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ok dosbox 0.74 made no diffrence and it crashes just the same at various points, downloaded scummvm and added the game folder and hey presto everything worked with sound on and so far no crashes. dont really know why dosbox crashes it and I am sure there is a reason that someone far clever than me could figure out but if you tried everything and its still not working download scummvm, seems to work fine
1
phil10 May. 2025
well with digital sound on, this game crashes when watching the intro video the bit where the cat tips the bottle over, it crashes every time, even with the patch suggested in the comments so music no problem but digital sound is a no on this so turn that off. its been suggested to try older versions of dos box version 0.74, will have a go at some point and report back.
1
aa25 Oct. 2024
the game has no music, and also when i change the settings
It is also a very good adventure game, in the same spirit as this one, so I do recommend it if you liked this one.
A personal comment on this one here - there was time when this game was like a benchmark of what is possible in adventure games. The game was running as a demo of graphics capabilities of PCs (rolling intro) in computer stores. I remember seeing this still as a happy Amiga user. The result was that I slowly started becoming less happy, seeing games such as this one. And the inevitable happened sometime later - as a fresh owner of my first PC (a 486SX/33, with an VLB SVGA and SB16), I remember this game as clearly one of the best adventure games from that period (the first half of 1990s). Of course, Lucasfilm games were cool, like some of the games from Sierra - but a detective story set in a beloved realm of Conan-Doyle classic novels, served in a technically impressive way (for the time when it appeared) - that was really something. For me, it was superior to games done by Sierra, on par with really the best ones like "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis".
And it is still a good game today, I highly recommend it.
What may be interesting for some - I find the music sounding better on Sound Blaster/AdLib's FM chip than MIDI, what is rather unusual. Try to listen intro on both (can be done easily with SCUMMVM), MIDI version plays most instruments strangly quiet, what IMHO destroys the intro piece, while FM music sounds really good.
7
Lyceus09 Jan. 2024
This is an excellent game I enjoyed many years ago, and I've finally played it again. If you want to play it you should take into consideration a couple of things:
The game runs flawlessly on an up-to-date ScummVM (currently 2.8.0). Version 2.5.1 got rid of some annoying bugs. Make sure your ScummVM is updated.
If the game crashes try google to find the Fix and after patching start it with game.exe "Martin Kiewitz's HOLMES FiX patch"
1
bertie23 Oct. 2022
in the 90er was a virus on the discettes bevor i could solve the cause.
0
Comrade Ogilvy17 Feb. 2022
Top comment
My first computer game bought in tandem with the 486 SX 25. As a kid who didn't speak English I had no clue what to do. But now, 24 years later I have finally solved the Case of the Serrated Scalpel. What a great game, especially storywise. It can be run super easily via ScummVM. Thanks to the programmers of this great emulator!
If you like point-and-click adventure games such as Monkey Island or Indy, go for it. You'll probably even find the riddles rather easy. And just imagine. Such a great (and great-looking, the pixel art has held up great) game of only 7 mb.
6
o0pyromancer0o22 Feb. 2021
Game occasionally creashes for me when ringing doorbells and the like as well as during the intro movie. I skipped the movie and watched it on YouTube instead and turned off digital sound to get past crash points in the game.
4
Beaver09 Aug. 2020
No sound. Tried to run the install but the settings are never saved. Can't access portrait.lib error after leaving setup
English 
Comments and reviews
Both download links broken.
ok dosbox 0.74 made no diffrence and it crashes just the same at various points, downloaded scummvm and added the game folder and hey presto everything worked with sound on and so far no crashes. dont really know why dosbox crashes it and I am sure there is a reason that someone far clever than me could figure out but if you tried everything and its still not working download scummvm, seems to work fine
well with digital sound on, this game crashes when watching the intro video the bit where the cat tips the bottle over, it crashes every time, even with the patch suggested in the comments so music no problem but digital sound is a no on this so turn that off. its been suggested to try older versions of dos box version 0.74, will have a go at some point and report back.
the game has no music, and also when i change the settings
Rick, there is at least one more game in "Lost files of Sherlock Holmes" series: "The case of the Rose Tattoo".
Usually proposed as one of the games below, but, anyway, the direct link is:
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/the-lost-files-of-sherlock-holmes-case-of-the-rose-tattoo-cem
It is also a very good adventure game, in the same spirit as this one, so I do recommend it if you liked this one.
A personal comment on this one here - there was time when this game was like a benchmark of what is possible in adventure games. The game was running as a demo of graphics capabilities of PCs (rolling intro) in computer stores. I remember seeing this still as a happy Amiga user. The result was that I slowly started becoming less happy, seeing games such as this one. And the inevitable happened sometime later - as a fresh owner of my first PC (a 486SX/33, with an VLB SVGA and SB16), I remember this game as clearly one of the best adventure games from that period (the first half of 1990s). Of course, Lucasfilm games were cool, like some of the games from Sierra - but a detective story set in a beloved realm of Conan-Doyle classic novels, served in a technically impressive way (for the time when it appeared) - that was really something. For me, it was superior to games done by Sierra, on par with really the best ones like "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis".
And it is still a good game today, I highly recommend it.
What may be interesting for some - I find the music sounding better on Sound Blaster/AdLib's FM chip than MIDI, what is rather unusual. Try to listen intro on both (can be done easily with SCUMMVM), MIDI version plays most instruments strangly quiet, what IMHO destroys the intro piece, while FM music sounds really good.
This is an excellent game I enjoyed many years ago, and I've finally played it again. If you want to play it you should take into consideration a couple of things:
The game runs flawlessly on an up-to-date ScummVM (currently 2.8.0). Version 2.5.1 got rid of some annoying bugs. Make sure your ScummVM is updated.
The game has an oversight that causes music to only place once every time you enter a new screen. This wasn't intended but never officially corrected. You can download Osprey's fix (Repeating music patch) which only requires you to copy one file into the game's folder: https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/929-lost-filesserrated-scalpel-repeating-music-patch
If the game crashes try google to find the Fix and after patching start it with game.exe "Martin Kiewitz's HOLMES FiX patch"
in the 90er
was a virus on the discettes bevor i could solve the cause.
My first computer game bought in tandem with the 486 SX 25. As a kid who didn't speak English I had no clue what to do. But now, 24 years later I have finally solved the Case of the Serrated Scalpel. What a great game, especially storywise. It can be run super easily via ScummVM. Thanks to the programmers of this great emulator!
If you like point-and-click adventure games such as Monkey Island or Indy, go for it. You'll probably even find the riddles rather easy. And just imagine. Such a great (and great-looking, the pixel art has held up great) game of only 7 mb.
Game occasionally creashes for me when ringing doorbells and the like as well as during the intro movie. I skipped the movie and watched it on YouTube instead and turned off digital sound to get past crash points in the game.
No sound. Tried to run the install but the settings are never saved.
Can't access portrait.lib error after leaving setup
If the game crashes, try using DOSbox 0.73
https://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/files/dosbox/0.73/
I seriously hoped for more title of the Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes game, but alas looks like this is the only one. Still, it's a damn good game
One of my all time favorites. Just played through it again and it still holds up.
Game crashes at the Chemist Store. Any Advice?
I originally brought a boxed copy of this and it came on fourteen 5 1/4" disks.
Good times.
Love this game
thanks!
Fun adventure game. thanks guys
No comment nor review for this game at the moment.