Bow Street Runner

April 10, 2008

Platform: Flash

Tags: adventure, advergame, channel4, episodic, flash, free, game, history, littleloud, macwinlinux, mystery, pg13, pointandclick, video

By JohnB | add to favorites | add to your website | Comments (157)

bowstreetrunner.jpgJohnBBow Street Runner is a mystery adventure series created by LittleLoud and commissioned by Channel 4 (UK) to promote the five-part City of Vice programs. Set in London's Covent Garden in the 1750s, crime in the city has risen to such a level that local magistrates were forced to take action. The Bow Street Runners were born, created to instill order in the increasingly crime-ridden city. It's a dark and historically accurate journey through old London, presented with live actors, voice narration and full motion video for an impressive cinematic experience.

You play the role of a Runner investigating crime in a series of scenes throughout the town. Using the mouse, examine each area for clues and evidence, some of which is stored in your casebook. You'll also interview witnesses and other townsfolk for information, introducing you to the colorful inhabitants of 18th century London. When you've gathered enough information the game allows you to move on to the next scene, creating a nice (if linear) sense of progression.

In addition to cerebral clue gathering you'll also have to get your hands dirty from time to time. A clever diversion called Slide Thrift is, according to the tavern poster, "a most wondrous test of skill and mettle", and you'll also have the pleasure of digging through wet, rotten meat and vegetables in search of clues.

Analysis: An excellent experience from beginning to end, the only down side of Bow Street Runner is the long load times users with slow internet connections will endure. It's the price we pay for full motion video and voice narration, and it's worth the wait. Bow Street Runner is a visually impressive game, not only for its use of live actors but for a convincingly dark setting that's smoothly integrated with the live action video.

A brilliantly executed game that impresses on all levels. Play Bow Street Runner.

Update: All 5 episodes are now available to play!

Bow Street Runner walkthrough now available!

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Rating: 4.8/5 (234 votes cast)

Walkthrough Guide

COMPLETE WALKTHROUGH TO BOW STREET RUNNER, EPISODES I-V

**WARNING: This game includes (but is not limited to) murder, tragic and/or gruesome death, prostitution, smuggling, and blood. This game is definitely not for the squeamish, faint of heart, or the easily offended.**

The full episode walkthroughs are here. However, if you only want the bonus Esteem points found in each episode, or if you just want the answers to the interrogations, they are repeated in their own separate sections below the walkthrough, to aid the reader. :D Aren't I nice?

