Submachine: 32 Chambers
Lo, a great cry went up amidst teh intarwho on the day that JayIsGames unveiled their 8th Casual Gameplay Design Competition. "Is this a Submachine game we see before us?" And yea, it was, and forsooth, there was much rejoicing, for the renown of Mateusz Skutnik was great beyond measure. And the JIG readers did descend into Submachine: 32 Chambers, which was great with point-and-clickery, and much with puzzlement. Just as it was foretold, the JIG readers solved the sand filled labyrinth. And the comboxes did fill with 
discussions of the ending, and Jay saw that it was good, and yea, it was very good. And the people did vote, and the first prize was given, and a prize from Armor Games, and the Audience Award also.
The word of the game. Thanks be to Flash.
This being a point-and-click game, you point with the mouse, looking for areas where your cursor changes to indicate a hotspot. Once you find one, you click to interact with the environment—pick up an object, go to another room, etc. 
You've got an inventory at the bottom of the screen, and you'll be using some of these inventory items on places in the environment. For example, you might need to use a fly swatter on a fly. Pretty simple, right? Well, if you're a veteran point-and-clicker, you may find that 32 Chambers messes with your genre expectations in one crucial puzzle, so just keep your mind open, that's all I'll say. If you weren't familiar with the genre, it probably wouldn't even be considered a puzzle, because it's what you would naturally try.
Analysis: In Submachine 4, there was a note mentioning thirty-two chambers filled with sand. Somehow, you've gotten teleported into this subterranean world. Do you need to escape? Or is there some higher purpose that's summoned you here? In addition to the obvious sand, Submachine: 32 Chambers evokes the exploration mood associated with sandbox games. There's no obvious goal at first; you need to figure that out yourself.
Like the other games in the Submachine series, there is a wealth of little details here which point to a greater creative world. You really get the feeling like you're peeking into something far larger than the confines of the game. Too many games have the fake and limited feeling of a grade school diorama made in a shoebox. The Submachine and Daymare Town series, by comparison, are shoebox-sized windows into a galaxy. Even this brief foray into the world of Submachine is enough to blow most other games out of the water. Submachine: 32 Chambers was fully worthy of its prizes, and you won't want to miss it.
Jay - When the first Submachine surfaced back in late 2005 from a designer named Murtaugh (Mateusz Skutnik), it made huge waves in the small Flash gaming circles that were starting to pop up around the Web. The reason, of course, was that the game had all the right ingredients for a fantastic point-and-click escape: sharp, appealing graphics, creative, absorbing puzzles, and a moody, atmospheric soundtrack. It was more than just a game, it was an experience, and it was clear that the designer understood how to deliver on the immersion factor. Fast forward 5 years and Mateusz Skutnik is a well-known name and Submachine a well-known brand with a great following. The reason, of course, is the designer understands how to deliver on the immersion factor, time and time again. Submachine: 32 Chambers was a pleasant surprise to see entered into the competition, and its characteristic moody charm, inventive puzzles, and gorgeous, sand-filled chambers, won everyone over and swept the show. Although not a very surprising win, a well-deserved win just the same. Congratulations Murtaugh!
