Wilhelmina is a gothic horror story combined with romance, mystery elements, and, of course, vampires. In this reimagination of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the player experiences the story from Mina’s perspective, who is given a much bigger role and the power to change things this time around - for better or worse.
Wilhelmina is a text-based choose your own adventure type of game and focuses on characters and their relationships, thus the story is heavily character-driven. 18+ rating!
The Story
As your fiancé is currently away working for a client in far-away Transylvania, you are on your own way to pay your childhood friend Lucy a visit, who requested your help with some urgent matters concerning three young men. Things already seem to be off as you arrive in the picturesque coastal town, but everything starts to get even weirder right after you run into a mysterious stranger, who appears to be quite intrigued by you.
The Cast
There are four romance options for Mina in the game. You can romance one of them or none of them.
Jonathan Harker (m), Mina’s currently out-of-town fiancé.
Lucy Westenra (f), Mina’s childhood best friend, who’s in dire need of her help.
Doctor van Helsing (m/f), polymath doctor, Dutch, and monster hunter.
Dracula (m/f/nb), the charismatic and (in)famous vampire.
Additionally to these four, there will be a set of side characters, including Lucy’s three suitors and Renfield, with whom you will be able to form relationships as well.
Some additions
This game features a gender-set MC. However, you can still customise her appearance, personality and relationships with the other characters and make her your own character.
There will be dark themes along with horror and gore. Content warnings can be viewed in-game.
Expect lots of talking and interacting with the characters - this game is heavily character-driven!
Small and big choices that will alter the progression and outcome of the story.
As with every adaption, I, too, will divert from the original story in order for it to fit my chosen medium.
Depending on your choices, you might become a vampire yourself.
Normally I dont like Games where the Gender is locked, but this is Dracula! The idea is awesome and what I have read in the demo is awesome as well!
I love that we can costumize “our” Mina, as I was a little bit disappointed with the role she played in the book and I like how much we can already decide for her. Since Dr. Seward is not mentoined as a RO, can we be friends with him?
I had no bugs in the playthrough, but I was able to choose all three of the hobbies: first I choose crimes and riddles, then the actress and then I was able to choose again between fencing and crimes, riddles.
I first picked the option about loving riddles, then actress and when the last “anything else” appeared, there was the fencing option plus the riddle one again… I think that wasn’t supposed to happen…?
Sounds awesome, like a Gothic Horror version of Guen! If I can’t ultimately ignore them all and opt for Allan Quartermain instead I will be very disappointed…
Before I click on the link, I feel the need to say that I have not read the Bram Stoker’s (is that how you spell it?) Dracula book, or watched the movie. The Dracula I know of is Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad The Impaler. Sooooooooooo, with that in mind, my question is; would someone who has not read the book still enjoy this?
I‘d say yes, because I am telling another story. I don’t assume that any of you have read the book or watched one of the films. All I am doing is taking Stoker‘s book as a very, very rough outline and taking inspiration from many vampire stories to create my own game.
I hope that answers your question!
You’re welcome! I got very fond of Mina Murray as a character via League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the comics, not the crappy movie) so getting to craft my own version of her sounds fun!
Yes, there is also another way to become a vampire.
You can ignore all three romance options, yes. There will be two endings with a single Mina. But van Helsing I mean, I always liked him, it just didn’t occur to me to make him romanceable - for whatever reason… So I might be inclined to do so
Oh do, the comics are much better, like the Avengers but with Victorian Fiction and cool stuff like Fu Manchu vs Moriarty and The War Of The Worlds with the Invisible Man and Doctor Moreau.The later volumes do get weird though once they start getting into the 20th century and have stuff like Harry Potter being the Anti Christ and Mary Poppins being God and the like.
I guess it depends what you have planned with Van Hellsing, I suppose because of Mina’s relationship with Allan in the LEG comics I supposed she has a thing for older men but that’s probably just my take! Do what works for you anyway! I’ll probably have her with Jonathan in my first run anyway.