Episode I
Rose Street, Part One
  1. Talk to the gentleman standing by the victim to not only learn that your new job is extremely hazardous (*gulp*), but that the only reason an established gentleman would be around a slum area is to see a prostitute. Hmm, interesting...
  2. Click to examine the body. Click his head to examine the wounds, which seem to be more out of fun than rushed. Pretty suspicious... a thief wouldn't have that much fun. Click the "Return" tab to get back to the victim's body. Click on his left hand (bottom of the screen) to find a wedding ring. So this couldn't have been a thief, because he would have taken the ring. But we need to find proof that the victim owned the ring. Hmm, where would we find that? Click "Return" and check the open pocket on his hip. There's a piece of paper... pull it out by dragging it to the left. Ah ha! We have found the WEDDING RING RECIEPT. Once your Esteem goes up, click "Return".
  3. Check the middle of the victim's body and note that his watch is missing. Perhaps we can find the watch somewhere? Click "Return".
  4. It looks like the victim's other hand is clenched around something. Click it to examine it. Now, click each of the fingers in quick succession, and while they are all open click to get the LOCK OF HAIR. Your Esteem should raise again.
  5. There's nothing else to be found on the body. Let's examine the surroundings! There's a horseshoe – that can't be of much help. How about we check around the inn? Click the trough outside to get a bit closer. Note the broken gin bottles. Click the trough to get a little closer. Pull the chain to release the water, and sift through the rotting contents on the right side. We've found the murder weapon - a KNIFE. Click "Return" twice.
  6. It seems a new person has arrived on the scene. How about we talk to her? Ask her all the questions. It seems her name is Hester Bradley, and that she knows who the victim is, but won't tell us how she knows. She also didn't get a good look at the perpetrator, but if you are stern with her she will tell you where the perp went – to the Black Bull Tavern on King Street. Click the new button – the "Exit Scene" button - that just appeared in the top right corner to advance.
The Black Bull Tavern
  1. You will be greeted by Ned Roach. Get used to this guy, he'll be in almost every episode. He'll let you into his tavern.
  2. The guy up front is drunk, and passed out next to some tobacco and an empty gin glass. He'll be of no help. Neither will the prostitute in the back or the guy by the back window, so just ignore those guys, even though you'll meet the prostitute and the pawner in later episodes. You'll also see the background guy on the far, far right later on. :)
**BONUS ESTEEM** Slide Thrift, Easy
  1. Click the poster in the back by the window guy and click "Play It Now" to play this minigame. Your goal this time is 40 points. Try not to aim straight up, but slightly to the side of the coin. Also, don't push with all your might - go about two-thirds to three-fourths of the way to full power to shoot. The order of points for each stripe, from bottom to top, is 10, 10, 40, 10, 50, 0, 50, 60, and 0 as the big semicircle on top. If you place your cursor at the top of the screen prior to throwing a coin, you can scroll up to see the board. You scroll back down by placing your cursor at the bottom of the screen. Once you get 40 points and win the extra Esteem, click "Exit" to return to the main screen.
  2. Talk to Ned Roach and ask him all the questions. He knows Joseph Williams – he's from Soho, and is apparently rich. He never technically says his name, though, and he's never seen the blade. Lot of help he is. Return to the main screen.
  3. All that leaves is the one guy reading the paper. You can read the paper to discover that Joseph Williams and his son, Thomas, had a large spat about Miss Bradley, who he ended up taking to the theatre, a PUBLIC occasion, even though she is a prostitute. That ought to cause some strife! Anyway, talk to the guy, who'll you'll notice has the same color in his wig as the LOCK OF HAIR found in the victim's hand. Hmm... he doesn't seem to know anything about a body or the knife, but when you ask Bob Doyle for his name, you'll note that the pocketwatch he pulls out has the initials "JW" written on it. That can't be Doyle's – it has to be the victim's missing watch! But if you ask him about it, he swears it's a family heirloom. Let's try to swipe it for evidence. Return to the main screen to notice Doyle's turned his back on you. Examine him to get closer.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Swipe the Watch (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
  1. You have three tries to get the watch, click'n'drag style. If you lose the second try, you automatically get the watch third try and fail to gain the bonus points. I would suggest practicing slow and seeing how far you get before Doyle moves, then attempt - but be warned, the very end of the curve is a bit glitchy. And DO NOT LET GO OF THE MOUSE BUTTON BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END OF THE CURVE. This goes for ANY curve you EVER get to in the whole game, not just this episode – and trust me, there are a LOT. Make sure you get the sphere to the absolute end of the curve, down to the very pixel, or he'll catch you.
  2. Either way, once you obtain the WATCH, Doyle will drop something on the floor. Let's examine it! Look, it's a SCRAP OF PAPER with Joseph William's address. Suspicious... let's go check his house out, shall we? Click the button to exit the scene.
The William's House
  1. You show up and are told that Thomas Williams already has a visitor. So let's look around, shall we? There's a newspaper that says Thomas Williams has been spending a lot of his dad's money, and a lot of mementos from their slave trade, which is how they got their money. Let's check the desk next. You'll notice a shotglass here, but you can't use it yet. Click the paper right beside it, though, to read about a well-off woman, possibly historical, that was apparently a prostitute by night. Anyway, you'll notice there's a locked drawer – let's try picking the lock!
  2. Do the same thing with the three curves that you (hopefully) did with Doyle's watch. Once it's open, click the left piece of paper and note that Joseph Williams has been paying Hester Bradley's rent for quite some time now. He was apparently very serious about this woman. Return and click the book to find THOMAS WILLIAM'S JOURNAL. Apparently he was very angry with his father for daring to think he could marry Miss Bradley. Also, note the last sentence: "I must take matters into my own hands." Hmm... click return twice.
  3. You'll suddenly hear voices. Click the shotglass to hear into the other room.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Eavesdropping (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
  1. There are generally three zones that the two gentlemen hang out in - the left section, the middle section, and the right section. Generally it will be easier to listen in on them if you place the shotglass higher up on the wall, roughly in the top half, near the bottom of the portrait frame. I find it easier to follow the subtitles as you go along.
  2. For the first two lines, they will be in the left section, Voice One right by the door and Voice Two about an inch to the right of Voice One.
  3. Then Voice Two will move to the middle, then to the right.
  4. Voice One will angrily storm to the right section to yell at him, then when he talks about the harlot not getting a single penny, he will be in the middle.
  5. Voice Two will be on the left section suddenly (he was probably moving while being quiet), and Voice One and Voice Two will start struggling in the lower left-hand corner of the wall. By the time they start struggling, you will have won the points.
  6. A shot will ring out, and Voice Two will run away. You will note BOB DOYLE'S HAT by the wall. Then Thomas Williams will suddenly jolt up, say his last few lines, and die. That sucks. You can examine Thomas William's body before or after he dies, which is a little funny. Exit the scene.
Rose Street, Part 2
  1. Click on the door three times to knock it down.
  2. You can inspect some of the things in Hester Bradley's room, before or after you start the next part. She has potions to keep away some ailments in her profession, a picture of Joseph Williams, and a witch and broom for her more "particular" clients. Oh no! Hester Bradley's been stabbed! Let's try to save her! Click her.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Saving Hester (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
  1. The wounds grow harder in difficulty from the one closest to the bottom of your screen (easiest) to the farthest away (hardest). My honest piece of advice is to start with the one on Miss Bradley's left (top), then the middle, then the right (bottom). Once you've stitched the first one (which I believe has six or seven curves), the middle one (with five curves) and the last one (with four curves) will be easy. And all she does is cough and look around, confused - not even a thank you! It gives you a buttload of esteem though. :D I finished with 2:20 on a touchpad!
  2. If you save her or if you don't, exit the scene.
Bow Street
**BONUS ESTEEM** Interrogation 1
  1. This is the interrogation scene that happens each round. You must give the correct answers to the questions he gives, or you will lose one fourth of the bar at the top. When all of it is gone, you lose! It also affects the ending of the episode. To give evidence, click and drag the appropriate piece of paper with the correct evidence or suspect on it. You may have to dig to find the correct evidence, as there are a bunch of papers.
  2. Who do you believe to be the murderer of Joseph and Thomas Williams?
    Obviously, it's BOB DOYLE!
  3. How can you be certain that the suspect is in some way linked to the murder and robbery of Joseph Williams?
    The WATCH would prove that, since it says "JW" on it.
  4. What makes you think that the same man who murdered Joseph Williams also killed his son Thomas?
    The LOCK OF HAIR is good evidence.
  5. What was the motive for killing the harlot?
    THOMAS WILLIAM'S JOURNAL explains the motive to kill Hester.
  6. How can you prove that Doyle was hired by Williams to commit the murder?
    The SCRAP OF PAPER.
If you fail, the reputation of the Bow Street Runners will be stained, but Doyle will still die.
Congrats, you just completed the first episode. :D
Episode II
Bow Street, Part One
  1. OK, first click the chair on the left. You'll note some gambling chips and a newspaper article, and it's missing a button. Then look on the floor and click the small piece of paper. It's a SUICIDE NOTE. Apparently the victim is named George Harbottle. Click return.
  2. You'll notice the man's wig, and a pair of shoes. Click the SHOES.
  3. Click the candle to the left of the body, and click his head, then his mouth. His mouth is black, which means he might have been poisoned with arsenic. But we'll have to perform an autopsy to make sure. Click on his stomach to start the autopsy. If you are squeamish, then you can turn the autopsy over to a surgeon.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Autopsy
  1. Simply click and drag along the lines as before, cleaning up blood as needed. Once you've cut into his stomach, move the contents around until you find the evidence.
  2. Either way, you will get a POISON RING. This is obviously the murder weapon. But did he swallow it himself, or did someone stuff it down his throat? Click return and exit the scene.
Covent Garden Gambling Den
  1. On the left, you'll notice the heart-shaped gambling chips found at the victim's home. You'll recognize the guy sitting there as the pawner from the first episode. Talk to him. If you ask about Harbottle, you'll have to play a game with him.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Find the Lady (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
  1. You are looking for the queen. He will shuffle the cards around, then you will have to choose which one is the queen. I would suggest using your mouse to follow the card – it helps me.
  2. Either way, you will eventually get the evidence – a PORTRAIT that Harbottle pawned. Keep talking to the man to find out he sold it to someone, but can't remember who. Click return.
  3. Talk to the woman. Recognize her? She was the lady from the first episode I told you about. This is Miss Butters, and she will come back later. Ask her about the portrait, and if you're gentle, she'll explain that she's her newest employee. And she also tells you the pawner's name – Nathaniel Crouch. You'll be seeing him again. Leave her.
  4. Now, look under the table the three gentlemen are sitting under. You've found the missing BUTTON from the jacket in the victim's house. It proves he was here... but who was he with? Anyway, leave the scene.
Brothel Bedroom
  1. You'll be escorted in and told to wait. Well, we were told to wait last time... let's explore! You'll notice a picture on the wall – probably from the woman's home. Apparently they had condoms back then, because there's one on her table. There's a book of poems on the chair... and a quickly nailed plank. Let's pull it up and see what's under it! Just pull all the nails up as quickly as you can, because they go back down after a period of time. Find the WILL from Sally's (the woman's) father explaining that George Harbottle, her uncle, has custody of her.
  2. Sally will then enter the room. Aww, isn't she pretty? Talk to her. She'll tell you her name is Sally Harbottle, and if you are gentle to her, she will explain that her uncle sold her into a life of prostitution – after taking her virginity for himself. She will then ask you to steal from Missus Butter's office to free her from her contract. Exit the scene.
Bawd's Office
  1. First, click the desk. Examine the LEDGER to discover that Mister Harbottle had run up a considerable tab, and had now way of paying it off. The note next to it shows a couple of the women that work for Miss Butters – including Sally, who apparentl is not even eighteen. Leave the desk.
  2. On the bookshelf, there is a locked box on the middle-left shelf. Click it, then click it again. Pick the lock, and examine the LIST OF SALLY'S BELONGINGS and the ILLEGAL CONTRACT. Suddenly, the suicide note will come up and you'll realize how similar the writing is. Uh oh. Not good. Exit the scene.
Bow Street, Part Two
**BONUS ESTEEM** Interrogation 2
  1. Same as before, answers in spoilers.
  2. Who is the suspect for whom you seek to obtain this warrant?
    SALLY HARBOTTLE seems the most likely.
  3. What was the cause of the deceased's death?
    Maybe the POISON RING we found in his stomach?
  4. But why would she have wanted her uncle dead?
    How about that CONTRACT?
