what was in it, but it must have been awful bad...look what it did to Uncle Henri! He tried to do to me what he did to the others. I found out that my uncle lured us all here so’s he could kill us! He NEVER had any intention of leavin’ his money to any of us at all! He only wanted to get rid of us. He’s been sneakin’ around here all night... and one by one he’s been murdering everyone! He had us all fooled, let me tell you! He was in a lot better shape than we all thought! Well, it’s a shame about everyone else, but at least you and I are still alive.”

 Sigh...with Fifi dead and Celie in hiding, who's going to clean up this mess!?

 So why couldn't I get up here in the lift!?

 No way buster! I'm going to restore, and there's nothing you can do about it!

I became more and more certain during Rudy's explanation that he was lying. I’d seen him looking for something under all the furniture in my room not long back, and it suddenly clicked that he was likely looking for Wilbur’s bag. Did Rudy really kill everyone though!? What was I to make of Lillian’s behaviour, chalk board markings and diary entry? Before I could think any more on this, I was shown Laura leaving the estate the next morning, then standing on a ferry approaching New Orleans wharf. “You consider last night’s events. Was Rudy telling you the truth...or could there be more to the story? Oh well. You’ll probably never know. Best to forget it, and go on with your life; maybe the police will find the answers. Poor Lillian...poor everybody.” The words “The End” appeared, and I have to tell you that I felt very unsatisfied indeed! My performance was rated and I was shown the notes I’d collected on the way, but I’ll skip showing you this for now. You see, I couldn’t let the story finish like this! I had to restore and at the very least experience a more satisfying conclusion! So it was that I restored my game, and entered the attic, once again walking in on Rudy and Henri fighting. I typed “shoot Rudy”, and that’s exactly what Laura did! “You have shot and wounded Rudy.”

 As much as being passenger is an apt way to describe my involvement in the game, I had to try for a better ending

Left handed and everything!!!

This time I was shown a close-up of Henri, who gave me a much more convincing version of events. “Uh, thank you, young lady, ‘er, Laura. That was some mighty fine shootin’...for a gal. I guess I owe you my life don’t I? Why, my nephew was tryin’ to kill me with poison in one of Wilbur’s hypodermic needles! Ohhh, it’s terrible what’s been happenin’ here tonight! I invite everyone here to tell ‘em about my will and they end up killin’ each other over it. Truthfully, I WAS keepin’ my eye on everyone in the house tonight, or so I THOUGHT! I didn’t see any of the murders. It wasn’t until I met Rudy in my bedroom that he told me what had happened. I couldn’t believe it! He told me that my niece, Lillian, had finally gone totally berserk and out of a crazy jealousy was killing everyone that she thought had gotten between HER and ME! She managed to just about murder everyone ‘til she attacked Rudy with my derringer. Rudy managed to wrestle the gun from her and in self-defense, killed her instead! My nephew, seeing as how everyone else was already dead, decided to finish the job by killing me with a hypodermic needle and say I died of a heart attack induced by the terrible deeds that my niece had done! I can’t stand much more of this! Laura, please find Celie and tell her to fire one of the signal rockets that we use to summon help in emergencies.”

Rudy has to be the stupidest man alive! To think he would have got the whole inheritance to himself anyway!

The police arrived the next morning and took the wounded Rudy away in cuffs. Celie, Henri, Beauregard and I watched them float away, and then Henri spoke up. “I somehow knew that one day Rudy would run afoul of the law. You’ve been a loyal servant to me for many years, Celie. And both Beauregard and Blaze trust you. I’ve decided to leave all my money to you... PROVIDED you take care of my animals for the rest of their lives.” Unsurprisingly, Celie agreed to this proposal: “Course, suh. I cain’t think of nothin’ else I’d rather do. Thank ya, suh.” The game closed with Henri talking to his dog: “You know, Beauregard, people are funny creatures. They’re greedy, they’re rude, they’re selfish. That’s why we live way out here, to get away from them. But we couldn’t get away from them completely, could we, boy? No, not completely. But, everything will be okay, now.” I received the Seasoned P.I. level on the Sleuth-O-Meter (just as I had during my previous ending), which is surprisingly the second best level. I thought I was pretty rubbish at this game, so I was happy with that result. Instead of going through each of the notes that followed, which let me know the things I failed to achieve, I will post the screenshots below (only the ones that were listed as INCOMPLETE). I’m not going to play through the game again, so you’re all welcome to tell me all the things I missed. I'm dying to know!

