A Bleaker Predicklement Walkthrough

A walkthrough of Bertram Fiddle Episode 2: A Bleaker Predicklement. I tried not to spoil the more complicated puzzles, so there are hint and solution spoiler tags in this guide.

Basic Gameplay Controls

This is a point-and-click game. There are three automatic save slots with no capability for manual saves. Single click of the mouse will move Bertram around the screen. Double clicking will make the characters run (careful though, it can be buggy on certain places in the scenery). Interaction points will have a white circle on them (see symbol chart below). For some parts of the game, you will be playing solo as Bertram, solo as Gavin, and sometimes with both characters on the screen. In scenes with both Bertram and Gavin, Gavin can be controlled by clicking on him to create a hat symbol. Clicking the hat symbol on people or objects will make Gavin interact with them, if he is allowed to. Clicking on the door symbol allows you to change between scenes. Items that can be zoomed in on will have an eye icon.

The inventory is on a pop-out menu (button icon) on the left side of the screen. Double clicking the objects will bring up a short (humorous) description of each item. Items can be combined in the inventory by clicking on one and then clicking on the item you want to combine it with. The pause button is on the upper right hand corner of the screen and will allow you to access the settings menu. “Quit” will return you to the main credits screen.

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Occurrence

The 2nd most famous Victorian Adventurer, Bertram Fiddle, has accepted a job at Mr. Dulsworth’s Adequate Soap Factory to tide him over in an Adventuring drought (and also his wife Wortha forced him to do it). Bertram has napped all day and is short three soap sales before he can go home.

Telegramatical Sales Room
This is a mini-tutorial. Follow the instructions on the screen. Answer the ringing telephone at left. Beltram Fuddle has been hired by Mrs. Dulsworth to detectivate her son’s suspicious (sans-mother) excursions.

Pick up fuse on floor that was knocked off of telephone switchboard. Can drink horrible coffee. Zoom in on switchboard and replace fuse on hot spot. The board has A and B, and C and D sections with cables. Look at the customer cards and place cables in correct slots (example pictured), then click telephone receiver. You need to call customers until all three off light bulbs on the top turn on. The correct customers are: Mr. Keith De Bauchery, Mr. Bob Gollibles, and Miss Agatha Muttonlugs Receive Completed Work Ticket, but you need Mr. Dulsworth to stamp it for you. Go upstairs and click on office door twice.

A Game of Find the Boss
He’s IS up to something! Open closet door and explore secret passage under soap factory to river, looking at the boat mooring. Look through vent into soap factory. Return to office. Look at painting of Old Mrs. Dullsworth and dismal sales ledgers. Remove birthday pug painting to reveal safe. Zoom in on the desk. Look at stamp (needs ink), snowglobe, photo, and inside both drawers (Mr. Dulsworth stays busy!). Look at "work diary" on desk for clue to safe combination:
"Turn that frown upsidedown" with word "hELL" at top of page.
Solution: Turn hELL upside down to form combination 7734.

Take the ink and choose whether or not to take the love letter from the safe. Place ink container on stamp machine and combine with Completed Work Ticket to receive stamped ticket. Exit soap factory from balcony at left and give stamped ticket to Mr. Tibbs to exit the front gate (you can look at adequate soap products).

Adventuring's afoot!
Talk to newsboy- No murderings for weeks now and Holmes is on holiday. Talk to contractor drinking tea by sewer and note bin full of apple peels and massive broken clock. Exit to left. You need to find Tormently Hill and talk to Mrs. Dulsworth. Look at map on wall to orient yourself (Nobudget Square is off the menu, unfortunately). Talk to Emmalina and flower seller who has some dirt on squeaky clean Mr. Dulsworth. You can talk to Oscar at gate to market or enter the Cakery and Manporium stores to talk to Wortha, cook, and seamstress. Exit left to “Murder Alley” where you can talk to nosy crone at window. Look at cameras. Mrs. Dulsworth’s intercom has a short (touch spark if you want “shocking experience”).