  5. What makes you certain that George Harbottle died at the Bedford?
    How about the BUTTON? He had to have been there if his button was found there.
  6. How can you be certain that the girl is the murderer?
    Well, the SUICIDE NOTE is in her writing.
This is the only one I didn't really enjoy winning. :c Poor Sally. If you fail, Sally Harbottle will be set free, but the Bow Street Runners have their reputation tarnished. Fielding wonders, however, if Sally Harbottle will ever be free, living the life she's trapped in.
Congrats, you've completed the second episode!
Episode III
Slum House
  1. The lady on the right died in considerable pain. The guy in the middle has vomit on him, which is consistent with poison. But what possibly could have poisoned them? But the one in the back is the one we're looking for. Notice he's missing his shoes – he sold them for gin – and there's a little piece of paper beside him. Pick it up to find the RECIEPT. Poor John Flannery sold the tools of his trade for more gin. Leave the note and his body.
  2. What else is there around here? Well... there's the bed. Go closer to examine it. Click on the green BOTTLE with the three-star label. Now click the bed.
  3. You'll notice a rat running around. It will be in one of four places – by the fire, underneath the sheet on either side, and on the end table behind the bottles. Just keep chasing it, and click it to catch it. I always catch him on the right side of the sheet.
  4. OK, let's try out some different liquids around the shack to see what could have poisoned him. Try the water by clicking it and then clicking the mouse. Nope. Try the beer. No again. Try the gin. Oh no! The rat died! That must be what poisoned the three victims. Exit the scene.
Pawnbroker's Shop
  1. Look around and notice quite a few random items, like shoes, candlesticks, swords, wedding rings, and baby clothes, that have been sold for gin. There's a piece of paper on the floor that talks about a woman name Judith Defor that apparently strangled her child to sell its clothes for gin. There's also a copy of a very famous print called "Gin Lane", which goes with another famous print called "Beer Street", made by William Hogarth to depict how terrible London was at the time. But I digress. Click the paper on the stool to get the ARTICLE that talks about the bad batch of gin. Return.
  2. Hey look, it's Nathaniel Crouch! Told you he'd see you again. Also, there's the drunk guy from the background in episode one. But he won't talk. So how about we talk to Crouch? This time he FINALLY introduces himself and talks about Flannery selling his tools. He asks you to get rid of the drunk guy. So let's do that! Return to the main screen.
  3. Talk to the drunk... er... at least approach him. Slap him a few times and he'll complain, but get up and leave. He says some pretty funny things though!
  4. What's that he was sitting on? Click it. Uh-oh... we've seen that before. Let's go after that guy! Exit the scene.
Gin Shop
  1. You'll see Ned Roach and the proprietor of the gin shop get in an argument, and then note that you've arrived. Look around and notice that none of the drunks will talk to you. Also, there's a game of Slide Thrift on the far left wall.
**BONUS ESTEEM* Slide Thrift, Medium
  1. This time you need 90 points. This one's still pretty easy.
  2. Let's talk to the guy and see what he has to say. His name's Silas Briskett. I LOVE his accent! Anyway, he apparently has nothing to say to you. Well, that was rude, turning his back on you! But what's this? It's a brick wall. Let's look closer. Click around to find a hollow spot near the bottom. Click again to pull away the brick and look in the hole. Click on the paper.
  3. OK, so we found it, and apparently there's nothing on it. But perhaps if we rubbed on the paper...? Click and drag to rub. Look, there's a message. "As previous, once monies all received, consignment can be collected from 4 Maiden Lane. Knock four times on back alleyway door at sunset." Apparently he's been getting it from 4 Maiden Lane. Let's go there! Exit the scene.
Illegal Distillery
  1. OK, there's a big bottle of liquid on the far left, and right next to it is another bottle. You will find it is SULFURIC ACID. Apparently very lethal in high doses. Hmmm... let's keep looking around.
  2. There happen to be some tools on the floor. Click them. Those are JOHN FLANNERY'S TOOLS.
  3. Right above the SULFURIC ACID is a piece of paper. It's a LIST of gin shops in the area that are buying the illegal gin. Return.
  4. To the right of the SULFURIC ACID are those LABELS. So the poison stuff is being made here.
  5. There seems to be a large clutter on the table. Click it. There's a bunch of parts, and some dust... and a picture of the completed machine. Let's put it together! Just drag the parts to their appropriate places and follow the curves until the machine is completed. Then, light the candles under the first part by clicking. This is the machine that makes the poison gin! But who runs this place?
  6. Click the barricaded door. Oh look, a hole! And... is that who I think it is, boxing up all those bottles with the star labels?! We have to get a warrant! Exit the scene.
Bow Street
**BONUS ESTEEM** Interrogation 3
  1. Who do you suspect to be behind the production of the unlicensed gin?
    Well, the PAWNBROKER, Nathaniel Crouch, of course!
  2. And what caused the deaths of the unfortunates in the house of Saint Giles?
    Well, how about those GIN BOTTLES we found?
  3. And what connects this particular still with the Gin Shops and contaminated bottles at the slum dwelling?
    Those LABELS might be sufficient proof.
  4. What proof is there of the pawnbroker's involvement?
    The TOOLS were sold to Crouch, and they're on the floor...
  5. How can you prove the scale of his enterprise?
    Well, perhaps the LIST of gin shops?
If you fail, Nathaniel Crouch will hide in the London Underground, but will be a free man. Fielding wonders if he's hiding from the families of his victims, or hiding to keep his large criminal enterprise going.
Congratulations, you've completed the third episode.
Episode IV
Crashed Cart
  1. On the ground there's a strange flier for a freak show. Check out the body to see that it is completely crushed under the cart. That does not look comfortable. Well, there's no way we can find out who the victim is... so let's check the cart.
  2. Click the barrel of apples above the victim. Move the apples around a bit until you find a hidden trapdoor. Open it up and find a large amount of CONTRABAND. No wonder the murderer ran away – he wanted to hide the secret smuggling ring he's involved in. Let's take another look around. Return to the main scene.
  3. Click the big barrel to the left of the fallen cart to see wet paint, and a wet barrel. Why on Earth would it have been in the water? Anyway, click the words on the side of the barrel – "Docks Checked Black Rose". This STAMP would be used at the docks to mark imported goods. Ah ha! This is an overseas smuggling ring. So let's check out the ship, the "Black Rose", shall we? Exit the scene.
Customs Shed
  1. All right, let's have a look around this place. Nothing really of note – coconuts, fish, coffee beans, French wines, Oriental silks, and a ship called the "Queen Caroline." No Black Rose. But there IS a sleeping guard next to a locked door... perhaps we could steal his keys?
**BONUS ESTEEM* Swipe the Keys (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
  1. Much like Bob Doyle. Just swipe when you're ready. But you only have ONE chance to grab the keys this time. If you miss stealing the guard's keys, then you lose the Esteem, but you get to talk to the guard. He tells you to speak with James Ward, and kindly opens the door for you. He's a pretty cool guy. :D His last name is Miller, as we find out later. He has a wife and kids, too! He apparently likes to drink in the morning and sleep in the afternoon.
  2. Either way, once you get in, you'll notice it's just a small room with a desk. There's a newspaper article about the Hawkhurst smuggling gang, and a Jacobite emblem on the floor – an underground group dedicated to restoring the Stuart kings to power in England, Ireland, and Scotland. But there's nothing much else except the desk. Let's check that out shall we? Click it to advance.
  3. Click the log book on the desk to find the SHIPPING LOG, which confirms the smuggled cargo was OK'd by James Ward, the Customs Chief. Let's go see if we can find him! Exit the scene and watch the cut scene. Oh no! The guard was murdered and all the goods are gone!
The Black Bull Tavern
  1. Nothing unusual here. There's the old background drunk from Episode Three, that same guy is passed out in the front, and there's a new guy in the back that won't talk to you. There's a newspaper article about the Jacobites, a cockfighting flier, a lottery ticket, and the ever-popular Slide Thrift game.
**BONUS ESTEEM* Slide Thrift, Hard
  1. This time you must get 110 points. This one's hard, but you can still do it!
  2. Talk to dear old Neddy Roach. He says he's been downstairs all afternoon fixing a leaking pipe, and that the sailors from the Black Rose were here, but left. He points you out to Ward, the fat man sitting at the table.
  3. Talk to James Ward. Basically, you just have to pick all the negative ones to keep advancing. This is the first time you get to punch a guy! I felt so bad playing this section. :c He seemed like a decent-enough guy. Finally, after you punch him around a bit, he'll tell you to examine the ship that was docked. The Queen Caroline? Let's go see if we can catch it! Exit the scene.
Docks
  1. You are immediately greeted by the Queen Caroline. There's nothing to look at except the cannon and the nameplate. Let's check out the nameplate! Click the name.
  2. It seems... fishy. Let's try to scrub it off by clicking and dragging. We've found the real SHIP'S NAME. So this is the Black Rose!
  3. A cutscene will occur, and you will sneak onto the ship. There's a grappling hook, a rope made out of tobacco, and some illegal weights for hiding and retrieving smuggled goods in the sea. Ah ha! So that's why those barrels on the cart were wet. Anyway, it seems to the far left there's some sort of baseball-bat shaped piece of wood. Click to get closer to find a BLUDGEON covered in blood.
  4. All right, what else have we got here for evidence? Let's look at the bottom of the mast. Click the LANTERN with the strange funnel. Apparently this one is used by smugglers! Go back to the main screen.
  5. There seems to be something on the far right of the ship. Click to examine. The BARRELS IN WATER are submerged contraband. This ship is definitely smuggling and up to no good.
  6. Return to the main screen to note that there is a light on. Click to examine and watch the cutscene.
  7. Now we have to barricade the door. See those oars on the right side? Click and drag the top of the second one onto the latches on either side of the door to block them in.
  8. Now you are at that cannon. Click and drag to hover the match over the fuse to light it and sink the ship!
Bow Street
**BONUS ESTEEM** Interrogation 4
  1. As always, answers in spoilers. :D Good luck!
  2. What aroused your suspicions that smugglers were involved in the man's death in the cart accident?
    The CONTRABAND hiding behind the apples might have been a tip off. :D
  3. Who should be held responsible for the murder of the customs clerk?
    It was the CAPTAIN that killed him.
  4. Turning a cannon on a domestic vessel is a serious course of action. How can you be certain it was the right one?
    What about the SHIP'S NAME?
  5. How can you prove it was definitely the Black Rose that was linked to these smuggling activities?
    How about the BARRELS IN WATER full of contraband?
  6. What evidence do you have that there is corruption and smuggling on a wider scale?
    Well, there's that SHIPPING LOG we found.
If you fail, the crew is set free and the Bow Street Runner's reputation is trampled. But Fielding knows that if they catch the true ringleader, who is somewhere in London, they will regain their reputation in the eyes of the populace.
Congrats on completing the fourth episode!
Episode V
Draper's Shop
  1. You'll be greeted with the image of the burned-down shop. Tragic. All the silks and tools are destroyed. The picture of Mister and Missus Hart on the wall is, surprisingly, still pretty intact. Well, let's look for the body to confirm that someone died in the fire. Look to the pile of debris to the left and sift through it to find MISTER HART'S BODY.
  2. Let's talk to Missus Hart to find out what happened. She tells you outright that it was not an accident that claimed her husband's life, and that she heard glass breaking before the fire. Also, she says they stopped paying protection money and that's what caused the gang to resort to arson. They were almost married 20 years. :c Anyway, let's see if we can try to prove it was arson. Return to the main screen.
  3. There's something on the floor over by the window. Click it. It turns out to be a CHARRED LANTERN with broken window glass beside it. So the gang threw a lantern through the window and started the fire. Return to the main screen.
  4. Look who just walked in! It's old Ned Roach. Talk to him. He says he's here to pick up a few things, but it's too late now, and it's very tragic that it burnt down. He says he knows nothing about a gang, and points out that someone caught the man suspected of committing the crime and sent him to the Bow Street Prison. We should interrogate the man. Leave him and exit the scene.
Bow Street Cells
  1. These cells are much nicer than the ones in Newgate Prison, apparently. Anyway, click on the guy in the cell to talk to him. Like James Ward, you have to pick the negative responses to advance. Though, he says some really funny things to the positive responses. If this guy weren't a bad guy, I think he'd be one of the coolest guys in the game. After you knock him around several times, he'll tell you to go to the Black Bull Tavern. Let's go there! Exit the scene.
The Black Bull Tavern
  1. OK, so there's a dead body in the middle of the room. There's a trapdoor behind the counter, moldy bread on the floor, and a Slide Thrift game.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Slide Thrift, Expert
  1. Now you need 140 points. This is the only one I had to redo a few times to win.
  2. Examine the dead body in the middle of the room. It's old Nathaniel Crouch, with a note on his chest. The NOTE says that there's only room for one "King" in Covent Garden. Return to the main part.
  3. Let's look at that trapdoor. Pick the lock to go downstairs.
  4. OK, we're downstairs now. There's some dried blood, a barrel of contraband from the Black Rose, and a recently lit pipe. So someone was just here! Click the crates on the far right to find SMUGGLED CONTRABAND.
