Finished "Cruise for a Corpse" in 6 hours!

My last playing session went really fast, because suddenly lots of stuff happened and I didn't really have to interrogate people anymore. It was basically just walking around and finding stuff.

 

Suddenly people want to talk to ME instead of the other way around...

And I must admit, I also went looking for some external aid at The Adventurers Guild blog, which has a very detailed and interesting playthrough report that almost reads as a murder investigation itself! I can really recommend it.

 

Anyways, during my playthrough I witnessed a fight between two people, someone fell overboard, I discovered two more murder victims, I finally got into the kitchen, I got into a fistfight myself, and suddenly I had to point out the murderer!

 

Finally got in the kitchen!

So, there was a lot more action in the second half of the game. Halfway through, I got stuck for a while because suddenly I had to ask someone about something I had already asked them earlier, but VERY earlier, like only an hour into the game or so. AND there was suddenly something hidden in a place that had remained empty so far.

 

This makes it a VERY difficult game. You'll find items in places where nothing could be found earlier, forcing you to go over the entire ship again if you exhausted all other options. Meaning asking everyone about everything again, because even though the replies always stay the same, sometimes they'll suddenly progress time. As if Raoul didn't deem the information important at first, but now suddenly he does.

 

Finally got into the captain's cabin!

I finished this game in 6 hours but that's only because this was a replay and I also checked that blog for some help. I still remembered some things for years ago, so some hidden items I knew would be there. I'd still forgotten about several others though. Because of all the repetitive questions and actions, this game is pretty brutal. I think it was a good game on paper, but something went wrong putting it all together. If it could be redesigned, it has the potential to be an awesome detective story.

 

Finally the end!

 

I'm 3 hours into "Cruise for a Corpse"

I've learned so much about all the characters, but not that much about the murder...

Hector is buffed!

I was able to talk to Hector, the butler; Rebecca, the wife; Daphne, the daughter; and Rose, the wife of Tom. But it's always maddening how the in-game clock refuses to move forward even after I asked new characters about all possible topics!

 

Oh, Suzanne, thank you for leaving the door unlocked...

I found a pocket watch that changed hands through a poker game, and a newspaper article about the death of Niklos' first wife. I discovered there's an illegitimate child in the family who snatched away Niklos' inheritance. There's so much going on but I'm not getting any closer to figuring out how it all fits together.

 

I spy with my little eye...

It's 1:30 pm and it's been a while since the in-game time has moved on. I don't really know where to go or what to do. I've got some new questions to ask Tom and Rose but they've vanished. It's weird, it's such a small ship, there are supposed to be 10 people on board, so where are they all hiding all the time?

 

Yay, new characters!

Classic time: "Cruise for a Corpse" playthrough

I don't have the box anymore, but I do have the ship's map and the character background information booklet!

I'm replaying Cruise for a Corpse. I've never finished this game on my own. It's been a while, so I hope I can do so now without resorting to a walkthrough again.

The frustrating in-game clock...

I'm Raoul Dusentier, invited to join businessman Niklos Karaboudjan on a cruise with some of his other friends and family. First night on board, Niklos is murdered, and I have to find out who did it.

 

The opening scene...

I'm 1 hour into the game now and I've met and talked to five people so far: Father Fabiani, Tom, Suzanne, Julio and Dick. So far I've been running back and forth between them, asking them about all conversation topics as they unlock.

 

Raoul is a very polite inspector...

So far I discovered that both Fabiani and Suzanne had an argument with Niklos the day before. Fabiani is a gambler, Tom is having an affaire with Niklos' wife it seems, Suzanne is an alcoholic and it's a mystery why Niklos even invited her on board. 

 

Will I ever get into that kitchen?

Julio is engaged to Niklos' daughter but basically without her consent, and Dick... is Dick, just layed back, not thinking much of anything, pretty much clueless and not any help at all.

 

I so want to examine this cabin, but either it's locked or Tom is there!

Every time you make a discovery, the in-game clock moves forward ten minutes. Then the playing field changes; NPC's change places, and objects can suddenly be found, like a mysterious key on your cabin floor, a receipt from a jeweler under a chair, and invitation cards in a dining room drawer, giving you extra topics for questioning the suspects.

 

The handy in-game map for quick travel! Though you might miss triggering eavesdropping scenes that way...

Did I just find a motive?

There's a flaw in the design, though, because sometimes, to forward time, you need to ask a certain character about something specific, even though you already asked that at an earlier time. 

 

I SEE YOU!

So it's very tricky, and sometimes you just go around asking everyone about everything again to find that one bit that will move the clock.

 

I don't trust priests...

When I was in my teens playing this game, I never got past noon time, I think. Let's see if I can do better now!