In the time we've known TomaTea, we've had the opportunity to play many lovely escape games by this developer and have come know Tomatea by the serene House Beautiful settings and pleasingly logical puzzles. In Chess Wroom, we're once again issued an invitation into the entertaining, puzzle-filled lifestyles of the clever and elegant.
Like the game of chess, this neatly-ordered, well-mannered environment hides some swarthy puzzles which are heavy in mathematics. Explore the room by following the glowing cursor to gather up clues, puzzles pieces and other handy objects. The side-bar inventory makes using and combining items easy while you'll want notepaper or a screenshot program to keep track of numerous clues and complete needed calculations. You'll find no unfair trickery or leaps in logic, but you will have to do a lot of back-and-forth and thoughtful deductions.
It's so nice to see how far TomaTea has come since we first played Orient Express Night back at the beginning of 2011. Mechanics and design are well-tuned to work together and provide a superior escape-the-room game. There isn't a single missed beat as you move about, gathering a clue here, solving a code there and opening a door somewhere else. This symmetry makes gameplay a peaceful, relaxing experience even as the chaining of puzzles feels too stuffy and constrained. TomaTea's ability to make theme and mood fit together perfectly is well illustrated in Chess Wroom. Logical puzzles and scenic interior design are always a satisfying mix, even if extra Ws leave us guessing. Let's just say it means "wonderful."
Walkthrough Guide
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Chess Wroom Walkthrough
General Information
Examine everything you pick up, items may be hiding clues or even other items.
There will be math. Oh, yes, there will be math.
You will not be able to solve a puzzle until you've seen the clue or clues.
There will be directions for the colorblind regarding any color-based puzzles.
There is only one ending.
Good luck!
Exploration
You begin facing a wall of windows. In the center is a small table, click on it for a close up.
On top of the table is a miniature merry-go-round. The merry-go-round has five horses, each of a different color, white, blue, red, green, and yellow.
There appears to be a hole for a wind-up key on the base of the merry-go-round.
Click on the base of the merry-go-round to tilt it up. There's a panel underneath, but it needs a screwdriver.
On the top of the merry-go-round's canopy there is a cross-shaped object, take it.
If you pull up the object from your inventory, you can click on it to see the top. Looks like a notch or something.
Close down the cross-shaped object.
Back up and turn right.
You are now facing a wall with a couch. On either side of the couch are small end tables with lamps. There is also a large painting above the couch.
Click on the left end table for a close up.
The door on the end table needs a key, which you do not have.
Notice on the floor on the left a tile, take it (1 of 4).
On top of the table is a chess piece, a knight. Click on the knight and it will flip up, revealing the number 56.
Back up.
Now click on the right end table for a close up.
This end table door has a lock that looks like it is based on four colors. We've not seen a clue for this yet.
On the floor to the right of the table is another tile, take it (2 of 4) and back up.
Click on the painting above the couch. Looks like it is missing four segments, probably the tiles we've been picking up.
Back up and turn right.
The wall you are facing has a TV, several shelves, and the door out.
Yes, the door is locked. It's not going to be that easy.
Click on the TV for a close up.
Now you can see that there is a DVD player below the TV. You can click on the tray to open it, but it is empty. Looks like we need a DVD.
To the right of the TV are two shelves, click between them for a close up.
The top shelf drawer needs a 4 digit code.
The bottom shelf drawer has a lock that looks like clocks.
On top of the lower shelf is a king chess piece, click on it. On the bottom is the number 9532.
Back up, then click on the left set of shelves for a close up.
On the top left shelf is another tile, take it (3 of 4).
The top shelf drawer has two buttons, looks like a left/right code.
The bottom shelf has a code that involves chess pieces.
Back up twice and turn right.
You are now facing a fireplace, flanked by two chairs.
In front of the fireplace is a table, click on it for a close up.
On the floor to the right you will see another tile, take it (4 of 4).
Inside the fireplace is a pawn chess piece. Click on it to see the number 8.
Back up, then click on the fireplace mantel for a close up.
On the mantel there is a chess clock, but the right side is missing both hands and a knob.
To the left of the clock is a rook chess piece, click on it to see the number 714.
If you click on the knob on the left part of the chess clock, the hands will move. Note that they move to the numbers 7, 5, 10, and 3.
Back up and turn right.
You should be back to the windows and the merry-go-round. Time to solve some puzzles!
The Puzzle Picture
Turn right to face the couch.
Click on the picture above the couch for a close up.
We now have four tiles to fit into the four open slots, so use the tiles on the picture.
Now it's a simple swap 2 puzzle.
Solve the puzzle (see screenshot for the completed puzzle).
This picture might be a clue!
Note three horses on the left, and three on the right.
You can now click on the upper left rectangle of the picture. Look, a clue!
But what does 1 - 2 x 3 + 4 mean?
Back up.
The Upper Left Drawer
Turn right to face the TV.
Click twice on the upper left shelf for a close up.
Click on the lock on the drawer to this shelf. Looks like we can solve it!
The clue for this left/right code is the picture we just put together above the couch.
The picture shows 3 horses on the left and 3 on the right.
Click the left button 3 times, then the right button 3 times, then click the button below to open the drawer.
Once you open the drawer, you will see part of a chess piece, take it.
Back up twice.
The Left End Table
Turn left to face the couch.
Pull up the partial chess piece from your inventory.
Click on the top. Looks like it's missing a piece.
Use the cross-shaped item from your inventory on the partial chess piece. Yay, we made a king!
