Escape from the Pumpkin Room
Aren't you getting tired of the constant ghosts, zombies, scare fests, etc.? Are you craving something more intellectual, something that doesn't involve shooting or blood spatter? Then why don't you try Escape from the Pumpkin Room by Tesshi-e, a calm, relaxed, simple escape the room game in which the only connection with the season are the jack-o-lanterns present in the space.
There's no prologue, no back-story, just you in a locked room. And a lovely room it is, too. Mind you, it would be nice to leave, so let's explore, shall we? As with most room escape games you must search the room for clues and objects that will help you get out. Poke around, open everything (if you can), and see how quickly you can leave and get that cup of coffee you've been craving.
Navigation is smooth and simple, with bars at the edges of the screen allowing you to wander through the room. There's no changing cursor, so there is a bit of a pixel hunt, but most objects are fairly easy to spot and they seem to have adequate clickable areas. Inventory control is a simple tool-box at the bottom of the screen with a friendly "about item" button to allow you to more closely examine anything you might happen to pick up. If the accordion music becomes too annoying, there is always the volume control or mute button at the ready. As with all of Tesshi-e's games there is no save button, but there's no real need for one.
Analysis: Occasionally it's nice just to sit back, relax, and fire up the little gray cells to solve a series of puzzles rather than fry them from constant adrenaline. Escape from the Pumpkin Room is not the most original or taxing room escape game, but it's a wonderful cure for the mid-week blahs. A nice combination of logic puzzle solving and use of found objects guarantees that you will enjoy stretching the neurons a little without ending up slamming your head on the desk in frustration.
As always with Tesshi-e's designs, the room is beautiful to behold in its own minimalist way. Colors, textures, and lighting blend together to create a warm, inviting space. Heck, the room is a place most people wouldn't mind spending time in if they weren't forcibly locked in. Freedom!
Of course, there are a few flaws. The puzzles could be more difficult, but there are some clever ones, and not every escape game can be Lights. Tesshi-e games are usually heavy on the construction, but not this one. Escape from the Pumpkin room is more "how can I use this object to accomplish what I want to do?" rather than "how many of these items can I put together to create something else entirely." Although the game itself is in Japanese, you don't need to understand the language to complete it. Important clues are either in English or are pure logic. And, of course, there's the obligatory "regular escape" and "happy coin escape" so prevalent in Tesshi-e's previous works. Note to those who wish to play: When you follow the link to the page, scroll down a bit as the game is halfway down the page. Just look for the large picture of what looks like a cafe, and you'll see the start button.
So if you're sick of ghouls and goblins, or just want to waste a little time solving puzzles, then fire up Escape from the Pumpkin Room and escape from the prevalence of Halloween-themed games.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
My first walkthrough!
Turn left
Click on the sofa
Click the left cushion once, get a candle
Click the right cushion 3 times, revealing the code for the rose painting
Back, right. Click on the corners of the rose painting
Top left, top right, bottom left x2, bottom right
It will reveal a "safe" with no handle, and a "circle" key
Back, turn right
Click on the basket, click it again to get a "plug I"
Back, take the jack-o-lantern
Inspect the jack-o-lantern and take plug III from its right eye
Back, click the plant on the right, take a candle
Back, right x2
Unlock the right cupboard with the key
Click the right teacup and take the candle (I have no idea how he hid a candle inside it)
Click the bluebottle, open it and take "plug II"
Back, click the bottom-right cabinet
Notice that, although there's a combination lock on the door, you can still open it, revealing another lock.
Click the one on the door repeatedly until at some point the numbers cannot be changed anymore. This will be the code for the lock inside.
Take the screen thingy and the "clubs" key after you've unlocked it.
Inspect the screen thingy. You can insert the plugs into the slot at the bottom right. You can also click the 3 buttons on the right side, which will show the colours green, yellow and red
With the green button turned on, plug in the 3 plugs, and combine all the squares lit up on the screen. They will show a digit. Repeat for yellow and red. Now you have the code for the middle cabinet.
