Hugo II, Whodunit?
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | David P. Gray |
| Products | Hugo II, Whodunit? |
Hugo II, Whodunit?—also known as Hugo's Mystery Adventure in the Hugo Trilogy re-release—is a parser-driven adventure game created and distributed as shareware by Gray Design Associates in 1991. This title, designed by David P. Gray, serves as the follow-up to the 1990 release Hugo's House of Horrors and precedes Hugo III, Jungle of Doom! which came out in 1992.
Plot
Following the storyline of Hugo's House of Horrors, Hugo and Penelope travel to visit Hugo’s Great Uncle Horace at his estate in England. Penelope uncovers a hidden passage after observing what appears to be Horace’s murder through a keyhole. As she explores both the mansion and its gardens, she faces dangers such as aggressive bees and Venus flytraps, encounters a familiar elderly character from the earlier game, and uses a phone booth to journey to an alien world featuring a spoof of Doctor Who. Upon returning to the mansion, Penelope continues her investigation until a detective arrives but is unable to solve the mystery, ultimately revealing that Horace was merely rehearsing for a theatrical performance.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Whodunit closely follows that of its predecessor, with players directing Hugo and Penelope using arrow keys alongside a text parser to interact with objects—examining environments, gathering items, and solving puzzles. Features include options to save and load progress as well as a boss key. The Hugo Trilogy edition introduces a point-and-click interface complementing the parser system. Differing from the original game, Penelope assumes the main playable role for most of the adventure, which expands on its predecessor by offering more locations and intricate puzzles.
Development
Developed as a continuation of Hugo's House of Horrors, itself influenced by Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, Whodunit was initially programmed for DOS using Microsoft Quick C, with a subsequent Windows version created in Visual C++. David Gray, the game's creator, cited his enthusiasm for Agatha Christie's murder mysteries as a major source of inspiration and deliberately chose to feature a female lead character. He also remarked that the project exemplifies the second-system effect phenomenon.
Reception
Richard Cobbett from PC Gamer characterized Whodunit as "endearingly crazy," commending its enhanced artistic style compared to its forerunner but criticizing its often confusing gameplay mechanics and puzzle structure. Andrew Morin of Adventure Classic Gaming praised the title for its broader scope, refined design elements, and humor relative to the original installment.