You need to rearrange the fliers on the wall to declare yourself to Mrs. Dulsworth.
Hint: spell your name
Solution: Eye Ham Bird Tram Fig Dull

Go through front gate and talk to gardener about sizeable hole and click on unseasonably hearty plants. Can click on Pan statue and squirrel. Go inside and talk to Mrs. Dulsworth. If you took letter, you will automatically give to her and if you didn't, there is nothing to report. Click on desk for CCTV system, drink tea and look at painting, telescope, and birds. Leave house and go back to Murder Alley. Click on what you find there (nosy, old crone strikes again!).

Chapter 2: A Wrongful Confinement

This is a split level. You can play as Bertram in the jail cell and as Gavin outside in the street. The window can be used to pass some items between characters. As Bertram, talk to your cellmate Walter (Shirley on top bunk should not be disturbed). Hear Gavin outside.

You can't pass anything through window until policeman leaves. As Gavin, go to the cakery and take one of Aunt Fanny's moreish biscuits off the shelf and bring back to the policeman. He will leave to go get more. You can do these tasks in any order that you would like, except some items are in blocked zones where you will have to finish puzzles first to access.

Bertram's Confinement
In the jail cell, click on cell door to get plate. Click on pipe under sink to remove and pick up green gunk from floor. Zoom in on mirror to pick up glass shard and toothbrush. Approach the red bug and it will hide in hole in wall. How can we illuminate this situation? Solution: Use the glass shard on beam of sunlight coming through window to concentrate beam on and vaporize the red bug . Take bedsheet from bed and hang it from shackles on ceiling. Combine green gunk and powdered red bug with plate to make artist's palette. Walter needs the full color palette and a brush to be inspired.

Pass the following to Gavin:
Toothbrush and Pipe
Look at weak spot in the jail wall. We need to make "a tool."

A Grand Squirrel Chase
Click on newsboy to learn tale of Despicable Mr. Fiddle. Talk to contractor and find out he is waiting for clock chime to tell him to go home. Look at clock and see that it is broken.
Gavin hint: "If I can make a bell ring, he can go home." What looks like a bell?
Pick up trash can at left and hang it on hook on wall of soap factory.
Go to the Manporium and pick up Gentleman's Walking Truncheon to ring the makeshift bell. You can't do anything with the broken sewing machine yet. Pick up cement back at Soap Factory square.

The market is blocked by Oscar, who is protesting the imprisonment of his artist "friend" Walter. The way to the train station is blocked by the orange cart (can't help him, he remembers us...). Go to Murder Alley. Pick up blue flowers from crime scene. Talk to gardener and break the stone blocking his grav...er I mean very large hole. Pick up stone. You need to catch the squirrel in the tree to make brush for Walter.
Gardener's hint: "Shoots up them holes like a beautifully betailed rat through a drain pipe."
Gavin: "To catch a squirrel, you have to think like a squirrel." What object do we have that will fit the bill and plug up them holes?
Hint: Pick up Pan to block right tree hole
Soultion: Put drain pipe in left tree hole while blocking with Pan in right hole. Click on squirrel to catch in pipe.

Pick up brush and return to jail window. Throw squirrel brush and blue flowers to Bertram. As Bertram, complete palette. Give brush and palette to Walter. He paints a masterpiece (Shirley must be a plumber) and gives key to Bertram. Throw the key to Gavin.

A Day at the Market
Give Walter's key to the chained Oscar [Wilde] so that he may roll like a fig and get out of the doorway. You now have access to the market, Adventuring Club, and Lord Arthwipe's house.
Talk to everyone in the market. Gavin has no money for ice cream. Look in window of Adventuring Shop. If only it was open to buy the drill! Exit left and go to Adventuring Club. There is a man with a bike (can't do anything yet) and worker scubbing graffiti off of Queen Victoria statue. Give worker the toothbrush in exchange for the ladder. Talk to everyone in Club (they can't help) and notice very sharp unicorn horn on wall. Gavin won't take the horn with butler looking and no decoy horn.

Exit right and play hoops with little girl two times. She leaves to go get ice cream. You can go to Lord Arthwipe's house to watch him polish his saber, but it is of little use. We need an ice cream cone!
Hints:
Fishmonger woman: "It's a good job these buckets aren't any heavier, or I'd topple right over."
Gavin's hint: "A heavy stone will sink the swiftest fish."
Solution: Put stone in Fishmonger's bucket. She will fall into girl and make her drop her ice cream. Pick up cone off girl's head.