  5. Click the wall on the far right for the LANTERNS – one of them is missing. So Roach started the fire! There's also a desk. Let's check it out.
  6. Now for the hardest lock-picking challenge ever. There are five that you must complete. Once you open the desk, you will notice a large sum of money, a list of people and who they care about, and four pieces of evidence: a LIST of shopkeepers paying protection money, a LETTER from Thomas Williams (remember him from Episode 1?), a LEDGER of smuggled goods, and a bunch of LICENSES for ownership of a brothel house and gambling den (remember the Bedford gambling den from Episode 2?). So Ned has been involved in the crimes that were committed in ALL the Episodes – he's the mastermind! Return to the main screen.
  7. A barrel will fall over, and a woman will be behind it. Click her to get closer. It's Miss Butters from Episode 2! What's she doing tied up? She'll tell you that Ned's the mastermind and that he's at his secret warehouse. Exit the scene.
Warehouse (Read entire section BEFORE you click "Continue" on the loading screen!!!)
  1. You've been tricked! Miss Butters (apparently her first name is Isabella) was working for Roach all along, and he's not very happy with you right now. He orders his men to kill you. Interesting and slightly humorous note: the guy shown with the gun is the same guy you beat up earlier, except with a hat.
**BONUS ESTEEM** Shooting Game
  1. You will now have to shoot down eight snipers, a la any shoot 'em up game I've ever played. Move the mouse to move your crosshair around, and click to shoot; sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. If you die once, you lose the Esteem. I suck at these games. If you're not like me and totally rule at these, then I suggest skipping the spoiler tag below. However, if you aren't as good as some other players at these sort of games, here is the location list of all the shooters.
  2. VERY IMPORTANT TIP: You have only a two-shooter to aid you. If you shoot both rounds, a reload button will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen, and if you click it, it will effectively pause the game. You will have to drag the two orbs straight to "load" another bullet. While this is a curse, this also a blessing. The reload screen is an annoyance, but it also helps you out; the more times you click "reload", the more times you will avoid getting shot if a sniper shoots at you after you click the button. Not only that, but all the Sniper's positions reset! So even if there are four enemies on the screen and they're about ready to fire, you can shoot two bullets into the first man, click "reload", and the other three snipers won't have hit you at all, and be hiding in the same places. Me personally, I got through the second screen with full health. :D So I had plenty of health to get rid of the last four guys.
START OF SHOOTING GAME
  1. The first one will appear behind the stack of crates to the left.
  2. The next will appear from behind the barrel to the right.
    3. NEXT SCREEN
  3. The next will appear from behind the barrel on the far left.
  4. The next will appear from the shelves in roughly the middle of the screen.
    5. NEXT SCREEN
  5. The next will appear behind the barrel in roughly the middle of the screen.
  6. The next will appear from the shelves on the left.
  7. The next will appear from the shelves on the right.
  8. The next will appear in the far back, from the shelves in roughly the middle of the screen.
END OF SHOOTING GAME
Bow Street
**BONUS ESTEEM** Interrogation 5
  1. In your first case, how do you believe Ned Roach was involved in the murder of Joseph Williams by Bob Doyle?
    How about the LETTER from Thomas Williams we conveniently found in the downstairs desk?
  2. In your second case, was there anything that connected Ned Roach to the house of ill repute and the sad story of Sally Harbottle?
    Well, there were the LICENSES for the whore house and gambling den.
  3. With your third case, what was the connection between our nefarious pawnbroker and Ned Roach?
    There's the NOTE we found pinned to his dead body!
  4. With your fourth case, how can you prove that Roach had any involvement with the smuggling ring?
    That LEDGER we found would prove it.
  5. What reason would Ned Roach have to burn down the drapers?
    What about the LIST of people paying protection money?
If you fail, Ned Roach is acquitted, and the populace of London refuses to believe that the Bow Street Runners are worth anything, and beg the government to disband the Runners. You are also fired. :c
Congratulations, you've completed the game! :D If you followed my walkthrough, you should have gotten an A rank, with an Esteem rating of Commander.
Bonus Esteem Points
Episode 1 Slide Thrift, Easy
Click the poster in the back by the window guy and click “Play It Now” to play this minigame. Your goal this time is 40 points. Try not to aim straight up, but slightly to the side of the coin. Also, don't push with all your might - go about two-thirds to three-fourths of the way to full power to shoot. The order of points for each stripe, from bottom to top, is 10, 10, 40, 10, 50, 0, 50, 60, and 0 as the big semicircle on top. If you place your cursor at the top of the screen prior to throwing a coin, you can scroll up to see the board. You scroll back down by placing your cursor at the bottom of the screen. Once you get 40 points and win the extra Esteem, click “Exit” to return to the main screen.
Swipe the Watch (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
You have three tries to get the watch. If you lose the second try, you automatically get the watch third try and fail to gain the bonus points. I would suggest practicing slow and seeing how far you get before Doyle moves, then attempt - but be warned, the very end of the curve is a bit glitchy. And DO NOT LET GO OF THE MOUSE BUTTON BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END OF THE CURVE. This goes for ANY curve you EVER get to in the whole game, not just this episode – and trust me, there are a LOT. Make sure you get the sphere to the absolute end of the curve, down to the very pixel, or he'll catch you.
Eavesdropping (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
There are generally three zones that the two gentlemen hang out in - the left section, the middle section, and the right section. Generally it will be easier to listen in on them if you place the shotglass higher up on the wall, roughly in the top half, near the bottom of the portrait frame. I find it easier to follow the subtitles as you go along. 1. For the first two lines, they will be in the left section, Voice One right by the door and Voice Two about an inch to the right of Voice One. 2. Then Voice Two will move to the middle, then to the right. 3. Voice One will angrily storm to the right section to yell at him, then when he talks about the harlot not getting a single penny, he will be in the middle. 4. Voice Two will be on the left section suddenly (he was probably moving while being quiet), and Voice One and Voice Two will start struggling in the lower left-hand corner of the wall. By the time they start struggling, you will have won the points.
Saving Hester (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
The wounds grow harder in difficulty from the one closest to the bottom of your screen (easiest) to the farthest away (hardest). My honest piece of advice is to start with the one on Miss Bradley's left (top), then the middle, then the right (bottom). Once you've stitched the first one (which I believe has six or seven curves), the middle one (with five curves) and the last one (with four curves) will be easy. And all she does is cough and look around, confused - not even a thank you! It gives you a buttload of esteem though. :D I finished with 2:20 on a touchpad!
Episode 2 Autopsy
Simply click and drag along the lines as before, cleaning up blood as needed. Once you’ve cut into his stomach, move the contents around until you find the evidence.
Find the Lady (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
You are looking for the queen. He will shuffle the cards around, then you will have to choose which one is the queen. I would suggest using your mouse to follow the card – it helps me.
Episode 3 Slide Thrift, Medium
This time you need 90 points. This one’s still pretty easy.
Episode 4 Swipe the Keys (READ BEFORE YOU START!)
Much like Bob Doyle and the watch swiping. Just swipe when you’re ready. But you only have ONE chance to grab the keys this time.
Slide Thrift, Hard
This time you must get 110 points. This one’s hard, but you can still do it!
Episode 5 Slide Thrift, Expert
Now you need 140 points. This is the only one I had to redo a few times to win.
Shooting Game
You will now have to shoot down eight snipers, a la any shoot ’em up game I’ve ever played. Move the mouse to move your crosshair around, and click to shoot; sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. If you die once, you lose the Esteem. I suck at these games. If you’re not like me and totally rule at these, then I suggest skipping the spoiler tag below. However, if you aren’t as good as some other players at these sort of games, here is the location list of all the shooters. VERY IMPORTANT TIP: You have only a two-shooter to aid you. If you shoot both rounds, a reload button will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen, and if you click it, it will effectively pause the game. You will have to drag the two orbs straight to “load” another bullet. While this is a curse, this also a blessing. The reload screen is an annoyance, but it also helps you out; the more times you click “reload”, the more times you will avoid getting shot if a sniper shoots at you after you click the button. Not only that, but all the Sniper’s positions reset! So even if there are four enemies on the screen and they’re about ready to fire, you can shoot two bullets into the first man, click “reload”, and the other three snipers won’t have hit you at all, and be hiding in the same places. Me personally, I got through the second screen with full health. :D So I had plenty of health to get rid of the last four guys. START OF SHOOTING GAME 01) The first one will appear behind the stack of crates to the left. 02) The next will appear from behind the barrel to the right. NEXT SCREEN 03) The next will appear from behind the barrel on the far left. 04) The next will appear from the shelves in roughly the middle of the screen. NEXT SCREEN 05) The next will appear behind the barrel in roughly the middle of the screen. 06) The next will appear from the shelves on the left. 07) The next will appear from the shelves on the right. 08) The next will appear in the far back, from the shelves in roughly the middle of the screen. END OF SHOOTING GAME
Interrogation Answers
Episode 1 Who do you believe to be the murderer of Joseph and Thomas Williams?
Obviously, it’s BOB DOYLE!
How can you be certain that the suspect is in some way linked to the murder and robbery of Joseph Williams?
The WATCH would prove that, since it says “JW” on it.
What makes you think that the same man who murdered Joseph Williams also killed his son Thomas?
The LOCK OF HAIR is good evidence.
What was the motive for killing the harlot?
THOMAS WILLIAM’S JOURNAL explains the motive to kill Hester.
How can you prove that Doyle was hired by Williams to commit the murder?
The SCRAP OF PAPER.
Episode 2 Who is the suspect for whom you seek to obtain this warrant?
SALLY HARBOTTLE seems the most likely.
What was the cause of the deceased’s death?
Maybe the POISON RING we found in his stomach?
But why would she have wanted her uncle dead?
How about that CONTRACT?
What makes you certain that George Harbottle died at the Bedford?
How about the BUTTON? He had to have been there if his button was found there.
How can you be certain that the girl is the murderer?
Well, the SUICIDE NOTE is in her writing.
Episode 3 Who do you suspect to be behind the production of the unlicensed gin?
Well, the PAWNBROKER, Nathaniel Crouch, of course!
And what caused the deaths of the unfortunates in the house of Saint Giles?
Well, how about those GIN BOTTLES we found?
And what connects this particular still with the Gin Shops and contaminated bottles at the slum dwelling?
Those LABELS might be sufficient proof.
What proof is there of the pawnbroker’s involvement?
The TOOLS were sold to Crouch, and they’re on the floor…
How can you prove the scale of his enterprise?
Well, perhaps the LIST of gin shops?
Episode 4 What aroused your suspicions that smugglers were involved in the man’s death in the cart accident?
The CONTRABAND hiding behind the apples might have been a tip off. :D
Who should be held responsible for the murder of the customs clerk?
It was the CAPTAIN that killed him.
Turning a cannon on a domestic vessel is a serious course of action. How can you be certain it was the right one?
What about the SHIP’S NAME?
How can you prove it was definitely the Black Rose that was linked to these smuggling activities?
How about the BARRELS IN WATER full of contraband?
What evidence do you have that there is corruption and smuggling on a wider scale?
Well, there’s that SHIPPING LOG we found.
Episode 5 In your first case, how do you believe Ned Roach was involved in the murder of Joseph Williams by Bob Doyle?
How about the LETTER from Thomas Williams we conveniently found in the downstairs desk?
In your second case, was there anything that connected Ned Roach to the house of ill repute and the sad story of Sally Harbottle?
Well, there were the LICENSES for the whore house and gambling den.
With your third case, what was the connection between our nefarious pawnbroker and Ned Roach?
There’s the NOTE we found pinned to his dead body!
With your fourth case, how can you prove that Roach had any involvement with the smuggling ring?
That LEDGER we found would prove it.
What reason would Ned Roach have to burn down the drapers?
What about the LIST of people paying protection money?
Easter Eggs
1. The papers on the desk at the “Loading” screen are moveable by clicking and dragging, and are also readable, by clicking the bottom right corner of each document. However, the paper titled “The London Courant” in the middle-left section of the desk will be personalized for the last episode you completed (if you succeeded in the interrogation or if you failed), except for in the first episode, which will repeat the full-size document right next to it. 2. Once you complete the five episodes, you are given a code – “SlideThrift” – to play the Slide Thrift game as many times as you want. :) It can be used after completing one episode, and will always be set at 140 points.
List of Ranks In case anyone wants it as a reference.
Runner (Lowest) Constable Sergeant Inspector Chief Inspector Superintendent Commander (Highest) I believe I got all the esteem in the game, including bonuses, unless I’m missing some game that’s nearly impossible to see. But I think this is it! :D

