Are you tired and stressed from all that room escaping? Well it's time to sooth those jittery nerves caused by all that construction and puzzle solving. Doesn't a restful day in the spa sound nice? Mind you, once you're in the locker room, it can be slightly difficult to find the pool. Okay, so you'll have to escape to get that nice relaxing soak! Welcome to Escape to the Spa by Tesshi-e. No one ever said relaxing was easy.
Escape to the Spa is a bit odd for an escape game in that you're not really escaping from or to anything (other than the usual mid-week blahs). Mostly you're just trying to find the pool, not unlike many a real spa. The action takes place in one of the nicest locker rooms ever seen. Of course, it is a spa after all, and probably an expensive one at that. All you have to do is solve several puzzles in order to get that long-delayed relaxation. Real spas, however, probably don't make their customers jump through as many hoops.
Navigation is the usual bars at the edges of the screen, and clicking on other areas or items can get you a close up. A handy "about item" button makes inventory control smooth and easy. Surprisingly, although there's some use of found objects, there is no construction to be seen. Pity there's no changing cursor, though, so be prepared for some pixel hunting.
Analysis: Tesshi-e always creates interesting escapes, whether you're trying to get a meal , or you've stumbled into an underground industrial area. Escape to the Spa is unusual for Tesshi-e; no construction or color puzzles are to be found. This is all use of found objects, pure logic, and math. A nice change.
You're in the usual Tesshi-e space: three dimensional, luxurious, with surfaces that beg to be touched. It all looks like a very upscale Japanese spa, from the fixtures to the warm wood floors and ceiling. The accompanying slow Jazz piano piece complements the game perfectly, interesting and yet soothing and relaxing, just the sort of thing to put you in the mood for a trip to the spa. And of course, it wouldn't be Tesshi-e without an alternate, "happy coin" escape.
With the positives come a few negatives. The game is in Japanese, although a few key English phrases will pop up when they are most needed. You don't need to be able to read Japanese to enjoy the game, though; everything is pure logic. Despite the lack of English, this is perhaps the most accessible of Tesshi-e's games. No color puzzles to confound the colorblind, and no construction to infuriate the mechanically inept. Just smooth music, a very Zen space, and lots of escaping logic to serve your casual gameplay needs. Get ready for a relaxing trip, complete with a nice hot soak waiting at the end.
Walkthrough Guide
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Basic Walkthrough:
Initial Onjects:
spade key in base of fan
star and square on the key pad near the fan
"I" in locker 30
green coin in locker 28
stool under rightmost sink
remote behind potplant
"III" in top row, first basket
screen in top row, third basket
"IV" in top row, fourth basket
cap in third row, second basket
"VI" in bottom row, first basket
"IV" in bottom row, last basket
Lockers
use the spade key on the cabinet under the second sink.
take the pink thing.
go to the lockers.
enter cards from the pink thing into the lockers in the following order
it's a magic square
each row and column adds up to 68.
12-24-2-30
6-26-16-20
32-4-22-10
18-14-28-8
note the following:
12
"II"
20
balloon
26
star
10
square
Midgame
Go to keypad at base of fan
Enter 2610 (star = 26, square = 10)
Oh look! a power point. You could plug the fan into that...
You're kidding me... I have to say it?
Fine. Plug the fan in.
Face the fan, and press the button on the remote
Put the stool on the table and get the balloon (and take the stool back)
go to the plant and spike the balloon on it
Hooray! You have the heart key!
go through the brown sliding door
put the stool in front of the door
take the shade off the light and take the globe
take the stool and go next door
put the globe into the brown niche above the four white buttons
put the screen in front of the globe
press the white buttons in the order of the roman numerals
TR-TL-TL-BR-TR-BL
It lights up with 4126
Go to the white door
Use the heart key on the little panel
Enter 4216 and hit open
Normal ending
Go through the door
Happy Coin Ending - I don't have this complete yet...
Use the heart key on the little panel
Enter 4216 and hit Close
look behind the plant and get the coin
Posted by: Master-flea
|
April 7, 2010 3:23 AM
Escape to the Spa Walkthrough
General Information
No color puzzles! This is all logic and math.
Examine everything that you pick up. Some objects may be hiding other objects.
Have a nice soak!
Exploration
You start facing a wall that has a half-wall divider. On the left of the divider is a bank of lockers and a fan. To the right of the divider is something set into the wall.
Click on what looks like a brown picture on the wall on the right of the half-wall divider.
Okay, upon closer inspection it appears to be an alcove, with a hole in the middle, and some sort of buttons underneath.
