The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1: A Dreadly Business is a stylized Victorian murder mystery that subverts classic tropes through a lens of dark comedy and absurdism . Developed by Rumpus Animation, this point-and-click adventure focuses more on its "living cartoon" aesthetic and British wit than on traditional, punishing puzzle difficulty. Satire of the Victorian Ideal
Mechanically, the game deviates from the "pixel hunting" often found in classic titles like Monkey Island . Adventures.of.Bertram.Fiddle.1.A.Dreadly.Busine...
The game centers on Bertram Fiddle, a self-proclaimed "leading explorator" whose primary motivation is avoiding his wife’s demands for a steady job. Unlike the cold, hyper-competent Sherlock Holmes of literature—who appears in the game as a mean-spirited, elitist rival—Bertram is a "B-type" adventurer. This contrast satirizes the period’s obsession with prestige and intellectual superiority. While Holmes treats the investigation like a high-stakes chess match, Bertram’s involvement begins by accident: a literal collision with the serial killer "Geoff the Murderer," resulting in a luggage swap. Mechanical Accessibility vs. Genre Tradition The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1: A