We've been here covering the entire Submachine series since the very beginning with reviews and walkthroughs for all of them...Outside the main storyline, and yet still another great Submachine, is a game created for the band Future Loop Foundation:
- The original Submachine
- Submachine Remix (extended version)
- Submachine Zero: Ancient Adventure
- Submachine 2: The Lighthouse
- Submachine 3: The Loop
- Submachine 4: The Lab
- Submachine 5: The Root
- Submachine 6: The Edge
- Submachine 7: The Core
- Submachine Network Exploration Experience
- Submachine: 32 Chambers
- Submachine 8: The Plan
- Submachine 9: The Temple
- Submachine: Future Loop Foundation
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Finally...done
Submachine: 32 Chambers Walkthrough
Jadeite Locations
Right hand side of teleporter
Inside first tunnel
Bottom left of screen with map? on the wall
Screen with middle statue set for Wind
On stairs beside the circle you use the wooden handle
On screen where the rope is
By statue to the right of entrance with a grate on it
Behind tooth glyph
Topez Locations
On stairs where you use the wooden handle
Inside the stone head
In the box where the stone cone is used
Under floorboard under the mole glyph
Walkthrough
Get Jadeite from right hand side of teleporter
Go left, Click box, get Autumn plate
Click air glyph
Get Jadeite
Go left, get handle
Go up, get winter plate
Go down and right, use handle beside head
Go far left, get Jadeite and go down hole
Get wooden handle
Get bowl above door
Make note of glyph message, go right and decode message
Set first symbol to Air
Set second symbol to Wind
Set third symbol to Fire
Get Jadeite from beside middle statue
Click box, get round stone
Go left 2x and then down
Get Jadeite off stairs
Use wooden handle in hole on left
Take topez
Go right, get Jadeite
Go right 2x place bowl under statue with hole in its mouth
Press the ring to get sand
Take bowl
Note stick that moves
Go left, put sand in cup
Go left and up rope
Get spring plate from up top
Go right
Click floorboard and get topez
Click gate and drag upwards to open
Use dials beside gate to open path inside gate
First Dial: missing part on bottom
Second Dial: missing part on bottom left
Enter gate, get Stone cone
Go right and down, get Stone Weight
Go back to where the stick that moves was, place weight on stick
Go back inside gate
Sand is now gone, go down
Change dial so missing part is on bottom right
Go left and get round stone
Go right and go back up, click switch
Go back down and change dial so missing part is back on bottom left
Go back to stone head and place round stones in eyes, take topez
Go back inside gate and go down
Go all the way to the right, get jadeite
Go left and in entrance
Go right
Click tooth glyph to get Jadeite
Get summer plate
Go far left, click box to get Topez
Use stone cone on stone platform
Go right, use plates in inner ring
Align ring so arrow is facing up
Use Jadeite in outer ring
Line up outer ring so arrow under jadeite is facing up
Spin next ring so it lines up with previous ring (will make noise when it lines up)
Use topez in this ring
Spin middle ring so head is facing normal
Done
[Edited for publication, thanks - Grinnyp]
Posted by: Zero-K
|
August 24, 2010 9:05 AM
My walkthrough from the competition page.
Submachine: 32 Chambers Walkthrough
As soon as the game begins, grab the *Jadeite* behind the tiny stone on the floor. If you couldn't guess, the portal machine is broken.
Go left.
Click the sand on top of the box (cleverly marked with "box glyphs") to open it. Inside take the *Autumn Bacab Plate*.
Click on the air glyph on the wall to reveal an opening. Click the opening to enter.
As soon as you enter, pick up the *Jadeite* that is in plain sight.
Go down.
Go right.
Go left.
Take the *Lever Handle*.
Also take the *Jadeite* in the sand to the left.
Click near the top of the strange carving in the background to go up.
Near the upper-left corner of the carving is the *Winter Bacab Plate*.
Go down.
Go right.
Go right.
Place the *Lever Handle* into the slot on the right wall. Click it to move it up.
Go left.
Go left.
Click on the hole that appeared.
Partially blocked by the foreground, on the left there is a *Wooden Stick*.
Go right.
Take the *Wooden Bowl* held up by the golden "arm" on the left wall.
Go right.
Hovering your mouse over the glyphs here gives you a hint to the next puzzle.
Go right.
Click the square in the center of the back wall until it has an air glyph.
Go right.
Take the *Jadeite* in the sand in the upper-right corner of the room.
Click the square here until it has a wind glyph on it.
Go right.
Click the sand on top of the box to open it.
Take the *Round Stone* inside.
Click the square here until it has a fire glyph (you will know if you got it right because you will no longer be able to interact with the squares, and the sound of sand shifting will be heard).
Go left.
Go left.
Go left.
Go down the ladder that appeared.
Grab the *Jadeite* on the third step from the bottom.
Place the *Wooden Stick* into the hole (not the slot) on the left wall.
