Dust motes dance in the air as you stealthily make your way along the abandoned corridors. All around you is the detritus of a once occupied mental hospital, now descending into ruin. The pungent odor of decay permeates your nostrils as you carefully pick your footing, tiny creaks and groans reminiscent of bygone shrieks and moans echo in the stillness. Suddenly you see a sign of life ahead, twin girls, strangely still, observing your every move. Is this a nightmare? The Shining? No, my friends, it is Mystic Asylum by Selfdefiant in this week's Weekday Escape.
Mystic Asylum is more of a building escape than a room escape. Seriously, there are a lot of rooms in this place. Apparently you have been chosen to rid this abandoned asylum of its negative energy. Okay, not The Shining, more like Poltergeist then, with you the casual gamer cast as Tangina Barrons ("Don't go into the light, Carol Ann!"). Why does the asylum have all of this negative energy? What, haven't you ever seen a horror movie? What old abandoned asylum doesn't? Why have you been chosen? Who knows?
The object of this large escape effort is to explore the decaying building, finding purple energy orbs to rid the place of the negative energy. Oh yeah, your job is to also figure out how to get the heck out of Dodge. To that end you will do lots of wandering around, picking up helpful objects, solving puzzles, unlocking a lot of doors, and hopefully enjoying this amazing tour through a stunning space.
Navigation in Mystic Asylum takes a little getting used to. Hover your cursor at the sides, top, and bottom of the screens and when a hand appears, then you can click and move in that direction. Strangely, to move forward you must hover at the top of the screen, rather than just clicking a door or a foreground. Some rooms can be entered or exited in only one direction. And then there are the locked doors. Fortunately, the first thing in your inventory when you begin is a handy map showing you the layout of the facility. Use it often or you risk wandering for an eternity with only the spooky twins for company.
Scattered in every room are small purple energy orbs. You must accumulate these as you go, lest you risk being consumed by the negative energy that permeates this rotting shell of a building. There are also useful objects to pick up, clues to find, and puzzles to solve as you meander your way around. There is a changing cursor, so watch carefully in each room or you risk missing a vital object or piece of information that will help you get out.
Analysis: Selfdefiant's games tend to fall into one of two categories: cute, cartoony point-and-click adventure types (Kidnapped by Aliens, Escape from the 13th Floor) and haunting, photorealistic and spookier escapes (Absence). Mystic Asylum is one of the latter, with stunning urbexing photographs by Andre Govia that automatically make you want to slow down and just appreciate the urban decay. There's a spooky sound loop which can haunt or just become annoying, so fortunately there's a mute button handy for when it becomes a bit too much.
Mystic Asylum isn't just gorgeous scenery, however. There's a lot of escaping fun here amongst the amazingly creepy settings. A nice balance of use of found objects and puzzle solving make Mystic Asylum an amusing (and very creepy) mid-week break. The game has an auto-save feature, so if you leave and come back you will be right where you left off. Play more than once and see if you can improve your score, which is a combination of how many energy orbs you can find combined with the fewest amount of clicks it takes to complete all of your tasks.
Is there a downside? Well, yes, a few minor ones. Many of the objects are small and placed in dark areas, so you really need to "sweep" a room with your cursor to find the hotspots. It can be very easy to overlook a vital and necessary piece of equipment in the sweeping vistas, which can become annoying. The odd navigation is a challenge at first, but rely on your map and eventually you will begin to make sense of the twists and turns contained in these 35 rooms. And the inclusion of the "Shining" twins seems like a bit of a waste, since it's not like they actually do or say anything.
Spooky rather than scary, Mystic Asylum is a game of chills rather than frights. No jump scares here, just a lot of spooky atmosphere enlivened by the standard conventions of a room escape. Stunning to look at and fun to play, Mystic Asylum is also a nice, creepy escape slap dab in the middle of the holiday season, something to cut the treacle and a relief from all of the frantic shopping.
Walkthrough Guide
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Mystic Asylum Walkthrough
General Information
There are a lot of rooms to this game, so rather than do a walkthrough that wanders around and then backtracks to solve the puzzles, this walkthrough is very linear.
At the end of each section of the walkthrough will be a screenshot of the map with important areas highlighted.
Remember, to go forward you need to hover your cursor at the top middle of the screen to get the directional hand.
The names of the rooms are entirely my own.
There are usually one or two purple power spheres in each scene. I've managed to find a total of 49, there should be 50.
You need to have at least 25 power spheres to get out.
Every time you enter a room, sweep the room with your cursor. Objects like the crowbar and the screwdriver are small and hard to see, but the changing cursor will find them.
Purple spheres will automatically go into your inventory, but other objects you need to pick up then manually place into your inventory.
I'll do my best with directions, but it helps to reference the map.
Screenshot.
Have fun!
Section 1 (Yellow Gem, Green Key, Green Door)
You start in what I like to call the rotunda room, although there's no actual rotunda. Instead, there is a gorgeous plaster ceiling rose. At the center of the rose (circle) is a purple sphere.