Return to Club and distract butler by clicking on and speeding up treadmill. While he is entertained with the bird, put ladder against bear and replace unicorn horn with the cone decoy. DON'T click real horn with unicorn head again! It is a bug that causes you to lose the horn in the inventory. Go to the cakery. Turn the knob on Miss Fanny's stove and quickly put cement in batter when her back is turned. Pick up whirly thing. Combine whirly thing and unicorn horn to make drill. Go back to jail and use drill on weak spot in jail wall. As Bertram, click on hole in wall to escape.

Click left and we are surrounded.

Chapter 3- Fleeing Treachery

Trapped Like Rats!
Go into sewer. Click on barred door, but things don't go as planned, and we are now trapped in a room with another barred door and a convenient combination lock.

Gavin's hint: "You can't lock up the wind."
Look at boiler with steam jet warning. Take the valve and place it on other side of boiler. Watch steam jets closely. Take valve off again to enter combination.
Hint: Count jets
Solution: 2513
We got our free Steam key!

In the tunnel maze, notice the waterfall coming from the pipe that is blocking the exit. The wheel is too slippery for Gavin to turn. We need to get to the snail slime on the lower level. If you need solution to the tunnel maze, roll over spoiler image (black bar below). Use the slime on wheel for Gavin to close (get hat symbol) valve and walk out of maze.


Look at the puzzling pipes. Talk to the Count, who's on one of his perambulations. We shouldn't sully his reputation. Exit sewer with ladder.

To Catch a Train
Lord Arthwipe came to the rescue and hooked us up with some disguises. Take the monkey's paw on the setee beside him. You can click on ostrich and caged animal before exiting room. Go to the left and use monkey's paw to remove multi purpose cogwheel off bike. Go toward Manporium and find way blocked by orange cart. Go into Manporium. Mend the sewing machine with cogwheel to send Sir Bruce on his way. Sir Bruce upends the orange cart for us.

Go into Mr. Lawrence's Inexplicable Ham shop. Talk to him fully. You can make a meat mound if you want (move Bertram slightly to get Gavin to move off hotspot at pig's head), but there is no puzzle here. Use DIY sausage maker to get sausage and pick up donkey's bladder. Check out other shop items and exit shop. Listen to interesting phone call.. Exit square to north and see woman with dog at train station and policeman guarding exit. Notice the barrel of treacle over his head. We need a diversion! Use sausage on woman's dog to steal her hatpin. (If you can't get it the first time, you can go back and get another sausage from the meat shop.)

Go back to square and go in Mr. Winkle's candy shop. The owner is very nervous about the display. Walk to the right to meet some wronged former adversaries that blow our cover. Their mother is still oblivious. Notice their red balloon. Pop the balloon with the hatpin. Pick up the three candies from the floor and leave store.

Go right and pick up cogwheel from bag outside mechanical toy shop. Go in toy shop. Talk to trembly old man and look at toys (like toy dolphin blimp). Use Gavin to put arm on robot and zoom in on chest compartment. Put in cogwheel, bladder, and candies (see below).
Use crosshair cursor (clunks when robot is engaged) to move robot out of shop. Move robot to train station and have him knock over treacle on top of policeman. Exit toward the train!

Chapter 4- Uncommon Encounterings

Peril in the Swamp
At Wretchedly train station, notice train time table on door and snoozing old woman. The station is closed, and we will have to find another way back to London...when we need to. Head north toward the village. Talk to the blacksmith and his idle son, Little Wacksmith. Take note of the barrel and barely functioning furnace. Move right and talk to old woman at spinning wheel. She tells us about the "unnatural things" in the swamp around Wretchedly Hall. Click on cute "Mud-trudger"/ Bog Plodder pony eating out of trough. It's slimy, but is able to cross swamp with its eyes closed. You can click on well, but we won't need it.