Posted by: Metanaito | April 14, 2008 6:32 PM

157 Comments [leave a comment]

I seem to be stuck/have a game bug:

I tried to 'steal' the man's pocket watch twice, but now I can't do anything anymore?

Posted by: Maqrkk Author Profile Page | February 14, 2008 4:58 PM

It seems a bit buggy. My flash player would give debug popups or something like that. It looked pretty promising but it's hard playing like this.

Posted by: Maqrkk authentication icon | February 14, 2008 5:22 PM

I'm having no trouble so far, the game is running smoothly for me. I'm on a Mac and using Firefox, if that helps.

Just to add, I'm enjoying it so far. I love games like this.

Posted by: Karin | February 14, 2008 5:45 PM

Worked fine for me. My only problem was that the vocals and the video often fell out of sync. (And the mouse mini-games seemed too sensitive to slipping a teensy bit off line, but that's just my clumsiness talking.)

Posted by: Dan Someone Author Profile Page | February 14, 2008 5:52 PM

not only is this not safe for dial-up, it's not safe for trackpads, either. I can't complete one of the parts near the end because my trackpad isn't large enough.

Posted by: soleta | February 14, 2008 5:53 PM

Another major bug"

Impossible for me to help the harlot. I can fix one of her wounds and then just get stuck on that screen until time runs out. Can't get to the other wounds.
Posted by: Nipsy authentication icon | February 14, 2008 6:45 PM

I loved the first scene, but it's buggy for me too, I can't get past the loading screen for the second scene. The loading bar keeps filling up and resetting to 0.

Posted by: demiurge | February 14, 2008 6:49 PM

I can't even go into the next scene. It just says "loading". Been doing that for 10 minutes now.

Posted by: LaShawn Author Profile Page | February 14, 2008 6:54 PM

Same for me. Got past the crime scene and now its just stuck loading over and over. Its either a magnificent bit of animation coming up or its fizzy chickened as the man once said.

Posted by: sillybuttons™ Author Profile Page | February 14, 2008 7:01 PM

Oh and I'm using Firefox 2 on Win XP SP2 PC. Anyone got different browser that it works on? I'm itching to play.

Posted by: sillybuttons™ Author Profile Page | February 14, 2008 7:04 PM

I am using opera web browser on an XP SP2 PC. The same problem here with the loading of the 2nd scene.

Posted by: escapee | February 14, 2008 7:15 PM

Maqrrk:

Did you notice something falling down to the floor when you got the pocket watch? Did you pick it up?

Posted by: ThemePark authentication icon | February 14, 2008 7:39 PM

Firefox 2 on a Mac works for me. Had some problems with Safari during the scene with the harlot.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the last scene? I don't seem to be handing in the right kind of evidence.

Posted by: klikkerdeklik | February 14, 2008 8:09 PM

Welp. I'm stuck.. literally.

After listening to the conversation using the cup, I'm left holding the cup and looking at a blank wall. I don't have a "return" button or anything, and clicking around doesn't help any.

Feh.

Posted by: A | February 14, 2008 9:07 PM

I tried reloading, but it doesn't have any sort of save feature, so I'd have to start at the beginning. And personally, it doesn't seem worth it. The dialogue drags on and on (you should be able to click through it faster), and the "follow this line" bits are more difficult than they should be. It's also a little too "do A, then B, then C" for me.