Go forward.
You are now in the "shining" hallway (the one with the creepy twins in the distance). There are two purple spheres here. Take them and then go left.
This is a room full of some sort of medical equipment, including one of those bright swing around lights the dentist likes to use to blind you with.
Take the two purple spheres and then look closely at the left wall, there is a scrap of paper there.
Click and drag the paper and you will find a yellow gem behind it. Take the yellow gem and put it into your inventory. This is the first of six gems you will find.
Go right back to the "shining" hallway then go forward once.
This is the long hall, and there are no doors to the right or left. Pick up the one purple sphere and go forward again.
Here you are at the crossroads, white halls with red doors, and you can go left, right, or forward. There are two purple spheres here to find.
Forward is blocked with a locked door at the moment (gray), so go left.
There are a lot of wheelchairs in this place. I call this the wheelchair shadow hall, due to the prominent shadow cast by the wheelchair.
There is one purple sphere here. The way left is blocked by a door with a green lock. Go forward.
Yes, another wheelchair. I like to call this the window room for obvious reasons. There is a purple sphere here, and there is a screwdriver on the floor just to the left of the wheelchair, near the large forward wheel.
Go back, right, then back twice until you are at the "shining" hallway.
Now go right.
This is the wheelchair/bed room. There are two purple spheres here.
On the wall to the right of the wheelchair is a small plaque. Click on it for a close up and see the number 539.
To the right of the plaque is a small cabinet, between the plaque and a door. Click on the panel at the base of the cabinet to find out that it is screwed shut.
Use the screwdriver to open the panel and take the green key. This will work on the door to the left of the wheelchair shadow hall.
Go left, then forward twice, then left again to the wheelchair shadow hall.
Now go left again, and when the door pops up use the green key on the green lock to open it.
Screenshot.
Section 2 (Behind the Green Door)
You are now to the left of the green door. This is the skylight room, with a bay window in front of you and a gorgeous skylight above.
There are two purple spheres here.
Go backwards (down).
This looks like a dormitory of metallic beds. There is one purple sphere here.
At the base of the closest bed are some letters that read "ELL SHY".
To the left of the bed, laying on the windowsill, is a knife, take it.
Go forward (back to the skylight room) then left.
Yes, another wheelchair. There is a purple sphere here. Take it and go left.
Another dormitory. There is a purple sphere here.
On the windowsill to the left is a small box, click on it.
This box needs a three digit code. Remember the number from the plaque in the wheelchair/bed room?
539
Enter the code then press the white button on the right to open the box.
Take the "piece of something" (part of a circle) and close down the box. This is the first of four circle pieces you will find.
Go right to the wheelchair hall, then back.
This is the bathtub room. On the ground at the end of the tub is a black glove. Take it. There is also a purple sphere in the window, very hard to see.
At the base of the wall underneath the window is a grate. Use the screwdriver to open the grate and take the green gem.
Go forward to the wheelchair hall, right to the skylight room, then back to the ELL SHY dormitory room.
Now go right. I call this one the pharmacy due to the shelves of empty bottles. There are two purple spheres here.
To the right of the wheelchair is a large barrel. Click on the barrel for a close up then use the glove to get the gray key.
Go left, forward (the skylight room), then right twice to the crossroads hall.
Time to explore the right side of the facility.
Screenshot.
Section 3 (The right side of the map, Red Key, Red Door)
From the crossroads hall go right, this will take you to the far right side of the map.
I call this the radiation hallway, because of the radiation warning sign on the left wall. There are two purple spheres here.
Note: once you are in the radiation hallway, going left will NOT take you back to the crossroads hall. To get back to the crossroads hall you need to move backwards instead.
Go forward. You are now in another crossroads hallway, this one has no red doors.
There are two purple spheres here. Take them and go right.
You are now in a very trashed looking hallway. Take the two purple spheres here and go forward.
You are now at a staircase with a large banister. Take the purple sphere here and go forward.
Welcome to the large room. Notice that the red key is hanging from the ceiling. There is also a purple sphere here.
Use the knife to cut down the red key and take it.
Go backwards four times and you will wind up back in the radiation hallway.
Go forward once to the crossroads hallway, then forward again. You can now see a piano through an open doorway.
Take the purple sphere that is here and go forward again.
You are now at the bottles. There are two purple spheres here.
To the left of the shelves of bottles is a small book, take it. If you examine the book you will see some names and numbers.
To the right of the shelves of bottles is a drawer, click on it to open it and take the "piece of something" (second circle part).
Go back twice to the crossroads then go left. A locked red door will bar your way.
Use the red key to unlock the door.
This will get you into the "top" section of the map. You are now in the bicycle hallway.
Screenshot.
Section 4 (Beyond the Red Door)
You are now in the bicycle hallway, so-called due to the exercise bike sitting prominently in the middle of the hall. The bicycle appears to be missing a reflector. Take the purple sphere in the window and go to the right.
