Genre: 2D Point-and-Click Adventure
Release date: January 19, 2018
Platforms: Windows, Mac

The Adventures of Nick & Willikins is a free game created by AAlgar Productions and Pinhead Games. It is a traditional 2D animated point-and-click adventure that is delightful and incredibly British (although it is written by Americans).

The origins of this game are unique. Sarcastic Voyage is self-described as an “interconnected world of sketch comedy, serials and radio plays by Ron (AAlgar) Watt, with the assistance of a supporting cast of voice actors and contributing writers.” Around 2010, they began creating a series of radio dramas telling the story of Nick and Willikins. Nick is a young and foolish person of means. He lives a life of privilege and indolence, under the care of his long-suffering manservant Willikins. You can listen to the entire series by downloading MP3 files at the Sarcastic Voyage site. Over the past year, AAlgar and Pinhead have been bringing Nick and Willikins to life in this game.

Nick & Willikins begins with an ordinary morning at Nick Manor. Nick is demanding breakfast and Willikins is attempting to placate him with a variety of entrees which invariably end up “down the loo.” In the midst of this, a dead body turns up in the entry hall and the race is on to discover who did it. You control the character of Willikins who is tasked with finding witnesses, the murder weapon and the motive. The initial evidence points to Nick so Willikins has the extra obligation of working to keep his young master out of jail. This turns out to be more complicated than one might think and involves extensive sleuthing and creative problem-solving.

The game is presented in a crisp animated style with professional voice-overs. Instead of traditional dialog trees, Willikins’ responses are selected in terms of the tone he will use. He can be Polite, Friendly or Aggressive (which the game tells us are three ways for a servant to deal with his/her superiors). While investigating the murder, he can ask about witnesses, the murder weapon, the motive, and Nick’s sanity. The choices you make then drive predefined conversations.

Nick & Willikins is a “find-and-use” game with quite a bit of inventory to collect and a host of items to inspect. Clicking on a hot spot results in icons to examine, take, or speak (if applicable). In addition to searching for clues, it is worth clicking on everything possible just to hear Willikins’ descriptions. He has a quick wit and a keen sense of sarcasm.

Inventory is accessed by clicking on a trunk icon in the lower left corner of the screen and items are combined or used by dragging and dropping. You collect a lot of items along the way and not all are explicitly used. However, the act of picking up specific items drives the story forward.

Another essential item of your detective toolkit is Nick’s cell phone. As you discover information, phone numbers are added to the contact list. You can use the cell phone to make calls and gather additional facts. Unfortunately, the cell phone has a battery problem and must remain plugged into the wall of Nick’s closet. This means a good deal of traversing the manor each time you need to make a call.

Nick & Willikins is a delightful game to play. It is a bit dialog-heavy, but that is what one might expect from a game with its roots in radio. The dialog cannot be clicked through so be prepared to do a lot of listening/reading. This is not a chore, however, because the voice acting is excellent and the game is exceptionally well written. Willikins had me smiling throughout the adventure and I was reminded of characters from the old BBC comedies such as Fawlty Towers or Are You Being Served?. He is intelligent, witty, sarcastic, and very British (it’s ‘colour’ NOT ’color’). He has a side comment for everything and his bawdy banter with Nick’s aging aunt and his dressing down by Nick are quite funny.

I also enjoyed the attention to detail in the game environment. Take a minute to scan the titles on the bookshelves and to explore the artwork in the gallery. There are clever references to both literature and art for the educated gamer.

All-in-all, I would highly recommend The Adventures of Nick & Willikins to gamers who enjoy an intelligent animated adventure. The puzzles make sense and inventory is used as one might expect in real life. The story is interesting, with a few plot twists along the way. In the end, Willikins is a character you can’t help but love. The price is right (it’s free) and the game can be downloaded at itch.io.

Grade: A-
 (find out more about our grading system)

+ Good writing, professional voice acting, and crisp graphics create a delightful game experience + Story moves along at a good pace and will hold your interest as you discover more about the murder + British-style humor will keep you smiling   – Prepare to do a lot of traversing Nick Manor, from end-to-end, and listening to a lot of dialog

 

Trailer:

 

 

System Requirements
None available