Some escape games are dense, tangled narratives requiring a lot of exploration and thought. Others are harrowing experiences that can last hours, or even days. But an escape game doesn't have to be complex to be a good game. Length and difficulty do not necessarily a good game make, especially if the difficulty and length are derived from a lot of pixel hunting, or illogical puzzles that make no sense. Sometimes, simple is best and it doesn't get much simpler than Choc-Mint by Petithima. Call it escape light, if you will.
You find yourself in a nicely furnished room, could be a hotel room, could be a condo or apartment. Flat, cartoony illustrations and bouncy music make this a fun, albeit short, experience. All you need to do is find your way out, and maybe something to snack on along the way. There's no story here, no set-up, just a room that you want to get out of. Navigation is pretty simple because there are literally only two views, the room and the balcony. That's it, that's all. Almost no moving around. Instead, you must solve the puzzles that are scattered about the two areas to find a rather...unique way out. Pick up a few objects, solve a few puzzles and voila!
Despite the simplicity, Choc-mint is an escape game done right. There is no text to confound the non-native speaker, the puzzles flow neatly from one to the other, and there is the blessed relief of a changing cursor to indicate hot-spots that can be clicked. A little logic, a little intuition, and an experienced gamer could be out in 10 minutes or less, refreshed and ready to face the day. All you escape game designers out there take notes, will you?
Choc-mint even has the trappings of a much more complex game. There's a breezy soundtrack, cute sound effects, an easy to learn and intuitive inventory control, and even a save feature. It's nice to play a game that has all the bells and whistles, even if it is the lightweight fare presented here by Petithima.
There are a few downsides, though (and I have yet to find that elusive, perfect escape game). The flaws: A color-based puzzle to make it difficult for some; a minor bug that only allows a certain action to take place after another has been performed; and a difficulty level that might be a little too easy for some folks.
Choc-Mint, though — like its namesake ice cream bar — is a cool refreshing treat on a hot summer day; a few minutes of puzzle solving bliss to take your mind off of the blazing heat. Light and easy on the palate, and a wonderful way to take a mid-week break. Slow down, take a few minutes and enjoy the escape from the every day.
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough:
1.
Click on the white planter on the right to get the gree tile piece.
2.
Click on the limp on the left to get the purple tile piece with chain.
3.
Look at where the arrow is pointing. Notice anything on the wallpaper border?
4.
6398.
5.
Open the box below using the code, take the snippers and the orange tile piece.
6.
Look at the rug and notice the pattern. Click the base of the lamp on the left.
7.
Notice the 3x3 grid matches the rug. Rotate the rug right 90 degrees to get the answer.
8.
G=Green
B=Brown
GGB
BGB
GBB
9.
Take the note from the lampshade. Notice that it looks like "ABI," but there's a dash and a blue block.
10.
Maybe we should try thinking about the note with all the blue blocks removed.
11.
731.
12.
Open the cabinet below the lamp using the code. Take the basket.
13.
Click the basket lid to open it. Click lid again to reveal teal tile piece.
14.
View purple tile piece in detail. Use the snippers to remove the chain.
15.
Notice that the colors on the fan blades match the tile pieces. Click on the fan to stop it and get a clue to the refrigerator lock. From top left, clockwise: orange, purple, green, teal.
16.
Place tile on the refrigerator lock according to fan code. Take the popsicle and the number wheel.
17.
Click the popsicle until only the stick is left to get the clue for the lockbox outside. Crescent moon, paw print, cloud.
18.
Click on the patio door on the right.
19.
Click lock box and enter code. Open box and take number wheel filter. Join the number wheel and the filter. Drag inner part of the field to each position to get the code. 2257
20.
Use code to open panel on the column on the pation. Push the elevator button.
21.
Put basket on the marked spot on patio floor. Click on handrail. You're out!
Posted by: carnax
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July 7, 2010 12:32 AM
My first walk-through! Comments welcome!