Look at the sign for the Slaughtered Lamb pub and go inside. Ha HA! It's the mysterious dark figure from Episode 1. Talk to it completely and apparently it's left us a message...in the toilet. Go into the water closet at left. Close the open window. Look at the large "message" in the toilet. Turn on the tap to the sink and read the steam message on the mirror, "Meet me under the apple tree." Exit the bathroom. Take the bucket with hole in bottom that was left by the mysterious figure. Take tin cup off bar counter. Take moldy cheese away from picky man at right. Exit pub and go right toward swamp. At crossroads, go left towards train station. Talk to familiar figure, who agrees to help you find exonerating evidence (photomographs of murdering). Take photographs and pick up wooden plank knocked loose under tree. Look at apple tree and rock formation. See that pedalling machine is stuck in mud and Gavin says it "wool take a lot of effort to get it out."

The Keymaster
Exit right toward swamp and continue walking toward right of screen. See manacled escaped Convict hiding behind rock. Talk to him and he will help us cross the swamp if we help him remove the handcuffs. Go back to pub and talk to Doug the Bounty Hunter, making sure to ask about his key that can open any lock
We need to make a mold of the key. What would hold the shape?
Solution: use cheese on key for mold of key

Go to forge and put tin cup in crucible and key mold on ledge beneath crucible.
The forge is not hot enough to melt any metal for the key.
Hint: we have to make pumping the bellows fun for Little Wacksmith.
Solution: put wooden plank on barrel to make see saw, talk to Wacksmith who will start pumping bellows.
See windmill that fell off roof (we need something to cut loose). Click on molten metal to pour into mold.

Mud-trudging!
Take new key and return to convict in swamp to unlock handcuffs. Pick up discarded manacles. Combine manacles with bucket to get halter. Look at convict's chest tattoo for safe passage across swamp.

Go right and encounter deep spot when trying to use directions to cross swamp. Go back to village and use halter on pony to lead toward squishy, deep spot in swamp. Cross swamp using map instructions (click on landmarks to keep Bertram from sinking). Have Gavin knock down the dead tree at the top of the screen to make shortcut back to village.

The Wretched Wretchedly Hall
Exit screen right to get to Wretchedly Hall. See the angry rabid ram outside, brambles, and a gaggle of screaming toads. Enter the hall to right of screen. Follow the Lord upstairs to your room.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is where most of the game ending bugs are in the game at this time. DO NOT touch the dolphin itself, its wall plate or the red vases at ANY point before getting into the attic room to see Lady Wretchedly to avoid a bug where the attic key is not spawned!

Go into the room at middle of screen and click on the bed. Bertram's had a rough day...

Chapter 5- A Perilsome Thought

Anywhere but the Attic
Due to the multiple serious bugs on this level (until the newest patch can be confirmed)- I will show you one way where you will NOT get stuck. DO NOT touch the dolphin or its wall plate! I know it's cute and right there first thing, but DON'T do it.

We wake up the next morning to find our pockets riffled through and the photomographs of the murdering gone! Exit room to right and go into Lord Wretchedly's bedroom at left. Pull tapestry away to reveal attic door. Go immediately downstairs. Go to left of stairs to the kitchen. There's apparently no one in the attic, or so says Lord Wretchedly. Move Bertram slightly to the right. The Lord exits the kitchen. Don't look at anything else in kitchen yet. Have Bertram crawl into the dumbwaiter, and have Gavin pull him up. Don't skip the dialog with the Lady in the attic. Click on door and learn that the Lord likes to hide the attic key in red vases throughout the house.

Her hint: "Things are always in the last place you look." Exit attic back through dumbwaiter.

The Devilish Red Vase Puzzle
Well, not really. It's just that this one is very buggy at the moment. These are the red vases you need to look in now: in downstairs foyer, in trophy room with Professor Scuttleworth ,
one in upstairs foyer, and one in right upstairs bedroom. Don't skip the dialog when looking in each vase! Since new patch, you can only look in bedroom and lower foyer vases.

Look in all the vases (in any order) and the attic key will be in the last one that you look in. If you don't find the key after looking in all four, I'm sorry but this is currently a game ending bug. Go back upstairs and use attic key on revealed attic door. Release Lady Wretchedly and her half plucked pigeon. (If Bertram disappears from screen, click a few times in bottom middle of screen on attic floor- he walks back into view).

Look at pipes- "These pipes must serve a porpoise!"
Exit onto roof. Look at bathtub, chimneys, and bendable pipe. Have Gavin bend pipe. We need to get back to London at once! But how?