 So they couldn't find the basement either hey!

Really?

Tough night to make friends! I thought Beauregard liked me!

I kept thinking I should feed something to Blaze, but couldn't find anything

There was another hidden room?

 They're just about the only items I used at all!

 What is this? Thief IV: The Colonel's Bequest?

Huh? I really have no idea what this stuff is.

Not surprising, given how long it took me to figure out how to do it.

 Why does that even matter?

 The Doctor's Bag did too!

 AWWKK! The basement! AWWKK!

 Oh do tell!

 Hey, I found Henri's cigar and cane in one! Surely that counts!

Session Time: 3 hour 00 minutes

Total Time: 12 hours 00 minutes

Game 34: The Colonel's Bequest - Star-Crossed Lovers

Laura Bow Journal Entry 7: "Things continue to spiral downwards here at the Colonel's estate, and I still remain powerless to stop it. Fifi and Jeeves are now dead, having been poisoned during a late night tryst in the maid's room. I found the bottle of sleeping powder that I'm convinced was used in the double murder, and I also spent some time checking for (and finding) prints on various items I've discovered so far at the scene of each murder. I hope I get an opportunity to use all this evidence, but at this point I'm really just hoping to survive the night! Oh Lillian, please don't let it be you! I have a horrible feeling that my very good friend is behind this massacre, which is a thought too horrible to contemplate!"

 Act VI: Where Laura Finally Decides to Take Action

I have some very exciting news! I actually managed to use an item in my inventory in The Colonel’s Bequest! I know, I didn’t think it would happen either! It happened pretty soon after starting Act VI too, so I won’t keep you in suspense for long. Since I completed Act V by entering Henri’s room and finding his wheelchair empty, it’s from there that I began my search for another body. I didn’t know whose body it would be mind you, as unlike the previous acts, there was no obvious trigger point that hinted at a future victim. After fruitlessly exploring Henri’s room and the connecting study, I made my way out into the hallway and then into the bathroom. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it previously, but each time I’ve been in the bathroom during all the acts, I’ve looked in the wastebasket to see if anyone has left anything of interest. This time it paid off, and I was informed that “a small, empty bottle has been thrown into the wastebasket”. I picked it up and found that the label on it read: “Dr. Milliken’s Miracle-Sleep Powder... with Dr. Milliken’s, you can be sure your dreams will be sweet tonight!”

 This makes me wonder how many other places I've looked in once and then incorrectly assumed I never needed to again.

I was also informed that there was some very small print on the label, and that I couldn’t quite make it out. This immediately brought to mind the monocle I’d found on Wilbur’s body, and I typed “read bottle through monocle”. It worked! “Can be fatal if taken in too large a dose.” This was certainly interesting! Had someone taken the sleeping powder themself or were they planning to use it on another guest? I wasn’t able to hold onto the bottle, so left it in the basket to continue my rounds of the mansion. As soon as I walked into the nearest room, which was mine and Lillian’s, the progress clock appeared and moved to 12:15am. Lillian was doing something in her case, yet as soon as I walked in she closed it and acted like nothing was going on. I tried to talk to her, but she responded with “I know we’re sharing a room, Laura, but I would like to be alone for a little while. I need to do something... privately.” Hmmm...I was already having doubts about Lillian’s sanity, and this behaviour was only increasing that concern. I decided to go into the hidden room to see if I could catch a glimpse of what she might be up to.