Explore
It's a room! OK, two rooms. Not much to look at, but what is there is very important. Let's look around shall we?
The door is locked we can surmise that much.
There's a pattern on the rug that looks interesting.
The fan is very colorful, you can click on it to turn it on and off.
Looks like something is stuck to the planter on the right hand side. Click on it to receive a tile.
If you click on the glass on the table it rings, nothing else seems to happen.
Look at the desk, there's a box on it that seems to want a 4-digit code which we don't have yet.
The box to the right of the desk seems not to have a number pad, perhaps something else opens it.
The box on the left wants a 3-digit code.
There's something dangling from the lamp. Click on it to receive a tile on a chain.
Clicking on the very bottom of the lap shows us a keypad. We'll save that for later.
Nothing more to see here just yet.
Click on the sliding doors to go to the balcony.
There's an outline on the ground, interesting.
The box on the right looks like it wants a 3 picture code.
The box on the left again wants a 4-digit code.
Can't do anything yet so turn around and let's start puzzling.
Puzzles
Box on desk
Let's look at the box on the desk, looks like there's an arrow above it point upwards. What's above the box?
Nice trim on the wall
Looks like numbers
6398
Enter the code into the box to receive a pair of clippers and another tile.
Box to the left of the desk
Let's click on the keypad on the bottom of the lamp. Looks like it wants us to light specific boxes. Have we seen a 3x3 grid somewhere else?
The rug under the table.
It wants it rotated 90 degress.
Check the x's
xx0
0x0
x00
Once entered the lampshade turns around.
There's something taped to it.
Click to take the note.
Let's look at the note.
Doesn't make much sense as is.
What is that minus square referring to?
Rewrite the boxed without that color.
731
Yay! An ottoman. Yay.
Hey, it opens. Awww, it's empty.
Wait, is that a tile taped to the underside of the lid?
Click the front of the lid to flip it up, then click to take the tile.
Box to the right of the desk
Looks like we have 4 tiles now. Let's try for the box on the right of the desk.
One of the tils looks like it's still attached to something.
Use the cutters on the rile on the chain to remove it.
Let's zoom into the box on the right.
Do the tiles fit?
YES, they fit!
But what's the order?
Have we seen colors in a circle somewhere before?
The fan, click on it to stop it.
From upper left clockwise: Orange, Purple, Yellow, Cyan
Put in the tiles and open the box to get a mint chocolate icecream bar and a number disc.
Deck, box on the right
Eat the icecream bar. No really!
There's some pictures on the stick!
Enter the codes into the box and open it.
Now we have another disc.
Deck, box on the left
Put the two disks together.
Looks like there are numbers on the top one.
Perhaps they indicate an order.
Click and drag to ratate the inner wheel.
2257
Enter the number into the box and open it.
A button, press it.
Yay, an escape basket! But how do we get there?
Let's but that ottoman on the square on the ground.
No we can leap the railing to freedom.
Sweet Escape!
Posted by: SeveredBrain
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July 7, 2010 1:03 AM
Choc-Mint Walkthrough
General Information
The way out is not where you'd think.
Watch your cursor, it changes when you hover over a clickable "hot spot".
There will be directions for the color blind.
Good luck!
Living Room
You begin in a nice living room area, facing a locked door.
On the far right is a large plant in a large white square planter. See the tiny green thing on the planter? Click on it to collect a quarter piece.
On the left is a table with a small tan box on top. To the left of the table is a lamp, with something hanging from it. Click on it to collect a purple
quarter piece on a chain.
Click on the tan box on top of the table. Looks like it needs a four digit code.
Notice above the tan box on the table is an arrow pointing upwards?
Look closely at the wallpaper border up near the ceiling. You can see a four digit number in the script, 6398.
Click on the tan box, enter the four digit code, and click on the box to open it.
Take the pliers and the orange quarter piece.
Close the box.
Click on the base of the lamp and notice a 3 x 3 keypad with the word "chair".