Posted by: A | February 14, 2008 9:10 PM

This game was promising, it's just too frustrating due to some technical issues. The special motion events are a pain because the game can't keep up with cursor movements, so if you go too fast, the game will "jump" the cursor to catch up, which results in it failing. Go too slow, and you run out of time. Particularly frustrating during one timed event that I could not complete.

Also some unclear objectives that result in failing certain parts made me a bit discouraged. If the game had a save feature or the ability to retry portions you screwed up on, it would be significantly better. Having to start from the begining to get to a later point to redo it is not something I want to do.

Posted by: James authentication icon | February 14, 2008 9:22 PM

I, for one, love the mystery game genre. These games are compelling, and rarely dissapoint. This is almost no exception.

The game itself, once it loads, is beautiful. Not just the live-action bits, but those help add to the atmosphere. Also, clue-finding and information gathering is difficult, but not too bad.

My main problem is the mouse-drag games. With a game this big, even with my good internet, has lag. On a game that precise, it's nearly impossible to do the first time, even on the untimed event. However...

When you have to save the girl or snatch the clock, and you're timed, it's nearly impossible. You lose esteem, and you lose the game. I think. I didn't actually wait to see what would happen if I failed the stiching one.

This turns what could be a masterpiece of casual gaming into an "almost". Pitiful.

Posted by: A Regular | February 14, 2008 9:26 PM

Interesting game, with high production value, but impossible to play on a trackpad. Also, like the above commenter mentioned, the special motion games are horribly frustrating and really seem unwinnable with the jumping of the cursor combined with trackpad issues. It had a lot of potential, though- and is very attractive to look at!

Posted by: Mnem | February 14, 2008 10:39 PM

It seems pretty much impossible to

save the harlot in the time you have
when using a trackpad. Really frustrating. However, at the end
the guy says she only nearly died
so maybe it makes no difference, except to your esteem.

Posted by: gawlfor | February 14, 2008 11:22 PM

The glass:

you are using it to listen through the wall, move it around until you hear the sound the loudest, you should be able to hear an important plot point and get to the next scene.

Posted by: slgalt authentication icon | February 14, 2008 11:23 PM

I ran into the same second-scene-loading problem (Mac OS X with Safari). Which is really frustrating, because I like the production values and am interested in the setting.

Posted by: Emily Short authentication icon | February 15, 2008 1:27 AM

Just a small point about the description of the games origin. Although channel 4 is a publicly funded channel is has nothing to do with the bbc at all bbc's channel 4 is called "bbc 4"

Posted by: Nat Slater | February 15, 2008 4:08 AM

With the glass scene, that's kind of going to let out deaf people. :p I'm just dragging the glass around idly and reading the captions. There doesn't seem to be any visual indication related to the puzzle.

But I do love that they captioned it, though. It is a beautiful game otherwise.

I'm missing something though to tie the murders of the Williams together, though.

Posted by: lizardling | February 15, 2008 4:27 AM

Just as an aside, this isn't from BBC 4, this is from Channel 4, an indepedant television Channel.

Posted by: Hoylus | February 15, 2008 4:33 AM

ThemePark:

I saw that when I played the game the second time. The first time I was stuck due to a technical issue. I was looking at the screen where you take his pocket watch, but nothing happened, no return button, only the sound of the tavern kept playing.

Posted by: Maqrkk authentication icon | February 15, 2008 4:48 AM

Just a small mistake in your Entry - Channel 4 is not owned by the BBC it is its own channel - it is like saying Fox's NBC.

Posted by: Shaded spriter Author Profile Page | February 15, 2008 7:03 AM

Sorry about that. I've updated the review. Cheers!

Posted by: Jay Author Profile Page | February 15, 2008 8:06 AM

It is possible to save the girl. I didn't manage it the first time but as soon as I focussed on the pointer and not the glowing dot I made it.

Is it only possible to get rank sergeant?

Posted by: Feliss | February 15, 2008 10:23 AM

Bugs aside (and there seem to be a fair number) it is a very pretty game. May even signal a new chapter in online flash-based games.

Posted by: Corbs | February 15, 2008 10:50 AM

slgalt, re the glass:

I'm not sure if you were responding to my comment about the glass.. When I said I was stuck, I meant it was due to an apparent bug, not because I needed help. But thank you. So far as I could tell, the conversation ended after the scuffle, and it was impossible to then get out of that screen. Unless I was missing something because of the lack of sound, which is, as far as I'm concerned, also a "bug" of sorts.
Posted by: A | February 15, 2008 10:52 AM

i'm stuck on the bit where you show the evidence,
i've done all the other bits, saved the woman, get the watch etc but when asked to show the evidence linking the murders the guy keeps saying that its not enough evidence.
help!!

Posted by: lainey | February 15, 2008 1:02 PM

Like some others, I have a laptop, and playing this with a trackpad is frustrating. It's a beautiful game -- I do love the story and the ambience, and hope for many more games like this, but the games involving precision cursor curves just won't work. I was able to finish the game, but without key pieces of evidence, so I never really learned the ending.

I know this is the "preview" version. I hope future versions limit the high-precision games a bit.

Posted by: Murray | February 15, 2008 1:27 PM

The one thing that I'm curious about is

why I keep seeing "esteem missed" when I hold the glass up to the wall. Does it continually have to be held in a loud place, or is it because you can't let it get too quiet? The game seems to progress just fine after that,
until I have to load the save-the-harlot screen. Now it's repeating the loading screen by going back to 0 and loading again and going back to 0 and loading again...

Sir can't wait until the next episode.

Posted by: Illarion | February 15, 2008 3:06 PM

Same here Illarion. I can't figure out how to not have the esteem missed on that part.

Here's the question I have -

Once you've gathered everything, what's the proper order to present it to the judge? I get Doyle, then the watch, but then I get yelled at when I try to present the hat or anything else.

Posted by: elfkey authentication icon | February 15, 2008 4:39 PM

No I couldn't do the track-the-ball games either. They were really frustrating & pointless. I would have liked a way to make up the "esteem" points without doing those. I had no idea what evidence to present either.

Posted by: Caya authentication icon | February 15, 2008 4:40 PM

The case book helps a lot when presenting evidence at the end. Doing a review of everything in there makes it pretty straightforward to complete.

The mouse precision & lag combo is brutal. I never did figure out what to do with the glass on the wall, but that's the only esteem I missed on the second go through.
-blarg

Posted by: blargney | February 15, 2008 5:32 PM

I still can't get the second scene to load .. it just loads and loads and....
I have 9,0,115,0 flash and everything else is up todate. Never had a problem getting something like this to load. Sure looks like a great game. I thought it might be server traffic, but i have tried a few times. Anyone else have this problem and got it fixed?

Posted by: chuck authentication icon | February 15, 2008 6:28 PM

3rd Scene, waiting for Thomas Williams:
I'm having serious problems picking the lock on the desk drawer. Somehow I managed the first, but am stuck on the second part. Has anyone figured out a method?

Posted by: NohWoman Author Profile Page | February 15, 2008 8:04 PM

I seem to have difficulty with the very first scene. =/ I can't get the fingers to stay open to get the evidence.

Posted by: Jennifer Cleckley | February 15, 2008 10:38 PM

I had the same problem. I couldn't get the fingers to stay open long enough to grab the hair. I tried for the longest time. I might try again, though... it seems interesting.

Posted by: Vida | February 16, 2008 12:14 AM

Overall, I really like this game and love the use of live actors, but agree with others that is sometimes frustrating with no save and bugs (as a side note I had fewer bugs in IE than in Firefox). I also can't figure out how not to lose esteem with the glass and can't figure out the rationale behind which evidence to give in which order...I just had to keep playing the whole thing over again to work it out by trial and error.

Regarding the fingers with the hair:

I kept trying to use a dragging motion, as this seemed to be the most intuitive approach to pry open the fingers. However, apparently you just need to double-click the fingers...this made it much easier for me once I figured it out!
Regarding the precision mouse movements:
I found it worked best to focus on keeping the pointer tip within the track and pretty much just ignore the glowing ball thing. Also, try to make it a smooth motion...stopping at all usually makes me fail and sometimes will even freeze/lock up the game. Still, I still find these really difficult to impossible without a good mouse and very challenging with one.
Posted by: Ruby Kube authentication icon | February 16, 2008 2:25 AM

Is it possible to help the dead guy's son?

After listening to the conversation using the cup, I get a "esteemed miss" message.

The bug where you
can't get to the harlot's other wounds
is still there.

Posted by: electronicfly Author Profile Page | February 16, 2008 5:22 AM

I hate to be stupid, but I've thought really hard about it and looked at the casebook and it's just really, really eluding me. What is the third piece of evidence I'm supposed to present? Can someone just say, or give me a hint? I feel like I tried everything. Please help?

Posted by: Chrissy | February 16, 2008 9:05 AM

im using a touch pad and i can't do the lockpicking. it's really really annoying and i had to quit the game because im going nowhere :(

Posted by: huublaah | February 16, 2008 11:02 AM

@Chrissy

What is so unique about Doyle?