 I used an item!!! And I didn't die...yet!!!

 I get it Laura! We all need some "alone" time! But seriously, people are dying here!

When I looked in I could see her on the bed, and I received a message stating that “Lillian is writing in a book which she apparently keeps locked in her suitcase.” I really wanted to know what was in that book, but wasn’t going to be able to look at it while she was in the room. Since I’d missed out on finding out where everyone else was at midnight, I restored my game to the bathroom and instead made my way to Clarence and Rudy’s room. Once again the progress clock appeared and fifteen minutes were added! Clarence was sitting at the writing desk, writing in some sort of notebook. I walked over and tried to see what it was he was writing, but was told that “Clarence is bent over the notebook and you can’t read it.” Man! Earlier in the game these trigger points were revealing lots of events and information, but now they appeared to be merely being used to make sure I knew where certain individuals were before the act was completed. Clarence had no interest in talking to me, so I put his location in my spreadsheet, restored my game back to midnight, and moved on. I made my way upstairs to see if Fifi was in her room. While I was approaching her room, I wondered whether her and Jeeves had managed to get some quality time together. Boy was I in for a surprise!

 It is getting pretty repetitive having to spy on people from the hidden rooms in every act.

Clarence has done his very best to appear a murderer, but I'm not falling for it. I think he's just a prick!

Fifi and Jeeves had indeed met up for a drink and possibly more, but their tryst was ended when both of their lives were ended abruptly! The two lover’s bodies were lying entwined on the floor, and there were cognac glasses next to both of them. It was pretty obvious to me what had happened here, as I remembered the sleeping powder bottle in the wastebasket in the bathroom. There was a possibility that the two of them had committed suicide together, but it seemed more likely that the killer had taken them both out in one foul swoop. I searched their bodies and was told “You thoroughly examine Jeeves and Fifi’s body but cannot see how they might have died. You are very puzzled.” I then looked at the cognac bottle on the table, where the bouquet of flowers I’d seen in Jeeves’ room was also now located. “A strange white powder has collected in the bottom of the cognac decanter.” I tried looking at the powder in more detail, but didn’t appear to be able to collect any further information. Eventually I had no choice but to leave the scene and continue my search for the few remaining house guests.

 Well that certainly lowers the amount of guests I need to locate in each Act.

 Yes, I tried tasting it, but this isn't Tex Murphy apparently

I made my way down to the ground floor and entered the parlor, intending if nothing else to give Polly another cracker. I noticed an empty glass on the counter, which I didn’t think had been there previously. I wasn’t able to pick it up or find anything interesting about it, so I gave Polly the cracker instead. “AWWKK! I can’t find her! AWWKK! Where’s Gloria?” Clearly Polly was reciting the thoughts of Clarence, who was unable to find his wife due to her being strangled by her own feather boa. It did make me even more certain that Clarence wasn’t the killer though, despite the first few acts clearly trying to make him appear that way. Searching the rest of the house only revealed that Henri was now back in his room, but I wasn’t able to locate Celie or Rudy anywhere. Celie had been hanging out in her shack for the last couple of acts, so I made my way there to see if she still was. I was intrigued when I knocked on her door and the progress clock came up, especially when the woman began ranting at me. “What you doin’ here, girl?! Can’t you feel the evil in the air?! There’s something’ real bad ‘round here and I’m stayin’ put in mah cabin behind locked doors. You git yourse’f on back to your room, hear?!” I made further attempts to speak to her, but she simply shouted “Go away!! I’m not unlockin’ this here door anymore!”

 AWWKK! She's dead...wrapped in plastic. AWWKK!

 Um, Celie...the crazy old woman that can "feel" evil generally gets killed in all the horror movies!