Once the chess piece is assembled, click on the top to flip it.
Okay, another puzzle. This one looks like it moves clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Have we seen a clue for this?
Yes, we have, on the chess clock on the mantel.
Remember the sequence of numbers the left clock showed when you clicked the knob?
It went clockwise to the 7 o'clock position, then counter-clockwise to the 5 o'clock position, then clockwise to the 10 o'clock position, then counter-clockwise to the 3 o'clock position.
Recreate those movements using the arrows on top of the chess piece.
If you did it correctly you will get a key out of the chess piece.
Now where did we see something that needed a key?
Click on the left end table for a close up.
Use the key on the end table door to open it.
Take the item from inside (folded chess board).
Back up.
The DVD Player
Pull up the chess board from your inventory.
Click on the board to open it.
Hey look, a DVD is inside! Take the DVD.
Close down the now unfolded chess board.
Turn right to face the TV wall.
Click on the DVD player twice for a close up.
Open the tray and place the DVD.
Close the tray. Hey look, a clue on the TV!
This looks like an aerial view of the room. Note the position of the furniture, the numbers, and the arrows.
Back up twice.
The Upper Right Shelf and the Lower Left Shelf
Click on the shelves to the right of the TV twice for a close up.
Click on the drawer on the upper right shelf. Looks like we now have the clue for the four digit code.
But what could it be? Where have we seen numbers in the room?
The solution to this puzzle is in several different places. It combines the TV clue, the chess pieces in the room with numbers on them, and the clue from the puzzle picture.
Remember the TV clue? Here's a screenshot of it.
Look closely and you will see that the red dots with the arrows correspond to positions of the chess pieces in the room.
The number 1 position is where the king chess piece was, the one with the number 9532.
The number 2 position is where the pawn was, with the number 8.
The number 3 position is where the rook was, with the number 714.
And the number 4 position is where the knight was, with the number 56.
So how do we combine them?
The answer is the equation revealed in the upper left corner of the puzzle picture, 1 - 2 x 3 + 4.
The numbers 1 through 4 represent the chess pieces, as shown on the TV clue.
Each chess piece has its own number, so substituting those numbers gives you the equation: 9532 - 8 x 714 + 56.
Remember when doing equations like this that you need to multiply and divide first.
Thus you would get 9532 - (8 x 714) + 56.
That would be 9532 - 5712 + 56 = 3876.
Thus 3876 is the code.
Enter the code into the lock and push the button below to open the drawer.
Inside you will find a knob, take it.
Back up once.
Now click on the left set of shelves for a close up.
Click on the bottom left shelf, the one with the code made up of chess pieces.
Looks like we should know this one now as well.
Once again we are using the chess pieces scattered around the room, the ones with the numbers on them.
This time, however, we are not using the numbers but their shapes.
Number 1 was the king, so you should click the first chess piece until you see a king.
Number 2 was a pawn, so you don't need to click that piece at all.
Number 3 was a rook, and number 4 was the knight, so you should click until they are those shapes.
Here's a screenshot of the solution.
Once you enter the correct shapes, click the button below to open the drawer.
Inside you will find some clock hands and a wind-up key. Take both items and back up twice.
The Chess Clock and the Lower Right Drawer
Turn right to face the fireplace.
Click on the mantel of the fireplace for a close up.
Use the clock hands on the right chess clock, then use the knob on the right top of the chess clock.
Once both are in place, click on the right knob. Notice the clock hands once again travel to certain times. In this case it is 8, 3, 11, and 6 o'clock.
Back up.
Turn left to face the TV wall.
Click on the right shelves twice for a close up.
Click on the bottom right shelf drawer. Looks like we can now solve this puzzle.
The answer is simple, it is the times we just saw on the chess clock.
Set each dial, from left to right, to the times shown on the clock.
From left to right: 8 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 11 o'clock, and 6 o'clock.
Once the dials are set correctly click on the bottom button to open the drawer.
Inside is a screwdriver. Take it and back up twice.
The Merry-Go-Round and the Right End Table.
Turn right (or left) twice to face the windows.
Click on the merry-go-round for a close up.
Click on the merry-go-round again to tilt it up.
Use the screwdriver to remove the panel on the base and take the chess piece (knight).
Click on the merry-go-round again to put it back on the table.
Now place the wind-up key in the hole in the front of the base.
Click on the wind-up key and watch the horses turn. Note which colored horse rises and in which order.
For the colorblind: The horses rise in this order: green, yellow, blue, red.
Back up.
Turn right to face the couch.
Click on the right end table for a close up.
Click on the lock below the door handle. We can now solve this puzzle.
The answer is the merry-go-round horses, and the order in which they rose as it played.
That would make the code green, yellow, blue, and red.
For the colorblind: Click the first (left) button three times, don't click the second button (it is already yellow), click the third button twice, and the fourth button once.
Once you've set the code click on the button below to open the door.
Inside is a set of chess pieces, take them.
Back up.
Getting Out
We now have all the pieces we need to get out.
Go right (or left) twice to face the fireplace.
Click on the table in front of the fireplace for a close up.
Place the chess board on the table.
Place the bunch of pieces on the chess board.
Note that one piece is missing, the dark knight (Batman reference, yeah!).
Place the dark knight in the empty space on the chess board.
A drawer pops open with a key, take it and back up.
Turn left to face the TV wall.
Click on the door for a close up.
Use the key on the door.
Congratulations! Enjoy your real carousel ride.
Posted by: grinnyp
|
September 19, 2012 2:33 AM