Click on the middle of the alcove for an even closer close-up.
Okay, that either looks like a peephole or a light socket. Back up twice.
Click on the brown lockers to the left of the divider for a close up.
Some lockers have numbers on them, and can be opened. The lockers with no numbers are, well, locked.
They look like those lockers at the bus station, with the numbered keys. You remove the key and it locks.
You can open all the numbered lockers. Notice in the upper right locker (number 30) is an "I" painted on the back wall.
Locker number 28 has a green coin in it. Take it.
Back up from the lockers and click on the fan to the left of the lockers.
Behind the fan you will see some sort of wall socket type thing. Click on it for a close up.
Okay, not necessarily a wall socket, but something with numbers. Also notice in this view you can see the back of the fan. There's a little compartment on the back base of the fan. Click on it.
Take the spade key from the fan compartment.
It looks like there's a power cord in there as well, but you can't take it yet.
Click on the wall thing with the numbers instead.
Okay, there's a little symbol of a star and a square, as well as number buttons. Well, we don't know the code yet, so back up three times.
Turn left.
You are now facing a rack of baskets, presumably for clothing or towels. Click on the rack for a close up.
You can click on the baskets one by one to see what's inside. Notice the roman numerals in the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right baskets.
Upper left: II, upper right: V, lower left: VI, lower right: IV.
In the top row, third basket from the left, you will find what looks like a screen with a plaid border. Take it.
In the third row down, second basket from the left, you will find a baseball cap. Take it.
Back up and click on the door to the left of the rack for a close up.
Hey, that may be the way to the pool! There's a switch plate of some sort to the right of the door, click on it.
Darn, it's locked! Does the spade key work? Of course not, that would be too easy. Back up twice.
Turn left.
Not much to see in this view except a large potted plant and some slot windows. Click on the plant for a close up.
If you click on the plant itself, it will tell you to be careful of the sharp leaves.
Click on the slot window just behind the plant. The clickable area is just to the right of the plant, at the base of the window.
Cool, there's a remote in the window behind the plant! Take the remote and back up twice.
Turn left.
Okay, there's a low table in front of you, a door to the right, and a bank of sinks and cabinets to the left.
Click on the double doors for a close up.
Click on the right door to open it and go through the door.
Oops, this is where we came in. Can't go anywhere from here, so go back through the door.
When you come through the door, you are facing the lockers again, so turn right.
Click on the sinks for a close up.
You can check out each sink, but they all say the same thing: "no water".
Open the first cabinet on the left.
There's nothing in there. Back up and click on the second cabinet.
Okay, this one is locked. Maybe the spade key will work here?
Yes, the cabinet is open! Take the pink...thing and back up.
Click on the third cabinet. It too is locked, but this time it says "key in 7".
Back up and click on the fourth cabinet.
Yes, unlocked! Take the step stool and back up twice.
Time to solve some puzzles!
The Sinks
Since we're facing the sinks, let's try to solve this one first.
The only cabinet we can't get into is the third from the left, the one that says "key in 7".
That might be a clue about the lockers, but there is no locker #7.
Wait a minute, what about that pink thing we found in the cabinet?
Pull up the pink thing from your inventory.
Put a number (any number) into the pink thing and push the white button.
Okay, that looks like those wooden locker keys!
Nice, master keys!
We don't know which locker is number 7, but we can at least get the key.
Pull up the pink thing, enter 07, and push the button.
Take the wooden key that pops up.
Maybe the key has a hint about which locker it goes to? Click on the key to turn it over.
Hey, there's a recess in the back of the wooden key! Click on that recess.
Yay, a club key! Take the club key.
Click on the sinks for a close up.
Click on the third cabinet from the left and use the club key on it.
Okay, there's something in the drain of the sink above.
There's one lever, looks like it is to the second sink from the left.
Flip the lever and back up.
We want to get water into the sink above, but the only lever is apparently for the second sink.
If only we had something to carry water in.
How about the baseball cap? It's better than nothing.
Click on the second sink and click on the tap on the left.
Yes, we have water!
Now use the baseball cap on the water. What do you know, it can carry water.
Close down the cap and click on the third sink from the left.
Use the capful of water on the sink.
Yes, whatever was in that drain floated up! Take the object.
Looks like a giant wooden screw. Too bad we don't have a screwdriver.
But we do have a coin.
Use the coin to unscrew the top of the wooden thing and take the revealed object (a note).
The note says *68.
Back up twice.