Take the box inside the middle cabinet, also notice the switch
You'll find the handle for the safe behind the rose painting
Close the box, and put it on the white square in front of the cupboards
Click above the water tank. Take the knife and the "spades" key
Unlock the left cabinet with the "clubs" key
Click the grinder, open the little drawer, and take the note inside, which shows the code for the lighter (the green coil)
Back once, and take the light-blue alcohol lamp
Back, unlock the left cabinet with the "spades" key. Take the jack-o-lantern with square eyes and a hose
Left x3
Attach the handle to the safe, take the jack-o-lantern and a cork
Right x3, back to the water tank
Click above the tank, put the hose into the tank through the square hole, then cork the hose
Click the hose once to pull it out
Step back, and take back the box
Flip the switch inside the middle cabinet, step back
Click the hole in front of the cabinets, revealing a jack-o-lantern that you cannot reach yet
Click the hose, water will flow in and now you can take the jack-o-lantern. You'll also see some shapes corresponding to the eyes of the jack-o-laterns
Back, left
Click the arrows on the lighter (green coil) according to the note to light it up
Light the alcohol lamp (you have to remove its cover first) and the candles. Alternatively you can light the candles with the lamp
Put the candles and the lamp into each of the jack-o-lanterns (you have to click the top of the lanterns to open them)
Right x2
Place them onto the stands according to the shapes you saw underwater. What? None of them has circle eyes? No problem. Time for pumpkin-carving ^^
Once of the triangular-eyed lanterns can be cut into circle-eyed, with the knife of course
Once you get them right, a "heart" key will be revealed, Unlock the door and you're out.
Posted by: bwansy | October 28, 2009 1:53 AM
Escape From the Pumpkin Room Walkthrough
General Information
There are two endings, regular and happy coin.
Remember, you can use objects on other objects or combine them.
Pay close attention to the eyes of the pumpkins.
You also may need pencil and paper.
Enjoy the accordion music!
Rose Painting
You are facing a rose painting (and a locked door).
Click on the painting for a close up.
If you click on the painting corners, the painting moves.
Nothing more to do here right now, so back up and turn left.
TV Wall/Sofa
Click on the sofa for a close up.
Click on the left cushion to raise it up. Take the object from underneath. You have a candle!
Click on the right cushion to raise it up, click on it to put it back down, then click again to turn it upright. Notice the funny code on the underside.
This appears to be a code of corners. What have we seen that you can click the corners on?
Back up and turn right to the rose painting.
Rose Painting
Let's try the code we learned from the couch cushion, shall we?
When you click on the picture the picture will tilt or go back upright. Don't worry about it, just follow the code.
Click on the corners in the following order: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower left, lower right.
Yay, the painting is gone and there is a key in the alcove.
Take the key.
There are also two sockets in the alcove, but let's worry about that later.
Back up and turn left three times until you are facing a cabinet with a giant fish tank. Ignore the stands for now.
Fish Tank
Gee, lots of locked doors here, and a mysterious square on the ground.
Let's start with the upper right cabinet, shall we?
Click on the upper right cabinet for a close up, then use the key to unlock it.
Click on the can of coffee on the lower shelf, then click it again to open it. Take the object (blue vacuum tube).
Click on the tea cup on the right on the upper shelf. Click it again to turn it over and take the object from inside (another candle).
Back up.
Let's examine the other doors.
The upper left and lower left doors need keys, which we don't have.
The bottom middle cabinet wants a three digit code that involves colors.
Click on the lower right cabinet door for a close up.
Looks like it wants a four digit code.
But look, it opens!
And there's something inside that also wants a four digit code.
Hmmm...
Back up then click on the lower right cabinet door for a close up.
Maybe the code on the outside has something to do with the one on the inside?
If you click on each number, cycle it through all the numbers, then keep clicking, it will eventually stop on a number.
The code is 7235.
Now that you know the code open the doors.
Use the code on the green thing inside the cabinet (see above spoiler for the code if you can't figure it out).
Take the blue game console thingy and the key.
Back up and click on the upper left cabinet.
Use the key to open the cabinet.
On the bottom shelf is a coffee maker with a blue sterno heat source. Take the sterno. While the sterno is in close up take the lid off.
On the top shelf is a coffee grinder. Click on it for a close up.
Click on the little drawer and take the paper.
Goody, a code! I wonder for what?
We've done all we can do here, so back up and turn left.
Plane Alcove
You are now facing an alcove with three items. Click on the alcove for a close up.
Click on the plane to the right for a close up then click on it again to turn it sideways. Gee, Coin = O. I'm sure that means something.
Back up and click on the center object, it has a green coil.
Looks like a lighter.
Maybe we'll need to use it later on.
Back up and turn left.
Pumpkin Alcove
Click on the plant in the lower right of the scene for a close up.
Look, there's something to the left of the trunk! Take the object (another candle).
Back up, then click on the alcove for a close up.
Click on the pumpkin on the right to take it (although, technically, it's a jack-o-lantern).
Hey, there's something blue in its eye!
Take the object in the pumpkin's eye (blue vacuum tube).
Back up.
Now click on the wicker trash basket in the lower left for a close up.
Click on the trash basket to tilt it and take the object inside (blue vacuum tube).
Back up and turn right twice until you are at the fish tank again.
Fish Tank
Before we do anything else, let's look at the blue game console thingy in close up.
Hmmm, there appears to be a slot on the left and three buttons, from the top green, yellow, and red.
Perhaps we should try putting one of the blue vacuum tubes in the slot, then push a button?