NOTE: Although you went left to get into the bicycle hallway, to get back to the crossroads you have to go back, rather than to the right.
You are now in the electric chair room. Okay, so it's not a real electric chair, but it looks pretty ominous.
There is a purple sphere in the room, take it.
To the right of the chair is a floor tile that is darker than the others. Use the knife on the tile to get a "piece of something" (third circle piece).
Go left to the bicycle hallway, then go forward.
You are now in a room with a roller chair. There are two purple spheres here, take them.
Against the back wall to the left, in shadow, is a cabinet. Click on the cabinet for a close up.
This cabinet needs a four digit code.
Remember the book you picked up? Each of those names had four digit numbers after them.
To get the code you need to remember the letters at the base of the bed in the dormitory room, ELL SHY.
ELL SHY is an anagram of Shelly. Look in the book and you will see the code 2317 written next to the name Shelly.
Enter the code then click on the white button to the right of the code to open the cabinet.
Once the cabinet is open take the hammer from inside.
Go left.
You are now in a room with a comfy-looking padded bench along the back wall.
There is a purple sphere here, take it.
Along the side of the window you will see a series of symbols, from top to bottom: star, circle, diamond, star, diamond.
There is also something behind the glass in the lower section of the window.
Use the hammer on this section and take the blue gem (you should now have three gems).
Go right, then go back four times until you are back at the red door crossroads in the center of the map.
Go forward and your way will be blocked by a gray door. Use the gray key on the door.
You are now in the trashed stairwell.
Screenshot.
Section 5 (Beyond the Gray Door)
You are now in the trashed stairwell (the name is pretty self-evident).
There are two purple spheres here.
There is also a crowbar leaning against the banister (below the window, to the right of the bucket).
Take the crowbar and go forward.
This room is seriously trashed. There is a non-working control panel of some kind on the back wall, and there are two purple spheres here.
Go to the right.
This looks like some sort of control room.
Take the purple sphere here and then click on the back of the chair for a close up.
You will see a tear in the upholstery in the back of the chair, use the knife on it to get the purple key.
Go right.
You are now in the cave hall (What? It looks like a cave to me!). There is a purple sphere here.
On the floor to the right of the chair is a small box. Click on the box for a close up.
Looks like we need a five digit code of symbols.
Remember the symbols on the window back in the bench room?
The symbols should be (from left to right) star, circle, diamond, star, diamond.
Once you've entered the code click on the green latch above the code to open the box.
Take the "piece of something" out of the box. This is the fourth and last piece of the circle.
Now that you've got the circle pieces, there's going to be a lot of backtracking.
Screenshot.
Section 6 (Getting Out)
Brace yourself for a lot of walking.
Starting from the cave hall, go left twice to the seriously trashed room, then back twice to the red door crossroads.
From the red door crossroads go right to the radiation hallway.
From the radiation hallway go right.
This place sure has a lot of creepy looking medical chairs, doesn't it? You are now in the circle room.
There is a purple sphere here, take it.
On the back wall, between the two windows, is a silver circle. Click on the circle for a close up.
Place all four pieces of the circle from your inventory onto the circle.
When you have placed all four pieces the red gem (gem number four) will appear in the circle, take it.
Go left to the radiation hallway, down to the red door crossroads, then left three more times until you are at the hallway with the wheelchair and the open doors.
From here go forward and a locked door will appear. Use the purple key on the locked door to go forward.
You are now in what looks like an industrial cafeteria. There is a purple sphere here.
On the floor underneath the left foremost table are some loose floorboards. Use the crowbar to move the floorboards and take the gold key.
Go back once, then right three times to the red door crossroads.
Go forward to the trashed stairwell, forward to the trashed room, then forward again.
A locked door will bar your way, use the gold key on it to move forward.
You are now in a corridor with lots of bars. There's a chair here for a guard.
Take the two purple spheres here and go right.
This room is empty except for a medical gurney. Take the purple sphere in the window and the clothes hanger on the right wall.
Go left, then back three times to the red door crossroads.
From the red door crossroads go right to the radiation hallway, then go left.
This room has a really old fashioned wheelchair in it. There is also a purple sphere.
Behind the wheelchair, against the wall on the floor, is a small box. Click on the box for a close up.
This box doesn't require a code. All you have to work with is a small hole.
Use the clothes hanger on the box to open it and get the magenta (purple?) gem.
Go right to the radiation hallway, forward to the crossroads, right to the trashed hallway, then forward to the staircase.
On the banister is a large wooden ball. Use the hammer on the ball to get the orange gem. This will also reveal another purple sphere, take it.
Go back four times to the red door crossroads.
From the crossroads go forward four times, through the trashed stairwell, the trashed room, and the room with the bars. You will end up in a room with a large six pointed star.
Place the gems on the points of the star, blue gem to the blue point, red to the red, etc. until all of the gems are placed.
Once the gems are placed the room will light up with a rainbow. Click on the star and you are out!
Screenshot.
Posted by: grinnyp
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December 8, 2010 10:28 AM