The Colonel's Bequest/Speed walkthrough

This is a guide for speedy playthrough ommitting all optional puzzles and sidequests. It includes only the obligatory movements that will advance the virtual game clock, and reach the ending as soon as possible. It will provide minimal "Detective Points" (DPs) score.

Each Act is non-linear and most of the movements can be done in any conventient order during a specific Act. However some linearity is required, as few points are triggered only after another movement was done previously. For example in Act I Gertie is first seen in the Parlor, and after that, she goes to her room; this means that you won't find Gertie in her room unless you trigger the previous points first. The guide provides a possible optimal order of movements for minimal wandering and repetition of routes.

Whoever, for trivia reasons, wishes to obtain the minimal possible score, should avoid wandering to certain points of the Acres so as not to discover the discarded bodies (and thus, gain Detective Points). Note that it is impossible to finish the game with 0 score, as some of these obligatory scenes also grant Detective Points.

Act I

 * Leave your room to the left, traverse the corridor and enter Henri's room. You see him with Fifi (+15). This scene grants DPs.
 * Go south to the rail (avoiding touching it) and go downstairs. Avoid walking under the chandelier and go to the Parlor to see Clarence and Gertie (+) and to the Billiard across the corridor to see Gloria and Rudy (+).
 * Provided that you witnessed the previous 3 points, the time will be 7:45 now. Visit the Parlor more time just to see that Gertie is now absent. She will be in her room now. Go back upstairs and enter her room to see her sleeping (+).

Act II

 * Go to the Kitchen and see Lillian and Celie (+).
 * Go to the Study and go outside to the left. You will see Clarence and Wilbur. (+) Follow them inside to the Dining room. Go back and forth several screens until they aren't there (going to the Billiard to see Gloria and coming back to the Dining room, will do it).
 * Provided that Clarence and Wilbur left the Dining room, Clarence will eventually be in the Billiard room with Gloria (+) and Wilbur in the Study room reading (+).

Act III

 * At any time, you can go to the Billiard Room and find Gloria reading (+).
 * At any time, you can leave the house and find the Dollhouse. Open door and you will find Lillian playing with her childhood dolls (+).
 * Go to Rudy and Clarence's room to see the two men having a conversation. (+) Leave and change some screens to advance the time. Afterwards Clarence falls asleep on his bed.
 * Go to Fifi's room to see Rudy making his advances (+) After the fight, Rudy leaves and Fifi lies on her bed.

Act IV

 * At any time you can go to the Study and see Lillian looking for weapons (+).
 * At any time you can go outside the and see Rudy walking (at the left side of the mansion eg. outside the Study) or Clarence (at the right side, eg. at the well) (+)
 * When you go to the statue view, before the mansion, you will see them fighting (+). Note that if you see them first in that view, the clock will automatically advance two quarters.
 * At any point you can see Ethel walking drunk outside the Study (+) usually after you see Rudy.

Act V

 * At any time you can go to the Dining Room and see Rudy eating (+)
 * At any time you can go to the Parlor and see Clarence drinking (+)
 * At any time you can go to the Colonel's Room and find him talking with Lillian (+) afterwards Lillian will leave and he will be smoking alone.
 * Provided that you witnessed the previous 3 points, the time will be 11:45. Return to Colonel's Room and see that he is not there (+)

Act VI
The following points can be visited at any order and any time:
 * Go outside to Celie's shack and knock door (+)
 * Go outside Study and see Rudy playing with the dog (+)
 * Go upstairs to Clarence and Rudy's room and see Clarence writing (+)
 * Go to your room and see Lillian writing in her diary (+)

Act VII

 * At any time go to Clarence and Rudy's room. He is missing. Read notebook (+)
 * At any time go to the Chapel and see Celie (+)
 * At any time go to the Dollhouse. Open door and see Lillian playing (+)
 * At any time after you saw Lillian in the dollhouse, go back to your room and see Rudy looking for Lillian's diary (+)

Act VIII

 * Go outside. If you pass through the front door you will see the dog barking and a note nailed on the door. Go to the Hedge Garden to find Lillian's body (+)
 * Enter the house. Go upstairs and climb the stairs to the attic. As you haven't the skeleton key, the door will be already open for you. Watch the Colonel and Rudy fight, and wait as Rudy prevails.

Listen to his speech and the epilogue, and enjoy your minimal (Barely Conscious) score.