Now About That Dolphin
Exit roof and attic through Lord Wretchedly's bedroom. Go into upstairs foyer and look at the suspended dolphin on ceiling and panel on wall- "It looks a bit deflated."

The switch is too tight for Bertram to turn the lever. Use Gavin to bring down the porpoise and go downstairs. Bertram tells Gavin to take the dolphin to his room. Use Gavin to pick up dolphin- "A dolphin always knows the way home; you're full of hot air sometimes Gavin." Click on Gavin again to move dolphin upstairs to Bertram's room. Use Gavin (click him twice) to move dolphin onto balcony. Once on balcony, use Gavin on the dolphin (again) and he will hoist onto part of roof that is accessible from attic. Based on the hints (remember toy in shop), we need to make a dolphin dirigible. Go back to kitchen and open cupboard. Take cork from champagne bottle. Look at the giant Blancmange on counter. We need to direct steam into dolphin body through the straightened pipe on roof. Look at stove controls and different colored pipes exiting to roof.

This is also BUGGY!!!
Turn far left handle and third from left handle.
Other combinations may cause game crashing bug (will spoiler tag after devs fix).
Exit to roof. Use cork on dolphin blowhole to inflate. We need pedals before we can escape.

The Buggy Professor
Exit roof and attic and go into upstairs bedroom at right of screen. Take the empty jar and Mongolian Glow Maggot . Look at baby Ohmu and take sheet off cage if you wish. Go back to downstairs foyer and enter room on right side of screen (trophy room). Take the insect bolt cutters on the table. Talk to Professor Scuttleworth fully. Show him glow maggot and cutters if you need hints. Talk to Scuttleworth again and he will ring bell for more blancmange. Give glow maggot to Lord Wretchedly. Leave room (you don't need anything else from here). The trophy room scene may freeze sometimes if you re-enter room, but if you wait for 2 minutes, the controls will return.

But Where Does He Go?
Go into the room at left from the downstairs foyer. Pick up handkerchief on floor. Notice the glowing handprints on walls. Look at Book of the Dead to retrieve stolen photomographs. Take note of some of the diagrams in the Book of the Dead.
Handprint puzzle-
Hint: The brightness level is different on the handprints. Bertram says something each time you click correctly.
Solution: left light pillar, right light pillar, candlestick, statue
Go into underground lair.
Look at headless ram statue (what enrages bulls?). Dip handkerchief in red water to get red flag
Go left and talk to Lord Wretchedly.

Take Off
Exit lair and go outside. Use empty jar to capture screaming toad.
Ram puzzle-
Hint: Wave flag to get ram to charge.
Solution: Position Bertram behind the brambles. Use Gavin to make bramble barrier. Use red flag to get ram to charge.
Take the wool, return to village and give wool to lady at spinning wheel. She makes strong rope for you. Use the insect bolt cutters on the fallen windmill near blacksmith to get propeller. Use the rope on the stuck pedalling device near apple tree to get pedals.

Return to the attic and place pedals and propeller on dirigible. It begins to rain blood.

The End Times
Go into the trophy room. Pick up the elasticated undergarments. Go to underground lair again. Wretchedly has summoned a demon (remember the book?) but Margerina makes her entrance. Pick up skull staff.
Gavin hint: "Even a mouse may kill a lion if he knows where to bite."
Picture hint:
Solution: Combine staff with undergarments to make slingshot. Put on floor hotspot. Use Gavin to launch screaming toad into demon's ear.

Return to roof and leave on dolphin dirigible.

Chapter 6- Return to Glory

The Exotic Curiosity Shop is to the left of the screen, Dr. Jeckyll's surgery is to the right, the alley way is through tunnel at northwest of screen and the Freakshow is across the bridge at the bottom of screen. You can explore in any order.

Finding the Snitcher
Go through tunnel to alley way. Talk to everyone, but especially blonde man with top hat. The Snitcher looks like a bulldog sucking on a lemon. Note the bulldog sitting on street with empty bowl and the mangle device. Return to courtyard. Go into Exotic shop and talk to Bob the clerk. The lemon is too small for juicing. You can look at other things in the shop. Exit shop and enter Dr. Jeckyll's surgery. He needs the magnesium-containing antipotion. Pick up currant bun from side table. Look at the desk and read potion recipes. We need to make specifically the "Embiggening" and the "Transmogrification" potions, but Dr. Jeckyll is fresh out of magnesium for transforming potion.