Well, that's interesting? I wonder how to combine the information?
Create a 5 x 5 grid (using paper or whatever). Click a button (let's start with green) and one by one place the vacuum tubes in the game.
Record each pattern for each tube, and when you are done you will have a grid that shows a number that must correspond to that color.
Repeat the process for each button to get the number for that color.
The numbers are green = 3, yellow = 6, and red = 9.
Well, now that we have a three digit code with colors, let's click on the bottom middle cabinet for a close up, shall we?
Notice that the order of the colors here is not the same order as the ones on the blue game console.
Rearrange the numbers to match the colors, then enter the code.
Enter 6, 3, 9.
Look, a box! Take the box.
While the box is in close up click on the lid to open it.
Take the object from inside the box. A handle!
Look in the cabinet closely. There's a lever at the back. Let's pull it and see what happens.
Back up.
I guess the lever opens the hole in the floor. Click on the hole for a close up.
There's a pumpkin down there, but we can't reach it. Back up.
Turn right three times until you are facing the wall with the rose painting/door.
Rose Painting
Click on the alcove where the painting used to be for a close up.
Attach the handle you just got from the box to the holes.
Now click on the handle to open the secret compartment. A pumpkin!
Take the pumpkin. Hey, there's something else in there.
Take the object (cork).
Back up and turn left three times until you are back at the fish tank.
Fish Tank
Before we do anything else, let's open the bottom middle cabinet and pull the lever to close the hole. It's distracting.
Now that the hole in the floor is closed, that shape looks a bit familiar.
Do you have anything in your inventory that is that shape?
Something you could stand on, maybe?
Maybe if you closed the box?
Pull up the box from your inventory and click on the top to close it.
Now place the box in the square on the floor.
Perhaps now you could see what's on top of the fish tank?
Click on the top of the fish tank. Take the knife and the key.
Back up and remove the box from the square.
Click on the lower left cabinet for a close up.
Use the key to open the cabinet.
Gee, another pumpkin! And a hose! Take both items and back up.
Pumpkins float, don't they?
Place the box back on the square and click on the top of the fish tank for a close up.
Put the hose in the tank.
Put the cork in the end of the hose.
Once the cork is in click on the end of the hose to stretch it out.
Back up and remove the box from the square. The hose should be hanging down right next to the square.
Open the bottom middle cabinet and pull the lever to open the trap door. Back up.
Click on the open hole for a close up.
Click on the hose and it should fill the hole with water.
Take the pumpkin (you should now have four).
Look, there's a code in the water?
Square, triangle, circle, X, what could it mean?
It would almost correspond to the pumpkins we have in our inventory (the eyes), but we have two triangle pumpkins and no circle ones!
But we do have a knife...
How's your carving skills?
Pull up a pumpkin with triangle eyes and use the knife on it to carve them into circles. If it doesn't work on the first pumpkin try on the second, it will work with one of them.
Endgame
Well, we now have four pumpkins and four light sources. We also have that mysterious set of stands and a geometric code.
First, let's light the candles.
Back up from the hole and turn left.
Click on the alcove for a close up and then click on the igniter in the middle.
Remember that piece of paper we pulled from the coffee grinder?
Perhaps those are directions for using the igniter?
Look at the paper closely, there are six lines, each with an arrow at either the right or the left.
Click the buttons on the igniter in this order: right, left, left, right, left, right.
Now that the igniter is on, let's light our candles.
But we only have three candles, and four pumpkins!
That sterno can will make a nice light, too.
Click each candle on the igniter to light. Click the sterno can on the igniter to light (don't forget to take off the top first).
Back up and turn right twice until you are facing the stands.
Regular Escape
Pull up each pumpkin, one at a time.
Click on the top of the pumpkin to open it, place a candle or the sterno inside (by clicking on a candle then on the top of the pumpkin).
Repeat until all the pumpkins (jack-o-lanterns) are lit up.
Now to place them.
Don't forget the pattern at the bottom of the hole.
Place the pumpkins on the stands in this order: square eyes, triangle eyes, circle eyes, and X eyes.
A drawer pops open!
Click on the drawer for a close up and take the key.
Back up, turn right twice, use the key on the door, and you are out!
Happy Coin Escape
Follow the regular escape directions until the key appears. Take the key and back up.
Now, instead of leaving, look closely at the jack-o-lanterns.
Remember the clue from the plane?
Coin = O, if you don't remember.
Pick up the jack-o-lantern with the circular eyes.
Pull it up from your inventory for a close up, then click on the right side of the pumpkin to turn it sideways.
Now use the knife on the pumpkin to open it up.
Look, near the top, there's the coin!
Take the coin, then turn right twice, use the key, and out!
Enjoy the sterno brewed coffee.
Happy coin will bring happiness to you!!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
October 28, 2009 2:39 AM