Grab the *Topaz* that appears.
Go down.
Go right.
Grab the *Jadeite* in the carving on the back wall.
Go right.
Go right.
Place the *Wooden Bowl* underneath the mouth of the carving on the back wall. Click the ring around the carving to fill the bowl with sand. Take the *Wooden Bowl Filled With Sand*.
Go left.
Use the *Wooden Bowl Filled With Sand* on the cup the statue is holding.
Go left.
Go up the rope that has lowered.
Take the *Spring Bacab Plate* in the middle-top of the screen just above the carving on the wall.
Go right.
Click the floorboard directly underneath the "mole glyph" to lift it up. Take the *Topaz* underneath.
Go right.
Turn the second circle until the missing piece is in the lower-left, then turn the first circle until the missing piece is on the bottom.
Go left.
You can drag the gate here open by clicking and holding on the gate and then moving the mouse up (in case you don't know what I mean by dragging).
Go in by clicking the opening. (Note: If you cannot go through this hallway, you did not turn the circles correctly).
Take *Stone Cone* in the sand here.
Go right.
Go down.
Take the *Weight Stone* here.
Go up.
Go left.
Go left.
Go left.
Go down.
Go left.
Go up.
Go up.
Go left.
If you followed my instructions, you should be in the room where we got the wooden bowl.
Place the *Weight stone* on the stick in the back wall.
Go right.
Go down.
Go down.
Go right.
Go up.
Go right.
Go into the opening.
Go right.
Go down.
If you followed my instructions you should be back where we got the weight stone, but now there is no sand.
Go down.
Go left.
Take the *Round Stone* in the sand next to the statue.
Go right.
Go right.
Go right.
Take the *Jadeite* in the forehead of the statue.
Go left.
Go left.
Turn the circle until the opening is in the lower-right.
Go up.
Go up.
Click the white square here.
Go down.
Go down.
Turn the circle until the opening is in the lower-left again.
Go up.
Go up.
Go left.
Go left.
Go left.
Go down.
Go left.
Go up.
Go up.
Go left.
Go left.
Go up.
Go right.
Go right.
If you followed my instructions you will be in the room where we used the lever handle.
Place each *Round Stone* into one of the statue's eyes here. Take the *Topaz* from his mouth.
Go left.
Go left.
Go down.
Go right.
Go right.
Go down.
Go down.
Go right.
Go up.
Go right.
Go into the opening.
Go right.
Go down.
Go down.
Go right.
If you followed my instructions you will be at the gate we opened by clicking the white square. Click the opening.
Go left.
Click the sand on top of the box to open it. Take the *Topaz* inside.
Place the *Stone Cone* on the circle on the ground.
Go right.
Go right.
Take the *Summer Bacab Plate* at the bottom of the carving. Click the tooth glyph in the lower-right to open it. Take the *Jadeite* that appears.
Go left.
Go up by clicking the top of the steps that appeared here.
Use the *Autumn Bacab Plate* *Summer Bacab Plate* *Winter Bacab Plate* and *Spring Bacab Plate* in the four rectangular holes in the middle of this circle. (Note: there is a specific hole for each so a plate doesn't go in, try another hole.)
Rotate the circle with all the plates until the "arrow' carved into it points up (the circle will snap into place at this point.)
Place all the *Jadeite* in the arrow shaped holes along the second outermost circle.
Rotate this circle until the one piece of jadeite with a "box" around it points up. (This box is hard to see so look for the one piece of jadeite that sticks out the most).
Rotate the next circle in until each of the holes on it match with the holes on the circle with the jadeite. (If it doesn't snap, rotate it until a new one is connecting to each hole, and continue until it snaps).
Now place the *Topaz* into each of the new holes. Finally, rotate the face in the center so it is right-side up.
If you have trouble with rotating the circles correctly, just make a tiny rotation, let go, and make another tiny rotation, until it snaps into place.
Congratulations! You have completed the Game!
[Edited for publication, thanks - Grinnyp]
Posted by: Nick
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August 24, 2010 9:29 PM