The "hot" flasks are heated with a burner at the bottom and the cold solutions don't require heat. Add solutions to gathering flask by pressing valve at top of each flask. Follow the recipe for the Embiggening potion (cold yellow and 2x hot green).
The Snitcher puzzle:
Hint: Remember the small lemon and the bulldog in the alley
Solution: Use the Embiggening potion on small lemon to get big lemon. Go to the alley way and use lemon on mangle to get crushed lemon. Put crushed lemon in bulldog's bowl. Look at bulldog's face and talk to correct Snitcher.

Geoff's Lair
We now have access to the dock. Go under bridge and talk to sailor with whalebone. He needs a new bone to whittle. Bring him a present and we can use his boat. Go right and see grabbing device, bottle submerged in river, and a young urchin in the muck. Pick up reel lying on ground. We can't get in the The Victim's End pub through the front door. Go back to courtyard and take bridge to the Freakshow. Talk to photgrapher (who has magnesium flash powder). He needs the caged ape to smile, but it has a painful tooth. Go right into trailer. Talk completely to bearded lady (collect gold locket) about Marvo's plans for the soap factory and the Elephant Man. Give currant bun to Elephant Man and take the hoop hanging on wall.
Magnesium puzzle:
Hint: What can we combine in inventory to pull out tooth?
Solution: Combine hoop and reel for pulling device. Have Gavin pull out ape's tooth.
The photographer takes picture and you can pick up flash powder. Take magnesium back to Dr. Jeckyll's surgery and make transforming potion. Solution:
Put magnesium in collecting flask. Cold red, hot red, cold yellow (2x), hot green.
You can make other potions for Steam achievement (when it's fixed). Enter room at right and give the potion to Mr. Hyde to transform him into Dr. Jeckyll (Eww, his plans...). Exit through body chute to Victim's End pub.

The Victim's End
Talk to barkeep. Geoff is playing cards with Marvo. Confront Marvo and be mesmerized. We don't have what he likes. We can play with the man hitting his hand with the spoon by clicking on him. Leave the pub. We need that bottle in the river! Use the grabbing machine, but the urchin tells you it won't work.
HInt: The urchin can grab it better! But how to make him do it (with what we have)?
Solution: Put the gold locket in the muck hotspot in the river to make urchin move over. Grab urchin with grabber, then grab bottle.
Read message in the bottle, but throw it away for the nice bottle. Go left and give ape's tooth to sailor. He loans us his boat. Go back to soap factory and go through secret passage to front gate.

End game puzzle: How do we defeat Marvo with his powerful stare?
Hint: Marvo's power is in his eyes. What do Mr. Dulsworth's products do best?
Solution: Use the glass bottle on the barrel of eye-burning shampoo. Return to dock and enter the Victim's End. Confront Marvo again and use shampoo on him.

Sit back and watch the resolution to Geoff the Murderer.

[Coach Gamer]

Tip: to backup your savegame, export this registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Rumpus Animation\The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: A Bleaker Predicklment

To restore it, import the .reg file to registry

[lozey]

I hit a bug after leaving the soap factory by the secret entrance. For some reason Geoff kept standing in front of the boat which meant Burtram couldn't get to it, he was just running in place and wouldn't leave the scene. I had to go back into the soap factory and try again, only to have it happen about 6 times in a row.

[wilson.david]

Excellent guide. I went through game offline with no bugs using windows Vista to final puzzle with scavenger but had to restart from beginning on windows 10 after steam update and hit bug at train station London.. Windows says it's a registry problem,. It persists even if I reinstall game. Seems to occur after you attempt to go to head of line.

[xavea]

For chapter 5 to get the pipes working correctly i had to make sure they were all pointing at an angle, not the upright position. I fiddled with stuf a bit before reading this walkthrough but I'm glad I didn't hit the bug. For anyone else who might be having problems but hasn't had the game crash this might be worth trying.

Thanks for the guide!

[kokiri1232]

Can you do one for achievements please.

[EbonHawk]

Thanks for this!! It helped me get through, so I could get through the game. A splendid conclusamimation!