The Locker Puzzle
Now that we've solved the sinks, let's turn left and deal with the lockers.
Click on the lockers for a close up.
The locker numbers appear pretty random.
Maybe there's some mathematical reason for the random numbers.
Hmmm, remember the note found in the sink?
The note said 68.
Look closely at the bottom row of lockers. 14 + 28 + 8 = 50. You would need 18 to make a total of 68.
Pull up the pink thing from the inventory.
Enter the number 18 and push the button. Take the 18 key.
Use the 18 key on the bottom left locker. Hey, it works! The locker is empty, though.
Looks like each row, column, and diagonal should add up to 68.
Use the pink thing to generate all the missing locker keys.
Top row, from left to right: 12, 24, 2, 30
Next row, from left to right: 6, 26, 16, 20
Third row, from left to right: 32, 4, 22, 10
Bottom row, from left to right: 18, 14, 28, 8
Now that you have all the lockers open, let's look inside.
The number 12 locker (upper left) has a III on the back wall.
The number 30 locker (upper right) has a I on the back wall.
In the second row, the number 26 locker has a star on the back wall.
Also in the second row, opening the number 20 locker (far right) releases a balloon.
In the third row, the number 10 locker (far right) has a square on the back wall.
That's it for the lockers. Back up.
The Fan
Hey, that blue balloon is hovering above the fan!
Oh well, never mind that now. Click on the fan for a close up.
Now click on that strange socket behind the fan for a close up (twice).
The clue here is a star symbol and a square symbol.
The star symbol was in locker 26.
The square symbol was in locker 10.
Put in 2610 and click on the "push" button.
Wow, there's the power socket!
Back up once.
Click on the cord in the little alcove in the back of the fan base.
Okay, the fan is plugged in.
Back up.
Maybe the remote works the fan?
Pull up the remote from your inventory and push the button.
Well, according to the game, the balloon moved. Back up.
Yep, it's no longer hovering over the fan.
The Balloon
Turn right until you are facing the sinks.
There's the balloon!
If only we could reach!
Well, we do have the stool...
Let's be totally unsafe and put the stool on the low table.
Click on the balloon to take it.
When the balloon is in close up, click on it. A sturdy balloon!
Close down the balloon in your inventory.
Pick up the step stool again, you never know if you're going to need it.
Maybe there's something in the balloon?
If only we had something sharp to puncture it!
Well, we did see something sharp...
Turn right.
Click on the sharp plant for a close up.
Use the blue balloon on the tips of the plant, that should pop it!
Yay, a heart key!
Back up and turn right.
Click on the white door for a close up, then click on the switch plate to the right of the door for a closer close up.
Use the heart key on the plate.
And...we need a code. It's never that easy, is it?
Back up twice.
The Door Code
Okay, what haven't we used?
Well, there's the weird screen thingy with the plaid border.
And that strange alcove by the lockers with the empty light socket.
You know, there was a light fixture outside the entrance door.
Turn right until you are facing the sinks and the double wooden door.
Click on the door for a close up.
Open the door and go through.
Place the stool underneath the light fixture.
Click on the light fixture for a close up and remove the light bulb.
Back up and go through the door.
Now click on the alcove to the right of the lockers.
Place the light bulb in the center hole.
Place the screen thingy over the light bulb.
Now we just need to figure out how to turn the light on.
There are four switches below. Guess we need to figure out the sequence.
Remember the roman numeral in the lockers? And in the baskets?
You need to combine the numerals from both to get the sequence.
Lockers: upper left III, upper right I.
Baskets: upper left II, upper right V, lower left VI, lower right IV.
Click the light switches in the following sequence: upper right, upper left, upper left, lower right, upper right, lower left.
Yay, the light came on, revealing a code!
The code is 4126.
Back up and turn left.
Click on the door, then the panel for a close up.
Use the heart key to open the panel.
Enter the code and click "enter".
Now click on "open".
Yay, the door is open!
Proceed through the door for the regular escape.
Happy Coin Escape
You just gotta have the lucky coin, don't you?
Don't go through the door.
Instead, click on the panel to the right of the door for a close up.
Open the panel, put in the code, and click the "close" button.
There went the happy coin!
Back up and turn left.
Click on the plant for a close up.
Click to the right of the plant like you did to find the remote.
There's the happy coin, behind the plant!
Take the coin, back up twice, and turn right.
Click on the door for a close up, then click on the panel.
Open the panel, enter the code, then click "open".
Enjoy your soak and your sake!
Happy coin will bring happiness to you!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
April 7, 2010 8:13 AM