His hair, for example?

Posted by: Peasnquiet | February 16, 2008 12:36 PM

Its such a fantastic game and has so much potential. its just sad that it is quite buggy. i really found the last mouse slide game to be impossible, and i wish they would have given you more time - it would have been fine with an extra 30 seconds to min

Posted by: Dana B | February 17, 2008 12:14 AM

I double-clicked, triple-clicked, furiously clicked the first time I tried to play, no dice on the hair no matter what I did. If it ever loads for me again, I'll give it another go. Maybe the furious clicking did me in. :D

Posted by: Vida | February 17, 2008 5:38 AM

It lags too much for me to do proper mouse movements, to the point where the cursor on the screen disappears, even though the rest of the game appears to run smoothly.

Other than that, the game has a very interesting plot! I cannot wait until the next one.

Posted by: Jae | February 17, 2008 5:01 PM

This would be much more enjoyable without the lag. Maybe they should create an alternate vector version.

Posted by: Jonn Author Profile Page | February 17, 2008 9:25 PM

The evidence needed, in order:


Who killed Joseph Williams?
Doyle

How can you prove it?
Watch

How to link murders of Thomas and Joseph Williams?
Hair

What was the motive for killing the harlot?
Journal

How to show Thomas hired Doyle?
Scrap of paper

My complaints:

I think the logic here is a little weak...seems like the hat should be included somewhere, no way to include what you've heard or gathered in interviews, and having an address shows a connection but doesn't prove anything. Good game though, overall.

Posted by: Ruby Kube authentication icon | February 17, 2008 10:15 PM

I've saved the woman, trying to move to the next scene but the game kept loading, it's been like that for about half an hour now T_T

Posted by: jojo Author Profile Page | February 17, 2008 10:21 PM

Crap! I was doing so well, but I can't

pick the lock

with my touchpad!!! ARG!!!!

Posted by: dsrtrosy Author Profile Page | February 18, 2008 1:37 PM

This is a great game. I really enjoyed playing it so much, that I played three times! :) Perfect mood music, awesome actors that did a wonderful job in their roles, and splendid animation! Also, the Whodunnit aspect of the whole game was just an utter thrill. (I'm a sucker for Whodunnit games, like Detective Grimoire!)

I have only a few complaints.

1. My computer kept putting the video and sound out of sync; this may not be the game's fault, however.
2. The arcs, in my opinion, are just a teensy too hard, especially for newbies that are just getting into the genre. I'm sure the die-hard action game fanatics will disagree and say it's easy as pie, but besides the lockpicking I lost the one with Doyle's watch, and with Miss Bradley. (Going back to play it again a fourth time, I was able to get Doyle's Watch and save Miss Bradley, thus collecting all the Esteem in the game, including bonuses.) Perhaps if it was a little less glitchy - my problem was I'd move an inch or two around the curve and suddenly the sphere would catch up, but by the time it got there Doyle had moved his pocket or Miss Bradley's wound had bled through.
3. The hat didn't come in at all in the story. I mean, everyone at the Black Bull would know that hat anywhere; they'd know it belonged to Doyle. So that would also further the proof that Doyle was actually in the house.
4. If you leave a conversation with a character, the questions you just asked will appear as "XXXXXXXX", and will no longer be clickable, though it looks like they are clickable. This accidentally caused me to be frozen at the very beginning, because I didn't press either option on "Be Polite" or "Be Stern", and could not get back to those two options, so I had to restart.

Other than that, though, I have a few tips on the Bonus Esteem Points:
On the Coin Minigame (Slide Thrift):
Try not to aim straight up, but slightly to the side of the coin. Also, don't push with all your might - go about three-fourths of the way to full power to shoot. The order of points for each stripe, from bottom to top, is 10, 10, 40, 10, 50, 0, 50, 60, and 0 as the big semicircle on top. If you place your cursor at the top of the screen prior to throwing a coin, you can scroll up to see the board. You scroll back down by placing your cursor at the bottom of the screen.
Doyle's Watch:
You have three tries to get the watch. If you lose the second try, you automatically get the watch third try and fail to gain the bonus points. I would suggest practicing slow and seeing how far you get before Doyle moves, then attempt - but be warned, the very end of the curve is a bit glitchy. And DO NOT LET GO OF THE MOUSE BUTTON BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END OF THE CURVE. Make sure you get the sphere to the absolute end of the curve, down to the very pixel, or he'll catch you.
Shotglass Minigame:
There are generally three zones that the two gentlemen hang out in - the left section, the middle section, and the right section. Generally it will be easier to listen in on them if you place the shotglass higher up on the wall, roughly in the top half, near the bottom of the portrait frame. I find it easier to follow the subtitles as you go along. For the first two lines, they will be in the left section, Voice One right by the door and Voice Two about an inch to the right of Voice One. Then Voice Two will move to the middle, then to the right. Voice One will angrily storm to the right section to yell at him, then when he talks about the harlot not getting a single penny, he will be in the middle. Voice Two will be on the left section suddenly (he was probably moving while being quiet), and by the time they start struggling, you will have won the points.
Stitching Wounds Minigame:
The wounds grow harder in difficulty from the one closest to the bottom of your screen to the farthest away. My honest piece of advice is to start with the one on Miss Bradley's left, then the middle, then the right. Because once you've stitched the first one (which I believe has six or seven curves) then the middle one (with five curves) and the last one (with four curves) will be easy. And all she does is cough and look around, confused - not even a thank you! It gives you a buttload of esteem though. :)

Posted by: Metanaito authentication icon | February 20, 2008 11:00 PM

I also get stuck on the harlot. I have yet been given the opportunity to go to another wound. Last time got stuck with a sponge but got out when the clock ran out. Last time sewed up the first wound and got a success but no then I had no way out. The clock ran out and nothing happened I had to close out of the game. I do wish I did not have to start from the beginning.
Confused by Metanaito 2/20/08 what mini games??? other then the watch and lock.

Posted by: Wren authentication icon | February 21, 2008 10:58 AM

I forgot to mention I do like this game a lot. The graphics are awesome. So different from the cartooning games. Wren again

Posted by: Wren authentication icon | February 21, 2008 1:20 PM

Oh no!!! second time today I sewed up successfully a different wound (the middle) SUCCESS and then nothing. I can't get out of it. the clock has stopped long ago. I am sure she is dead but like her I can not get the game alive again!! HELP!!! Last night I was able to get through to the end and loose...but this is very disappointing. I really do not want to have to restart the program from the beginning...it is getting boring because I know the clues and evidence of most of it....
I have made it to the end not successfully twice but now twice have be aborted by the harlot....
c'est dommage

Posted by: Wren authentication icon | February 21, 2008 1:51 PM

Okay for today unless I get an answer. I can not get past the Harlet, I fix a wound and then I am stuck and can't get out. Perhaps they are working on the program.
Please let me know if this is the case. I don't know if I could endure the first half again.
Thanks Wren wrenpanzella.com

Posted by: Wren authentication icon | February 21, 2008 2:10 PM

WALKTHROUGH

CRIME SCENE:

Talk to the night watchman.

Examine the body.

Note the neck wound was done with a knife (by clicking it).

Drag the receipt out of the body's pocket.

Note the broken pocketwatch chain.

Note the wedding ring by his hand has not been taken.

Open his closed hand by clicking each finger and taking the hair from it before the fingers close again.

Zoom in on the trough. And again. Click the long skinny thing in the back; it will drain.

Drag away the various pieces of trash until you find the knife. Take it.

Zoom back out and talk to the woman in the alleyway. It doesn't matter what order you question her in.

TAVERN:
Talk to Ned Roach (the barkeep). I'm not sure this is necessary. You can talk to all the people in the bar, most will give you a one-liner, others will tell you to sod off.

It is most important that you speak with the man by the barrel (Doyle). Note the intitials engraved on his pocketwatch. That and his red hair and surly demeanor make it quite obvious that... er, something's amiss.

Zoom back out and then click on his coat pocket. Drag the little circle along the line to take the pocket watch without him noticing. After that, something falls from his coat. Obviously, you should pick it up.

WILLIAMS' HOME:
Read the page on the chair. This gives you background on the victim's son, Thomas, but isn't necessary to win.

Zoom in on the desk. Pick the lock on the drawer. Take the journal and read the note.

Zoom in on the glass and use it to listen in on the conversation. Keep moving it around to hear better.

After the fight, you will go in. Take the hat and speak to Thomas.

Endure some bad acting, then look at the Thomas. Note his identity, stab wounds, and gun. I'm not sure if that's really necessary, but you may as well. (Has anyone tried skipping this and going after Doyle immediately after the fight?)

HARLOT'S BEDROOM:
Break down the door by clicking on it three times.