This time I didn’t restore, and began systematically crossing off each outside location in search for Rudy. It didn’t take long to find him, sitting on the steps outside the study, patting Beauregard on the head. The progress clock appeared yet again, meaning I now knew where all five remaining family members were and where all four trigger points for Act VI occur. I began questioning Rudy, but as is typical for pretty much everyone left in the game, he refused to talk to me. I began the process of marking down exactly where each character was at each fifteen minute interval, and discovered one seemingly important thing on the way! When back in the parlor, I decided to examine the empty glass on the counter again. It just seemed too conspicuous to be there for no reason! I can’t recall what I did differently to the first time I tried, but this time I received a message stating “As you look at the empty glass, you notice a faint fingerprint on it.” Well that was certainly interesting, but I assumed it was going to be like the footprints I’d found previously and hadn’t been able to do anything with. However, when I typed “look at fingerprints through monocle”, I received the following: “Squinting into the monocle you carefully examine the piece of broken record. Closely situated to each other, you notice two different fingerprints.” WTF?!

 Really? Did anyone ever wear bright red shoes with a black tuxedo?

 I do? Oh yes...ahem...I meant to do that! Been planning to for a while!

Obviously I hadn’t been trying to look at the broken record in my possession (from the scene of Gloria’s murder), but had inadvertently stumbled across a piece of evidence. Was I supposed to think that the “two different fingerprints” meant two different people had touched the record, or that one person had touched it with two different fingers? At least now I knew why I had a piece of broken record in the first place, and began to wonder whether looking at the other bits and pieces I’d collected would result in similar evidence. Firstly though, I typed “look at fingerprint on glass through monocle”, and had some success: “Picking up the glass, you use Wilbur’s monocle as a magnifying glass and notice a faint fingerprint”. This was another success, but what was I supposed to do now? The obvious thing would be to compare the fingerprint on the glass to those found on the record, but since the game didn’t seem to understand the word “compare”, I couldn’t figure out any way of doing that. I thought for a moment that I might have to use the fingerprint document that I’d been using to get past the copy protection screen, but I couldn’t see any of the prints well enough to be able to make that judgement. Was I supposed to have been looking at family member’s actual fingerprints somehow?!

 What good are foot and fingerprints if I can't compare them to anything?

I put these questions aside for the time being and tried looking at each of my inventory items through the monocle. Looking at the rolling pin gave me the following: “You scrutinize the entire rolling pin with Wilbur’s monocle. Aha! You have discovered traces of blood on it!” I assumed this merely proved that the rolling pin was the murder weapon used to take out Ethel. I then looked at the poker: “You examine the entire fireplace poker with the monocle. Oh, oh! There are traces of blood on it!” So I was right in thinking that the poker was the murder weapon used to kill Wilbur. Finally I used the monocle to look at the handkerchief I found outside Gertie’s room: “You carefully examine the white handkerchief using Wilbur’s monocle much like a magnifying glass. Why, what’s this? You see a small “EP” in one corner of the white lace trim.” This information only confirmed that the handkerchief did indeed belong to Ethel, but that was pretty obvious anyway. As good as it felt to finally be doing some proper investigative work, none of this really told me anything I didn’t already know. Perhaps discovering this stuff is only really of importance when finishing the game? Readers have led me to believe that there are different endings, so perhaps what evidence I can find affects what ending I see? It's time to go see whether Act VII  brings any clarity to proceedings.

 Well that would explain why Celie really didn't want the rolling pin back!

This is what I make of Act VI

• Lillian spent the entire hour in her bedroom, writing in a book she keeps in her suitcase.
• Henri spent the majority of the hour in his bedroom, although I was not able to locate him either at the very beginning of the hour or during the last fifteen minutes.
• Clarence spent the entire time in his bedroom, writing in a notebook at the writing desk.
• Celie spent the entire hour locked in her shack.
• Rudy spent the entire hour patting Beauregard outside the study.

 Need I mention that I found yet another way to die during this act. Falling through the railing!

Session Time: 1 hour 00 minutes

Total Time: 9 hours 00 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!