Wonder what this code is?
Notice that the chair is sitting on a rug that alternates green and red squares.
If you click on the keys (which are red) they will turn green.
Notice that the word "chair" is on the right side of the keypad.
That would indicate to take the pattern you see on the rug and turn it 90 degrees.
Click the buttons: top left, top middle, middle middle, and lower left to turn them green.
When you enter the code at the base of the lamp properly, something appears on the lampshade. Click on it.
The code looks like "ABI" in block letters, minus a cyan square.
If you look at the blocks making up the "ABI", some of them are cyan.
Remove the cyan blocks, and you are left with a number, 731.
Looks like the cabinet below the lamp needs a three digit number.
Click on the cabinet door for a close up, and use the code found on the lampshade.
Once the number is entered, close down the close up and then click on the cabinet door to open it.
Click on the item inside (box) to take it.
While the box is in close up, click on the lid twice to open the box then to tilt up the lid.
There's something taped to the underside of the lid! Take the object (blue quarter).
Close down the box and click on what looks like a mini-fridge to the right of the table with the tan box.
Looks like we need something to put in the circle to unlock the fridge.
Close down the close up of the fridge and look at the fan to the right of the chair.
Click on the fan to make it stop and notice the color of the fan blades.
Well, you have the four quarters of a circle, but one of them is on a chain.
Pull up the purple quarter (on the chain) from your inventory and use the pliers on it.
Now you have four colored quarters of a circle.
Click on the mini-fridge lock for a close up.
The fan blades indicate that the colors need to be: lower right quadrant - green, lower left quadrant - blue, upper left quadrant - orange, upper right
quadrant - purple.
When you place the quarters, the first one you place will go in the lower right quadrant, and work around clockwise. So start by placing the green
quarter, then the blue, orange, and purple.
For the color blind: The green quarter is the second from the left in your inventory, place that first. Then place the last quarter next, then the third
from the left, and lastly the first quarter.
If you place the quarters correctly, the door will change from "lock" to "open".
Back out of the close up and then click on the mini-fridge door to open it.
Take the item from the bottom of the mini-fridge (wheel with numbers).
Take the item from the top shelf (ice cream bar).
While the ice cream bar is in close up, eat it by clicking on it until the ice cream is gone and a clue is revealed on the stick.
Close down the stick into your inventory and head out to the balcony by clicking on the glass doors at the right of the scene.
Balcony
You are now on a very white balcony.
To the right is what looks like a locker with a three digit code.
The the left on a back column is a small box with a four digit code.
On the floor in front of the column with the code are brackets, indicating that something might be placed there.
Click on the locker with the three digit code for a close up.
If you click on the code squares you will notice that this is a symbol code, not a number or letter code.
Use the clue from the ice cream stick and set the code to: quarter moon, paw print, and cloud.
Once the code is entered back out of the close up and open the locker by clicking on the handle.
Take the object from inside the locker (wheel).
This wheel looks like it would fit over the number wheel that you got in the mini-fridge.
Pull up the number wheel from your inventory.
Place the wheel with the window on top of the number wheel.
You can click and drag the inside, or brown part of the wheel around.
Bring the open window to the four areas indicated by the numbers and arrows. 1 = 2, 2 = 2, 3 = 5, and 4 = 7. Your code is 2257.
Close down the wheel in your inventory and click on the small box on the left pillar for a close up.
Enter the code from the number wheel and back out of the close up.
Place the box (that you got out of the cabinet with the lamp) on the brackets on the floor.
If you hover your mouse above and to the left of the box, you will see an arrow, click on it.
You can see a lift (looks like a window washer's rig) with an exit symbol on it. Back up.
Click on the small box on the left pillar to open it.
Push the red button (yes, in this case it's a good idea).
When you push the button the lift will come up towards you.
Hover your mouse above and to the left of the box again, and click on the arrow.
Happy escaping!
Posted by: grinnyp
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July 7, 2010 1:32 AM