Sew up Hester's wounds. You must do this fairly quickly, as they bleed out while you are sewing. The last one in particular bleeds fast, so go quickly. If it bleeds too much, you will have to sponge up the blood before you start again, wasting more time. You should be able to aid her in only a few seconds.

When I finished, I had 2:22 left on the clock.

Note her witch's hat and broom for her kinkier customers. This isn't necessary, but it's funny.

BOW STREET:
Present your evidence in the following order:

Doyle

watch

hair

journal

scrap

Posted by: Lhyzz Author Profile Page | February 22, 2008 1:43 AM

Thanks for all your feedback on our Bow Street Runner game and for helping us dig out all the bugs in the BETA version. Your input has been invaluable and the enthusiasm that we’ve had has really buoyed the team who are currently knee-deep in building the other four episodes. Episode one should now be totally fixed and is fully launched today so give it another go… and since you guys have already had a practise you should get through to episode two with no problems. In this fixed up version your esteem will be carried over to the other episodes… so if you want to be reminded when they’re going live simply leave your email address on the form at the bottom of the game page.

That’s it for now… good luck with stitching up the harlot!

To go to the game log onto: www.channel4.com/bowstreetrunner

Posted by: Ladders authentication icon | March 6, 2008 5:34 AM

Well I tried to play this when it was first put up but got annoyed with the bugs and gave up. It works great now and was really enjoyable. If anyone is a fan of the CSI games then they will love this. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Posted by: sillybuttons™ Author Profile Page | March 7, 2008 4:32 PM

Episode two just went live! So far, it's a bit trickier. There's an opportunity to perform an autopsy, which they warn is not for the faint of heart, so you have the option of letting a surgeon do it. You get the evidence but no esteem, so I may try it again when it's not so soon after lunch!

Also, the first room will seem incredibly hard if you don't click around everywhere as much as possible. It's dark so it's hard to see things but keep looking at everything (especially the edges) until something is registering with either a magnifying glass or an E sign. I can offer specific spoilers if anyone's stuck.

More later, maybe.

Posted by: Andrew Leal | March 13, 2008 3:17 PM

I loved this one. From beginning to the end. Great graphics, easy enough, but not to trivial puzzles, user-friendly interface - it is worth each one of the five stars easily.

Posted by: bioLarzen Author Profile Page | March 13, 2008 5:21 PM

I think that there are still some bugs with the ending when you collate your evidence. Both episodes I have presented what I thought was the right evidence and not succeeded.

I think that if you get an answer wrong, it then doesn't accept the correct one. To anyone who has done the newest level:

when you are asked, what makes you sure Sally is the murderer, do you have to present the list of her items or something else? Because I didn't present that at first, and then it told me it was wrong but I couldn't think of anything else

I hope these spoiler tags work, I've never used them.

Posted by: Kastrel | March 13, 2008 6:30 PM

Kastrel, I believe it is the

suicide note

you want to put next

Posted by: LazyPint authentication icon | March 13, 2008 8:01 PM

This episode is in no way as tricky as the first episode - it's much shorter adn the questions asked for evidence etc are far easier and direct to finish the episode correctly.

Posted by: Anonymous | March 14, 2008 11:30 AM

I'm playing episode two and so far the game has frozen on the loading screen between the crime scene and the next scene four times. I guess I'll try back later. Major kudos for allowing us to skip the autopsy, though!

Posted by: joye Author Profile Page | March 14, 2008 11:38 AM

Yeah! I am so glad Bow Street Runner episode is out. Even more so, that there are less of those mouse actions that I needed to do. Definitely made it easier for me to play.... I remember when I played the first episode, I kept failing everything that had a mouse action....

Posted by: Foreversh authentication icon | March 14, 2008 1:28 PM

Woot! Beat the first (finally) and second one in one sitting!!

Posted by: kenshiro | March 14, 2008 8:57 PM

Ok, finished episode two.

I was sad that Sally was hanged. Talk about justifiable homicide. I know that it's historically accurate but still.

That disappointment aside, I am still eager to play the next episode in this series, even if the loading times take forever even on my broadband. The acting and visuals are worth the wait.

Posted by: joye Author Profile Page | March 15, 2008 1:59 PM

I made it out of Episode 1 with rank constable because I had to play it 4 times to get it right. My flash was old and playing it with old flash caused it to hang when I tried to save the harlot.

However, I am in Episode 2. Has anyone figured out how to

get the 6 nails out of the plank of wood in the floor?
I can get all 6 to go up but not all of them stay up. Is there anyway to get them out of the wood?

...thinking of changing my name to ... mudd

Posted by: 4red3s authentication icon | March 15, 2008 4:35 PM

I just completed Episode 2. I knew what would happen a little bit because I clicked on a spoiler in an earlier post.

I also did the autopsy myself. It wasn't that bad. But if you didn't like the precision sewing from the 1st episode then you might want the surgeon to do this and save time. I don't think it helps your rank any. Although I am half way through a sergeants rank at the end of episode 2.

P.S. While I am here and this is a new and wonderful game so people may be looking at this section a little while...
I want to clarify something for people who might be as ignorant as me.

Don't go to sites that end in 24. There are several and I didn't know till now but they are ... bad. I am not sure why or how but they steal games from the owners who make the games. Then they put them on their own sites and get credit for all the hits that the game gets - or something like that.

Why am I saying this? Because I submitted a game to Jay that was from one of these - 24 - sites and - I - received a very i n f o r m a t i v e email explaining very clearly what I had done. So I won't be doing that anymore.

Don't visit them and for heaven's sake don't submit a game to Jay from one of them. I have had many "stewpid" moments and this one ranks pretty high.

Well, I hope everybody has a better day today.

Posted by: 4red3s authentication icon | March 15, 2008 5:25 PM

4red3s, here's what you do.

touch each nail, much the way you did with the fingers in episode one, only pull the mouse UP as far as you can go. Repeat and do it quick or else they'll go back down. It took me awhile to figure out what to do too, I thought I needed a tool, and then another try just to get them all up

I so glad that the autopsy is optional, but I did it second try anyway to obtain full esteem; it's easier than the other precision games, not least because he's, well, dead, but it is a trifle gory (still understated), and you have to root around in his stomach (much like the trough in episode 1). I didn't miss any esteem chances this round. I was already a little over constable when I started, so I'm well into sergeant and closing fast.

One thing I'm enjoying is continuity. I went back to episode 1 to confirm my suspicions: Nathaniel Crouch and Mrs. Butters appear in the tavern in that episode (you can talk to them briefly, but they don't say anything useful, just add atmosphere and establishes their occupations as pawnbroker and madame respectively in advance). Judging from the credits, I think pub landlord Ned Roach may return as well; I'm not sure yet if these cases are supposed to tie together, or far more likely, given the setting and the types of crimes, inevitably you'd run into some of the same people (tavern owners, fences, etc). Julian Glover's performance during the evidence section was terrific, in contrast to his dry reactions last time.

I'm continuing to enjoy the little gossipy newspaper columns and other bits of historical background. Though the early condom was pushing it (but accurate!)

Posted by: Andrew Leal authentication icon | March 16, 2008 12:51 AM

Episode 3 is up!

Like the other episodes, it's full of historical ambience (great for a history geek like me, lol) and despite not being too difficult, the evidence part snagged me once until I managed to correctly present the right evidence the second time. Younger players or the more squeamish might find the blank-eyed corpses (actors, lol) somewhat disturbing but fortunately, they only appear a few times throughout.

WALKTHROUGH

Slum House

Click on the green gin bottle on the right of the body in the middle. Note the gin bottle and the label by clicking it again.
Click on the bed. At this point, rats will appear from various places. I prefer to click the ones under the bed...once you get a hold of one, test the three types of liquid offered to you via the use of the pipette by clicking over each liquid in turn and dispensing it over the rat.
You'll find that contaminated gin is the culprit here in poisoning our victims. Then return to the main scene and click on the body furthest away from you (the one with his back turned). Pick up the receipt.
Pawnbroker's Shop
Once you get inside, click on the pawnbroker. You'll probably recognise Nathaniel Crouch from the 2nd episode...he will also say the same at one point. Ask all the questions (including about the drunk). Return to the main scene.
Click on the drunk. At this point, you have to slap the poor man a couple of times but the he will eventually get up and leave you behind a familiar looking gin bottle. Click on it. Recognise it? Lol, I'm sure we all do.
Click on the table/chair near the pawnbroker's counter that has the newspaper article on it. This will tell you of the extent of damage "Mother's Ruin" has had on the city as well as the contaminated gin.
Gin Shop
There'll be a cutscene here with an angry exchange of words between our old friend Ned Roach from the 1st episode and the gin house owner, Silas Briskett. Take a look at the gin bottles strewn about the place.
Talk to Briskett. When you get to talk of the bodies, be threatening and he'll turn his back to you. Rude, yes but all the better since you can investigate that suspicious looking wall of his.